First, a big, goofy internet kiss to everyone who left such kind, excited comments on yesterday’s announcement. We’re honestly thrilled to share this next chapter with you — there may have been a few teary smiles involved.
Spring is in the air, and that means it’s time for the seasonal Pinterest Challenge. This unofficial event was dreamed up by Katie Bower to push us from pinning ideas to actually making them. The idea is simple: pick something you’ve pinned that inspires you, put your own spin on it, and give credit to the source that sparked your idea. It can be anything—decor, sewing, cooking, gardening, or a larger DIY project. The goal is to get creative and have fun turning inspiration into reality.
Over the past challenges we’ve tackled a variety of projects: John and I made a clothespin light, I crafted homemade ornaments, I faced my sewing fears and stitched a beanbag pouf for Clara, we experimented with homemade art, built a leaning chalkboard, and added hallway board and batten. Each project was an opportunity to try something new and to share both the successes and the lessons learned.
For this spring’s challenge, with allergies acting up and the season finally arriving in earnest, we decided to check an item off our long-standing to-do list: window boxes. A few well-placed window boxes should add dimension, texture, and soft greenery to our long, boxy ranch-style house. Now that our house is officially on the market, we figure exterior curb appeal is worth prioritizing—window boxes are a subtle way to attract attention and add instant charm.
We’ve pinned a couple of window-box photos and a tutorial to guide our approach: one was a ready-made option that’s more inspiration than a budget plan, and the other is a practical how-to that we can build from scratch if we don’t find an affordable ready-made solution. With that research in hand, we’ve already started shopping around and deciding whether to buy or build.
To keep things lively, each Pinterest Challenge invites guest hosts who have brought fun projects to past challenges. For this round we’re thrilled to have Emily from Sparkle Meets Pop, who impressed us with her glitter project last time, and Renee from Red Bird Blue, who previously built an awesome iPod dock. Their fresh ideas and energy always add extra momentum to the challenge.
Here’s how you can join: pick something you’ve pinned and recreate it with your own twist, crediting the original creator. It doesn’t have to be perfect—in fact, experimentation is the point. We’ll all share our results next Wednesday morning, the 8th, when participants can submit links to their projects. If you’ve missed past challenges, there are plenty of linked examples to browse for inspiration—from clothespin lights to seasonal ornaments and more.
Whether you plan to tackle a small craft, a food project, a sewing challenge, a painting, a furniture makeover, or some outdoor improvement like window boxes, we’d love to see what you create. Spring is a great time to try something new, add a little personality to your home, and connect with others who love to make. So wipe the pollen out of your hair, grab those paint flip-flops (or whatever your DIY uniform happens to be), and join in the fun. See you next Wednesday to compare notes, show off wins, and laugh about the inevitable learning curves.
- Emily from Sparkle Meets Pop (returned after her glittery success)
- Renee from Red Bird Blue (back after her creative dock project)