The faint scent of bacon, spray paint, and a little sweat can mean only one thing: it’s Pinterest Challenge time. This seasonal tradition started as a simple idea from Katie Bower—to stop pinning and start doing—and it’s been a fun push to turn inspiration into real projects. No sponsorships here; just a group of creative people turning ideas into finished pieces.
Last June Katie invited me to join a seasonal challenge where each participant makes something inspired by their Pinterest boards. It’s a friendly nudge to take one of those bookmarked ideas and actually create it. I’ve pinned hundreds—maybe thousands—of things, but I admit I only ever complete a small fraction. The first Pinterest Challenge last summer ended with John and me building a clothespin light fixture for the laundry room, and the fall edition produced 38 homemade holiday ornaments. Both times were a blast, so we’re excited to share a belated winter edition while the season still counts.
The only rule is simple: pick something you’ve pinned, make your own version, and credit the original inspiration—whether that came from a brand, a blog, or an image you saved that sparked your idea. Projects can be big or small and span any category: decor, sewing, cooking, woodworking, you name it. The goal is to personalize the idea and actually finish it.
This round I decided to tackle a project that’s been on my list for a long time: making a beanbag for the bean’s closet. It’s my attempt to make peace with my sewing machine, a relationship that’s been complicated at best. I bookmarked numerous beanbag shapes and fabrics on Pinterest and have been weighing options—round, square, patterned, solid—hoping my finished piece won’t be a lumpy, misshapen disaster. I’ll report back with photos and details once the sewing is complete.
We’ve also invited a few friends to guest-host this edition. They joined us in past challenges and brought great ideas, so we asked them to come back for another round. The guest hosts for this challenge include:
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Erin from The Great Indoors, who contributed a clever art project during the fall challenge that inspired many of us to try something new.
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Cassie from Hi Sugarplum, who created a beautifully embellished wreath last time and inspired readers with a fresh take on seasonal decor.
If you want to take part, consider this your official invitation. Choose a pinned idea, interpret it in your own style, and share your results. We’ll spend the weekend working on projects and plan to regroup next Wednesday morning (the 14th) to share finished work. The goal is to recreate the same generous showcase we enjoyed in prior challenges—seeing how different people adapt the same inspiration into unique finished pieces. On the recap day we’ll post our projects and invite you to submit links to yours so everyone can browse and be inspired. There’s always a chance a few of the finished projects will make it back onto Pinterest, continuing the cycle of inspiration-to-action.
Quick note: I mention Pinterest often because it’s where most of us collect ideas, but this event is independently organized. No brands are sponsoring this—just a few dedicated DIY enthusiasts and the excitement that comes from turning pinned images into real, finished projects. Sometimes we work while watching our favorite shows, and sometimes we just sew late into the night. Either way, it’s all about making and sharing.