If you’re not familiar with Pinterest, the concept may seem a bit off the wall. The clue to how it works is in the name, though. In days before the internet, many of us would create scrapbooks or notice boards with ideas pinned to them to help us organise our thoughts and collect inspiration. Pinterest takes that concept digital, allowing you to create boards around any theme you like. You can collect ideas and inspiration for things, or “pin” tutorials or recipes so you can find them easily later on.
Here are some of the best things you can use Pinterest for:
Recipes
Whatever you fancy cooking, you can bet there’s a recipe for it on Pinterest. It can inspire you with tasty ways to stick to a new dietary regime. Or, it can help you find creative ways to use everyday ingredients and shake up your weekly meal planning. You can theme boards around different cuisines, the type of meal, the price per portion, or the occasion it’s for. You could even create weekly menu boards that you can come back to quickly and easily to find the recipes you need.
Party planning
From themed children’s parties to birthdays, anniversaries and even hen and stag parties, Pinterest is a great place to collect ideas. Pick up inspiration for decorations and tutorials for decorative DIYs. Find recipes for on-theme party snacks. Gather ideas for party games and activities, whatever the occasion. You can even find printable checklists to make sure you don’t forget anything. With Pinterest in your pocket you are sure to become the host with the most.
Activities for children
Image credit: Buggy and Buddy
Teachers flock to Pinterest to pick up unusual ideas for activities and displays to keep their classes both educational and fun. These projects are just as good outside the classroom, though. You can teach your little ones about something important in our world – like this tutorial for making bees from egg boxes – and keep them entertained through weekends and school holidays at the same time. Plus, because they’re having fun, they’re more likely to remember the educational message, too.
Wedding planning
Whether you’ve already set the date or are still dreaming of finding Prince or Princess Charming, wedding planning is one of the most popular reasons people turn to Pinterest. By collecting together images of everything from invitations to groomsmen’s suits to photography styles, you can start to get a sense of how your big day will come together. Secret boards help you keep your planning away from the prying eyes of your followers and guests, although you can choose to share even secret boards with certain individuals, like your betrothed!
Hair and makeup
If you’re a keen follower of the latest hair and makeup trends, then Pinterest is the platform for you. Before you head for a haircut, you can collect together shots of the type of cut you want to show your stylist. This makes it much easier for them to interpret what you want and you’re less likely to end up forking out again to have a bad cut re-styled. You can also use Pinterest to find step by step tutorials for your hair and makeup so even if you’re not going for the chop, you can still achieve a new look with minimal fuss!
Journals and organisation
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Keeping a hectic life organised can be a real challenge, and many of us have various lists and notice boards and post-its stuck to things to help us stay on track. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration for ways to streamline your daily organisation, with tons of layouts you can copy or adapt to suit you. Find out how you can plan your week at a glance on a single sheet of paper. Keep tabs on your to-do list, plan menus and even organise what you’re going to wear day to day. People will wonder what your secret is!
Gifts and wishlists
We don’t know about you, but every year as birthdays and Christmas roll around, it gets trickier and trickier to know what we want as gift. And, it gets especially tricky when you’re bombarded with requests for ideas from all sides! As you window-shop online throughout the year, pin items you see that you’d like to be given as a gift. Then, when people ask you for ideas, send them the list! You can organise Pinterest boards into sections – try organising them by occasion, or by budget range.
Career hacks
Pinterest is a great source of cheat sheets that can help you improve your performance at work, and boost your income. You’ll find infographics summing up industry trends, checklists, and “how-to” guides. Use it for everything from practical guidance on using different computer programmes to CV writing tips. Pinterest is especially useful for anyone with side-hustle ambitions – it features thousands of guides and articles that can help you get your new business of the ground, from launching a website to using social media to grow your following. There are even business ideas on there, if you want to do something but are stuck for inspiration.
Home DIYs
Image credit: homeohmy.com
From innovative storage solutions to bespoke decorations for your home, Pinterest is packed with inspiration for home improvements. It’s particularly good at helping you imagine all sorts of alternative uses for common household items. Upcycle empty tin cans into utensil holders or plantpots, double your book collection with anti-gravity shelves, or even create clothes storage from an old ladder! We love these ideas that just require spray paint.
What can Pinterest inspire you to do in 2018?
