My Pinterest Tips

Are you on Pinterest?  I joined back in the early days and have loved every minute of it.  I have gotten MANY fun ideas, recipes, and inspirations from the virtual pinboard.  I think Pinterest is a genius idea.

A common phrase I hear from new Pinterest members is, "I don't get it."  I, and many other crafters, use Pinterest to save ideas for cooking, crafting, fashion, etc.  If you don't craft or do creative projects, though, it is still useful.

You can have boards with exercise tips, pin rooms that give you inspiration ideas for that room remodel you might have done soon (even if it isn't a DIY), or even grab some photo staging shots that you might try for your next Christmas card photo session.  Don't give up!  It really is useful if you think about how it can motivate and inspire you.

If you are new to Pinterest or if you are wanting to organize what you have on your boards so far, I am going to offer a few personal tips that I have found useful. 

1.  Make your boards specific.
I recently took my generic "recipe" board and also created "sweet tooth," "breakfast" and "beverages" boards.  I spent HOURS editing recipes from the broad "recipe" board into the new categories and eventually took a break.  I probably have another hour or two of editing to get it all organized.  I probably should also do an "appetizer" board and a "healthy recipe" board, but I need to get over the first hurdle. 
I wish someone had said, "Be specific with your board titles, so you can easily find pins later when you want them!"
If you pin crafts, this can apply too.  Be specific--fabric crafts, mod podge crafts, painting crafts, kid crafts, home decor crafts--divide it up as it makes sense to you.
You get the gist.  It will save you hours of wading through pins looking for that "great idea" you pinned a month or more ago.

2.  Follow people who have similar interests.
Of course you can follow your friends and family, but you don't have to follow every pinner who pins your pin.  You will get frustrated if you do.  You'll be looking at thousands of pins on space travel, sculpture art, cat photos, vegan recipes or whatever other specific interests you don't have that these people do!  This isn't to say you won't see many pins others like that don't apply to you, but it helps you have a more productive time browsing those you follow when they have similar interests. 

3.  Try to have specific times for pinning. 
A lot of people are scared to be on Pinterest because it is a "time sucker."  It sure could be, and when I first joined, I admit I spent too much time scanning pins and pinning ideas.  I learned that as I followed tip number 2, though, that I didn't have to just look under general "crafts" to find pins.  I was following people who had great, similar interests, and I could mainly just browse the pins of those I follow and find awesome ideas. 
I also try to just pin at set times.  My hubby and I play on our iphones for about 15 minutes before we fall asleep.  This is a great time to pin.  If I am waiting for a dr. in the waiting room or sitting at school pick up, I can pin.  When I am poolside on vacation, I do a LOT of pinning.  I don't open Pinterest every time I'm on the computer.  That would be a bad idea, and I would be wasting time when I could be doing my cleaning, cooking, crafting, and spending time with my family.

4.  Pin what YOU love and not what others might like.
The point of Pinterest is to have it be a TOOL for you.  I have boards that helped inspire me for certain parties or themes for entertaining.  Most people probably aren't interested in making a Parisian themed tea table, but the pins were useful to me. If I want, I can delete the pins or board after the event, but often I see people pinning those pins for their own specific party or theme.
If you spend all your time pinning what is "cool" or what you think will get pins, then you are missing the point, and you'll have a long list of pins that do you absolutely no good and don't really inspire you.  Have Pinterest work for you and pin things that you might use or make.  People will find you who are interested in the same thing--just watch!  Whenever someone follows my boards, I go to that person's board page, because, often, it means we have very similar interests and I want to follow them too!

I hope these tips helped you if you are new to the Pinterest phenomenon or if you are confused or overwhelmed by it all.  If you want an invite to Pinterest, just leave a comment and your e-mail, and I will send you an invitation. 

On this blog, I'll be posting some new crafts and another themed tea table soon.  I am speaking to a group of ladies on forgiveness this Friday, so I've been busy prepping for that.  The next week, though, is our annual tea, and I will reveal my table's theme and the crafts I'm doing for that (it is all on the "down low" for now).  I also am almost done with my gallery wall at home.  I am in LOVE with how it is turning out.  I hope you are all having a fruitful and blessed week!