A cracked glass stovetop with a piece of grey tape over the break, overlaid with the text, “That stovetop is not healed up.”
via Canva

DIY projects oftentimes kickstart with supple amounts of optimism. This optimism can quick give way to bouts of magical thinking and end up colliding head on with the limitations of reality as we know it. It’s a tricky matter, and to overcome those speed bumps, as it were, requires resilience amidst the fires of the innovative spirit. If you are someone who has tasked yourself with a DIY project, it could be a decent enough idea to consider acknowledging the warning signs as they pop up, at least.

1. This “heat vent” installation from a friend

A metal vent cover is installed on a wall with a rough circular opening above it. The wall is painted red with visible scuff marks, and the floor surface below is unfinished wood.
diyfail/via reddit.com

2. Tried to fix the doors, now they won´t open

A pair of white, slightly dirty double doors with visible scuff marks and a silver handle. A sheet of paper is taped to the top center of the doors. The floor and door frame appear unfinished.
diyfail/via reddit.com

3. Saving space DIY

A small white sink with two faucets and a bottle of green liquid soap is shown in a bathroom with white tiled walls. The right side of the sink and wall shows visible wear and rough repairs.
diyfail/via reddit.com

4. No idea why it keeps exploding

A close-up of PVC and metal plumbing pipes joined with multiple hose clamps and fittings under a wooden structure, showing a makeshift repair.
diyfail/via reddit.com

5. Wrong fan placement

A ceiling fan installed too close to the corner of a room, causing its blades to hit and damage the adjacent walls, leaving visible marks.
diyfail/via reddit.com

6. Water + electricity= not a good combo

Exposed plumbing pipes and wiring running through a wooden floor, surrounded by insulation material and debris.
diyfail/via reddit.com

7. Cutting kitchen tiles on your own

A kitchen sink is oddly cut in half, with one half still installed and the other half placed beside it on the countertop. Dish soap and cleaning items are visible near the sink.
diyfail/via reddit.com

8. Perfect! Now, not a single light wind has to go by

A black mailbox with a red flag is attached to a leaning white wooden post, which is held upright with gray duct tape. The mailbox is in a grassy yard with bare trees and shrubs in the background.
diyfail/via reddit.com

9. How not to fix a broken glass kitchen

A black glass cooktop with a large crack across a burner. Black tape is applied over part of the crack in an attempt to hold it together. The surface appears scratched and smeared.
diyfail/via reddit.com

10. Turn 2 1/4 times to flush

A urinal with a green garden hose attached, connecting the urinal to a faucet above it, surrounded by blue tiled walls. The setup appears unusual and improvised.
diyfail/via reddit.com

11. We wouldn´t call it a fail, but it sure looks horrible

A close-up of a black laptop with a broken hinge, causing the screen to separate from the base. A pink plastic drawer unit and part of a gray cloth are visible in the background.
diyfail/via reddit.com

12. This door handle is the wrong way round and scrapes the door frame

A silver door handle is mounted on a white door, but a wall is built very close to the door, preventing the handle from turning fully.
diyfail/via reddit.com

13. Of course it will hold the TV, honey!

A large flat-screen TV with a severely cracked screen sits on the floor; a hole is visible in the wall behind it, suggesting the TV may have been thrown or hit against the wall.
diyfail/via reddit.com

14. Study lockers with no stability

A stack of newspapers and envelopes is wedged underneath a beige metal cabinet on a light blue tiled floor.
diyfail/via reddit.com

15. This foreclosure, my friend bought

A thermostat is awkwardly mounted in the corner where two beige walls meet, making it difficult to access or view comfortably.
diyfail/via reddit.com

Explore more vintage content:

DIY can be empowering, creative, and cost-saving, but only if you respect the limits of your skill set. These projects serve as a reminder that sometimes the smartest tool in the toolbox is knowing when to call a professional. If you loved this content, check out 35 Nostalgic Vintage Photos From 50 Years Ago, or 19 Hilarious Pics From People’s Blunder Years.

Meet the Writer

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just as easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.

These days Matt’s caught up in trying to provide folks as many vivid glimpses into the days long since passed as he can, through fun and engaging collections of hand-picked vintage photos.