The internet has a folder for the work that does not quite land. The DiWHY subreddit, which calls itself “Where (subpar) projects from DIY live prosperously,” has filled that folder with 114 odd, earnest, and occasionally disastrous home projects. The gallery ranges from genuinely charming amateur builds to outright disasters, each with its own story and its own pride in the work.
The Projects
- A security camera gutted to hold a lightbulb, stowed away for years until today.
- A toilet seat covered in cement, being used as a coaster.
- A phone with a broken touchscreen, now operated by a mouse.
- A couch built in double-decker style.
- A staircase built into the kitchen counter.
- A bathroom floor made entirely of aluminum treads.
- A ceramic sink that came off the wall in pieces.
The Psychology
According to psychiatrist and author Dr. Carrie Barron, the act of creation itself brings real benefit. “Creating or repairing something makes us feel vital and effective,” she said. She also explained the state of flow: “It isn’t as much about reaching one’s potential as doing something interesting—less about ambition and more about living. When we are dissolved in a deeply absorbing task, we lose self-consciousness and pass the time in a contented state.”
The Self-Creation Effect
Marketing professor Utpal Dholakia adds that people who make things by hand show more appreciation for them, even when they know the work isn’t up to par. He calls this the “self-creation” effect. “When we make things, we become active creators, which leads us to consume these products prudently and consciously, to enjoy the consumption experience to a greater degree, and to add to our happiness,” Dholakia said.
The IKEA Effect
Psychologist Dr. Mark Travers says the same drive shows up again in the IKEA effect. It’s the idea that someone will see increased value in something they partially created, driven by cognitive biases. “This increased valuation is not merely a sentimental attachment—it has been associated with a measurable increase in how much individuals are willing to pay for their self-made creations compared to similar pre-assembled items,” Travers wrote.
The Curious Cases
Not every project has a clear purpose. Some are just odd. A woman on a timeline posted a remote she calls a “Remote Stick” because her family loses the TV remote so often. Another made a watermelonboy and tested it publicly. A friend made a duct-tape and chainmail frisbee as a teenager. One person posted a photo of a door that came loose, with the landlord doing the renovation themselves.
The Advice
Travers also offered a plain note of support for anyone who has spent hours on a project that did not work as planned. “Each endeavor, no matter how small, has the potential to become an invaluable source of pride and joy,” he wrote.
The gallery is a record of people who tried. Some of them solved a problem well, and some of them solved it badly. Either way, the effort is the point.
Source material: “114 DIY Projects That Started With Big Dreams And Ended With Results Nobody Could Have Predicted,” Bored Panda.
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