What is Pinterest?

I had a friend recently ask me this question: What is Pinterest? It’s one of the fasting growing websites right now. It’s a type of social media, but very different from Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

I use it as a way to organize my website bookmarks. Anytime I see something, like a craft, project, tutorial, decorating idea, or recipe that I’d like to try someday, I “pin” it. You’re pinning the picture, but it’s attached to the website where the original recipe/tutorial/etc. is. Once you’re a member of Pinterest you can put a “pin it” link on your toolbar and pin any picture from any site. Or, many websites and blogs are now putting the P or Pin It buttons right there to make it easier.

Where do I “pin” it to? I’ve created different “boards” that are stored at the Pinterest site. Picture having a couple of bulletin boards up in your house. Maybe one is for your dream house. When you see a picture in a magazine of a neat kitchen layout or color scheme, you tear it out and pin it up on your bulletin board. That’s what you do online with Pinterest.

The other thing I do now is follow a lot of people who have similar interests as myself, and repin things that they have pinned. I follow lots of other homeschooling or crafty moms that I don’t know personally, as well as lots of friends. If they have a particular board that I don’t like, it’s easy to just unfollow one of their boards.

Another way I’ve used it is by searching for a certain topic, such as crochet hats for men or Lego Star Wars party ideas. Then I can pin those pins onto my boards, too. Later I go to the websites to read about the great ideas other people have!

I have the Pinterest app, which makes it easy to look through the things those I follow have pinned each day and to repin them using my iPad.

I have found so many great ideas on Pinterest–lots of great recipes that I’ve tried, ways to decorate my house, free sewing patterns, and fun homeschooling experiments!

(Hint: I rarely look at the main Pinterest.com website page without being logged in because people do tend to pin pictures that are on the verge on pornographic in my mind or contain bad language. Pinterest does have a rule that pins aren’t supposed to contain nudity.)

If you’d like to join, let me send you an invite. (Just leave your email address in the comments or email me at gena at ichoosejoy dot org.) It will get you in a lot quicker than requesting the invite yourself!

Here are the boards I have set up so far:

Animals, Bathroom ideas, Christmas, Cleaning/Organizing ideas, Cookies, Cool Cakes, Costumes, Crafts, Crochet, Decorating ideas, Easter, Fall Fun, Father’s Day, For the Kids, Gardening, Homemade Christmas Gifts, Homeschooling ideas, I Made This, Kitchen ideas, Lego Party, Photography, Printables, Quiet Books, Quilting, Quotes, Recipes-Bread, Recipes-Breakfast, Recipes-Desserts, Recipes-Drinks, Recipes-Slow Cooker, Recipes-Snacks/Appetizers, Recipes-Soups, Recipes to Try, Scripture, Seashells, Spring, St. Patrick’s Day, Tea Party ideas, Thanksgiving, Things I Love, Things to Try, Valentine’s Day, Want to Sew, Wreaths.

And here are a couple of projects I completed that were inspired by pins I found on Pinterest:

Valentine’s Candle decoration with conversation hearts.