DIY Projects That Were a Waste of Time and Money

Est. Cost (New): $300*
Est. Cost (DIY): $30*

There are plenty of things that can go wrong at work, from a broken coffee machine to a manager on the warpath. While shop floors or office spaces are often kept pristine, the staff room is an entirely different story. Take for example this couch that has seen better days. 

"Fixed" Couch Seat @DIYProjects / Twitter.com

Rather see the bottom line take a hit by investing in a new one from Bed, Bath and Beyond, one Employee of the Month decided to save the day by shoving a dining chair in the sofa to fix the broken seat. Minus the cost of the chair and that’s a saving of a few hundred bucks. 

That’s not to say that this couch looks comfy or aesthetically pleasing, but let’s face it – employees aren’t in the break room for long these days. Better to say precious dollars and put it toward the next office night out then waste it on new seating, right?

Est. Cost (New): N/A
Est. Cost (DIY): $20*

Have you ever hopped in your car only to think it looks dull as dishwater and in need of a little spruce up? Not everyone can afford a brand new vehicle with the latest specs…but if you’ve got dirt in your yard and a few spare succulents, you could be the envy of all your friends. 

Airbag Accessories ©u/MannequinFactory / Reddit.com

It’s much cheaper than buying a new car from General Motors, and this airbag mini-garden looks like the bee’s knees. Just pray that you’re never involved in an actual crash or you may get a cactus lodged in your eye. It’s a small price to pay for portable happiness.

That being said, this level of genius isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have green fingers and don’t feel like getting dirt blown in your eye every time you hit the AC on, it might be worth considering another option. Perhaps a nodding dog, or some fluffy dice would do the trick.

Est. Cost (New): $390*
Est. Cost (DIY): $60*

There comes a time in every home when the kitchen starts to deteriorate. After all, with all the cooking and cleaning that goes on in there, it’s only natural that things start to look a little stale after a while. Sinks aren’t all that cheap to replace, coming in at around $390 once you’ve taken into account installment costs. 

Kitchen Counter Reno ©imgur.com

So, why not do as this person did and buy some black tiles from somewhere like Amazon and go crazy with a glue gun? If the look you’re going for is “dive bar chic” then you’ll be over the moon with the result.

The only downside? The rest of the countertop now looks remarkably boring. Once you start, you may as well rip up all the normal, clean-looking surfaces and replace them with this tiled beauty. You’ll be the envy of all your friends in the trailer park.

Est. Cost (New): $150*
Est. Cost (DIY): $120*

There’s a lot to be said for biking to work and leaving the car at home. Saving the environment and tackling pollution has been a hot topic of conversation for quite some time now, but this person certainly isn’t reducing their footprint.

Shoe Tires ©imgur.com

Usually, bikes from stores like Walmart have wheels and not a sneaker on each spoke. The logic behind this invention is almost unfathomable, especially as six pairs of sneakers will probably cost almost as much as a new bike. As for actually riding this thing to work? We’ll have to pass on this one – it looks utterly sole destroying. 

We have to hand it to the cyclist, though. They must have a next-level disdain for walking if this is what they’re willing to do to avoid it. Riding this contraption is one thing, but actually getting anywhere in one piece would be nothing short of a miracle.

Est. Cost (New): $50-$150*
Est. Cost (DIY): $20*

We all know how painful it is to have a tire blowout when you’re trying to get on with your day. It’s irritating to say the least – especially when you ignored your dad’s advice and never got the spare he’s been talking about since 1989. 

Coke Tires ©imgur.com

Most of us might call for a tow and take the shame, but others? Well. They just won’t be beaten. Why call for help when you can just pop to the nearest store and buy 16 bottles of Coke? Stick them on with tape and what do you have? A $20-dollar accident waiting to happen, but that’s not the point. 

Considering the sheer amount of pressure these bottles must be under, it’s a wonder the lids don’t pop off and a geyser of liquid doesn’t shoot out. Perhaps that’s the idea, because surely this can’t be deemed an acceptable form of transportation.

Est. Cost (New): $30*
Est. Cost (DIY): $40*

Fashion is a lot like art. To one person, a pair of shoes might look like the worst thing to happen to clothing since the 1980s, but to another they could be a priceless stroke of genius. Occasionally there are pieces that are universally classed as awful, like these dinosaur pumps. 

Homemade Heels ©imgur.com

Let’s say a decent pair of heels from somewhere like Target costs $30, while the two dinosaur figurines cost $10. This DIY fanatic presumably had to break the heels off so they could glue the figures to them, resulting in an overall loss of cash – and dignity.

That’s not to say it isn’t a worthy endeavor, of course. There are critics out there that say fashion trends all look the same, so perhaps this person just wanted to switch things up. Originality never goes out of style, so it’s a totally roarsome feat.

Est. Cost (New): $30*
Est. Cost (DIY): $40*

Fashion is a lot like art. To one person, a pair of shoes might look like the worst thing to happen to clothing since the 1980s, but to another they could be a priceless stroke of genius. Occasionally there are pieces that are universally classed as awful, like these dinosaur pumps. 

Giant Floor to Ceiling Candle ©u/FarmerMayhem / Reddit.com

Let’s say a decent pair of heels from somewhere like Target costs $30, while the two dinosaur figurines cost $10. This DIY fanatic presumably had to break the heels off so they could glue the figures to them, resulting in an overall loss of cash – and dignity.

The general purpose of this giant eyesore is unknown. Is it meant to be a beautiful statue that lingers in the room next to your favorite potted plant? A candle big enough to see you through a lifetime’s worth of power cuts? Or (most likely) just the result of someone with far too much time on their hands?

Est. Cost (New): $500-$1,000*
Est. Cost (DIY): $100*

A new paint job can have your car looking slick regardless of how old it is – but it isn’t always cheap. The average person spends about $556 on getting their car repainted, but that’s at the lower end of the spectrum. What if you don’t have the spare funds to do that, but you do have a jar of old pennies that need using up? 

Penny Covered Car © u/thpineapples / Reddit.com

One person answered that question so the rest of us don’t have to, by gluing pennies all over their vehicle. The reasoning is unclear. Maybe they didn’t want to haul their cookies down to Bank of America? Maybe they just wanted a little extra luck? We’ll never know. 

What we do know, however, is that there’s no missing this car in the parking lot. The owner of this copper car won’t have any trouble trying to pick their vehicle out in a crowded place. Of course, you can get special devices to remedy that problem these days that don’t involve this amount of crazy glue and change.

Est. Cost (New): $120-$550*
Est. Cost (DIY): $75*

Anyone with kids will tell you that long car journeys are tantamount to Dante’s 5th circle of hell. Parents provide all the wrath when they finally get sick of the endless squabbling in the back, while kids will either moan or sulk for the next 50 miles. In-car entertainment systems are invaluable inventions. 

In-Car Entertainment System ©thebestsquishy / imgur.com

But, a decent set up will likely cost you a few hundred bucks. Don’t have that leftover in the bank due to said kids draining your finances? Strap a Sony portable DVD player to the car ceiling using bungee straps and hope that you make it out alive without encountering some kind of Final Destination scenario. 

We don’t recommend this option for the faint of heart, or for safety conscious families, but there’s always someone out there willing to do something bizarre to save a few dollars. Is it worth it for the sake of peace? We’ll leave that up to you.

Est. Cost (New): $200*
Est. Cost (DIY): $250*

Some things in life just aren’t meant to exist. Scooters and bikes work perfectly well as separate inventions, but that just wasn’t enough for this inventive mastermind. One saw-happy cyclist decided to merge the two, creating a strange frankenbike that should never have seen the light of day. 

Scooter Bike ©imgur.com

You can purchase a scooter for around $50 at Walmart and a decent enough bike for around $150. Not only would the maker have had to butcher the two, but add on the cost of creating it and you’ve got one huge, impractical waste of time.

Watching the test run of this strange three-wheeler would have been amusing, considering there’s ample opportunity for jack-knifing. We have a feeling plenty of helmets were tried and tested during this whole process.

Est. Cost (New): $7*
Est. Cost (DIY): $20*

‘Tis the season to be jolly…until your neighbor ruins it all by turning up on your doorstep with these ghastly cupcakes. Baking has become more and more popular this year thanks to the pandemic, with more people trying to entertain themselves at home by stirring things up in the kitchen. 

Christmas Cupcakes @Pinterest.com

God loves a trier, but you have to draw the line somewhere. You can buy 24 gorgeously decorated festive cupcakes from stores like Target for just $7, so why shell out $20 on ingredients – or in this case, mostly icing – when this is the result? It’s a no from us. 

On the plus side, put enough booze on the table at the Christmas party and someone will eat them. It works with the Jello salad your aunt brings every year, so it’ll work just fine with these. Just don’t expect any compliments.

Est. Cost (New): $50*
Est. Cost (DIY): $3*

Dads are great for all manner of things, especially when it comes to vehicle maintenance. Some like to think they know more than they actually do, which might be why one loving papa thought this was the only way to mend a broken control knob. 

Car AC Knob Quick Fix ©u/gorld / Reddit.com

While the fix was a cheap one, it’s only putting off the inevitable. You’re never going to be able to sell the car with this giant blue handle sticking out, so it’s going to have to be fixed properly one day. Even used Ford’s need the proper dials, dad. 

However, there are those that might think this is a funny enough solution that they might want to keep it. Squint hard enough and you can convince yourself it’s a new custom flower design knob that’s all the rage these days.

Est. Cost (New): $40*
Est. Cost (DIY): Unimaginable 

Every now and then a picture pops up on the internet which has an impact that can be felt around the world. We’re not talking about melting ice caps, but three guys sat in a pool using an extension cable to power a stereo. 

Pool Sound-System / Foter.com

A floating pool speaker can be purchased from Amazon for the very reasonable price of $30 – but the potential cost of this quick fix is unimaginable. When the water seeps into the plug the entire pool is going to be blown sky-high, men, electrics, and sliders included. How can you put a price on idiocy? 

That’s not to mention the price of the wasted beer that’s innocently sitting on the precariously-placed table. Won’t someone think of the Budweiser, if nothing else? It’s a crime waiting to happen in more ways than one, but that’s what happens when you don’t have a brain.

Est. Cost (New): N/A
Est. Cost (DIY): $30-50*

Pickling things is a time-old tradition that dates back centuries, so it only makes sense it’s a practice that’s alive and well today. This DIY project is more of a deplorable prank gone wrong, but you have to give props to the maker for sheer duplicity. 

Stuffed Animal Preservation @Pinterest.com

Stuffing teddies into pickle jars is one way to preserve them, but it’s not exactly the cheapest joke on the planet. When you factor in the cost of the jars, the juice, and the price of the stuffed animals that would need to be bought again, it makes good old-fashioned cling film on the toilet seat look like a much easier alternative. 

There’s no doubt that the maker of these was going for a wow-factor, though. Imagine walking into a room only to see your childhood best friends stuffed into jars. Kermit the Frog looks distressed, but then again, when doesn’t he? His eyes pop even more in pickle juice.