By Michelle Heimburger Wed, November 4, 2009, 12:01 am PST

Failed craft (Photo by Chauncey P. Graham) Anyone who makes crafts -- whether they're professional iPod cozy designers or amateur macrame owl enthusiasts -- knows that crafting takes trial and error. Crocheting homicidal vegetables or felting Jabba the Hutt miniatures takes skill and practice, and before you get that knitted digestive system to look just right, you're probably going to make some mistakes. But be warned: the Internet is not kind to ugly, misguided, or ineptly executed crafts. If you've got a thin skin when it comes to your homemade chicken poncho, perhaps it's best if you don't list it on etsy until you're sure you've got it right. Because crafters, while creative and wily and determined, can also be -- well, snarky. In the defense of sites like Regretsy and Homemade Hilarity, which poke fun at the bizarre, confused, and unintentionally hilarious crafts of the Internet, there are some terrible crafts out there (we know -- we've made some of them), and it's hard to resist making comments at their expense. Do we feel bad about it? Sure. Will that stop us from giggling madly at the crocheted beer can Darth Vader helmet or the toilet paper cover and/or hat? Not a chance. But it will stop us from posting our own, um, "awesome poop earrings" -- unless we decide to embrace our failures and share them for the education -- and hysterical, mocking laughter -- of others. Suggested Sites... Homemade Hilarity - giving misguided crafts the fond, snarky commentary they deserve. Regretsy - showcases the handmade gems that were never meant to see the light of day. CraftFail - crafters fess up to their own terrible works by sharing their crafts gone awry. Craftastrophe - proceed with caution.... Cake Wrecks - still makes us laugh after all these years.

Directory categories: Bad Crafts, Crafts, Crafts for Sale, Folk, Self-Taught, and Outsider Art, Bad Art

Archived under: Arts, Blogs, Cake Decorating, Crafts, DIY, Flops, Homemade, Humor

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