“Lockdown Renovations Look So Easy On Instagram”: 78 DIY Projects That Started With Good Intentions And Ended In Disaster

There’s something incredibly satisfying about improving your home with your own two hands. Maybe you’ve finally decided to repaint that boring wall, install a new shelf, redo the bathroom, or tackle that DIY project you’ve been putting off for months. When everything works out, you get to stand back, admire your handiwork, and think, “Wow, I actually did that.”

Of course, things don’t always go quite that smoothly. Sometimes a project starts with the best intentions and ends with a crooked shelf, a questionable paint job, or a problem that somehow becomes much bigger than the one you started with. And then there are those moments when you look at the finished result and wonder whether calling a professional might have been the better choice.

That’s exactly what makes today’s collection so entertaining. The Bored Panda team has rounded up some of the funniest, strangest, and most spectacular home improvement fails people have shared online. From ambitious DIY attempts that missed the mark to renovations that took an unexpected turn, these projects prove that when it comes to home improvement, even a simple idea can become a very memorable adventure. Keep scrolling, Pandas, and see which of these projects made you think, “Well…at least they tried.”

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When Your Security Gate Is A Ladder

A modern silver gate between brick walls that is too narrow for entry, a questionable home improvement project.

Final score:

86points

78 Hilariously Unfortunate Home Improvement Fails That Prove Sometimes It’s Best To Call A Professional

When Your Security Gate Is A Ladder

This Not "Exact" Replacement Tile

My Dad Isn't So Great At Remodeling, So I Turned His Work Into A Work Of Art

Ducks Walking Across Finished Concrete

Saw These Girls At IKEA. What Were They Thinking?

My Wife Said Measure The Door, I Told Her All Doors Are The Same Size

I May Have Used Too Much Spray Foam Insulation To Fill A Hole On The Other Side Of This Wall

My Mom Had Her Guest Bathroom Remodeled While She Was Out Of Town

The Flooring Of This House

My Father Forgot To Tell Me The Renovations Would Be Taking The Stairs Out Today

“Congrats To The Neighbor Below For The New Chandelier” LOL

Tried To Hang The Curtain Rod Above My Front Door Yesterday... Didn’t Realize What I Had Done Til I Stepped Back

I've Heard Of "Painting Yourself Into A Corner" But My Wife Took It A Step Further. I Don't Even Know

Fixing A Toilet Leak

Carpet Around The Drain Is Crazy

Could Be Worse

The Toilet Paper Holder In My House Is Installed Above An Air Vent

A Lovely Paint Job

Askew Angles

This Chandelier At A Restaurant I Ate At Bothers Me So Much

Lockdown Renovations Look So Easy On Instagram

Sink Attached To The Toilet, Forming A Perfect Slide

This Is Why You Don't Hire Contractors Who Secure Cabinets To Dry Wall Only, Thousands In Damage Last Night

Landlord Hung The Microwave, This Is As Far As It Opens Before Hitting The Wall

I Mean You Could've Rotated The Toilet But Whatever

The Bathroom At The Vacation Home My Family Is Renting, I've Stubbed My Toe Twice Now

This Is A Mailbox Not Far From My House. I Have To Drive By It Everyday

I'm Doing Renovations And My Roomba Found A Tiny Piece Of Sheetrock

One. Single. Blind

A Couple Years Ago, My Neighbor Decided To Paint His House Bright Orange... Then Gave Up Halfway Through

Fiancé Was Being Thoughtful And Taking The Paint Cans To The Basement. Turns Out He Tried To Carry Too Much At Once...(Also We Just Bought This House)

A Picture, A Friend Showed All Of Us Of A House She Looked At Today

My Friend Went To Look At An Apartment Today And This Was The "Shower"

I Went To An Estate Sale Today, And They Have A Toilet In The Kitchen

Impeccable Interior Design

Wcgw If My Neighbour Uses The Longest Possible Drill Out There?

Bad Sinks Design

Piano Wall

Found This Cabinet At My Grandparents House. Why Would Anyone Design It Like That?

Brother-In-Law Repairing His Awning

A Nightstand Overlapping With The Bed To Break Your Face While Sleeping

This One Certainly Stands Out

Door In The Floor (Orginally On Twitter)

These Stairs In My Sisters House Are A Joy To Use

"Bathroom Window" In Our 12 People Airb&b (Toilet‘S To The Left, Also In Plain Sight)

Sometimes A Green Thumb Goes Too Far

Focal Point?

A Friend Is Renovating His House. He Also Has A Cat

Ceiling In My New House

More Is More Is.... Shoulda Stopped 100 Bricks Ago

This Was The Work Of The Second Professional IKEA Furniture Assembler That We Hired Through Taskrabbit

Bought This House Last Year And A Lot Of Work Done On It Was DIY By Someone With No Skills. Most Of The Walls Look Like This

Stairway To Heck

These Window Reflections Are Painted On

Just When I Was Putting The Last Door For My IKEA Closet, I Skipped On A Piece Of Cardboard And Stepped On The Glass

The Chance Of Injury Is Unreal Now

IKEA 1 - Bernadette 0. I Failed At Building A Step Ladder. I’ll Stick To Knitting I Think

The Solution To Too Much Empty Space

My Family Got A New House And This Is Where They Put The Light Switch For The Stairs

Wonder What The Throttle Does

Does This Belong In A Residential Home?

My Mom's Garage Is Being Renovated. I Think It's Pretty Obvious That They Have 3 Dogs

What Loser Architect Designed The Lighting In My Living Room?

The Placement Of This Light Switch

“Media Room”

There Is No Way The Architect Thought This Was A Good Idea

DIY Bathtub Replacement Regret

Just Finished Installing The New Dishwasher (Bonus Fixed Image)

This Happened While Assembling

Can Anyone Explain This? At An Airbnb I’m Staying At

Oops

The Design Of This House Wall

I Swear I Followed The Instructions

The Way My Contractor Installed My Shower Head

How My House Is Designed

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