To not understand the point of Pintrest?

[Whitewineformeplease]

So I have joined Pintrest, after loads of people told me I'd love it, I'd spend hours on it, it's addictive, etc. I have an account, now what the feck do I do? Do you just look at stuff and like it? Is it the Internet equivalent of walking around a whole load of fancy shops or an expensive department store saying to yourself, ooh, that's lovely, I'd love one of those. Can someone point me in the right direction please?

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

I look at it for ideas. It's an inspiration. So...I love crafting, I go to Pinterest and get tips and ideas...if I see something I like I can follow the link to the blog it's come from.

Same with decor ideas.

[lynniep]

I use it to flag things on the internet that I'm interested in - stuff I'd like to buy but can't afford right now - craft tutorials - sewing patterns I want - clothes I like - kids toys that they want but I will forget about when birthdays come around. Its just a reminder list for me really. I rarely am on it longer than a few minutes - but I do find it more useful than bookmarks.

[OnTheBottomWithAWomansWeekly]

Ah, you've just not been sucked in to the black hole that is Pinterest yet!

Search for something you are interested in (patchwork, knitting, cooking, gardening Benedict Cumberbatch ) and start pinning images of whatever takes your fancy to your boards. Most of them have links to related stuff (recipes, patterns, naked Benedict Cumberbatch ) so you will soon find out how to spend waste time on the site!

[OxfordBags]

Pinterest is fantastic! You use it like an online scrapbook, with as many categories as you like. Here's an easy example - say you were planning your wedding. Every time you see a picture of something onlinenthat you love, be it a dress, shoes, bouquet, whatever, you can pin it onto a special 'wedding' Pinterest board. And you can look around the site and see pics you like there and repin them to your boards too. You also follow people and/or their boards (say, for example, you stumble across someone who has a wedding board you find inspiring) and get ideas that way.

I've found it so helpful with planning home decor, and organising things I want to buy, getting new craft ideas, and so on.

[LittleAbruzzenBear]

I use it for hairstyles!

[JohnSnowsTie]

I've had to ration my time on it or I end up scrolling for hours. I find it useful for fashion and toddler meal/snack ideas.

[lucyt90]

Tried it, don't understand it, can't see the use unfortunately.

[sooperdooper]

I use it for craft ideas, when I was planning my wedding, recipes - you can either look at what other people have posted, or add your own pins of things you find online and want to refer back to

It's a bit like bookmarking pages you want to look at again, but with the pictures so it looks nicer and it's easier to find what you're looking for

[claudedebussy]

is there anyway to make your account private though?

as soon as i'd signed up for an account i got someone following me

i really don't want anyone to look at what i'm pinning!

[YoniBottsBumgina]

I think you probably have to be a visual thinker fot it to be useful or appealing but for those who are, it's great.

[StuntGirl]

It's just an online scrap book. Mine is full of things I'd like to buy for my holidays, or clothes and jewellery I like, hairstyles I like, inspiration for decorating, etc, etc.

[Katienana]

You can create secret boards that no one else can see.

[SvetlanaKirilenko]

YABU - and I am someone who shuns facebook/twitter and most internetty stuff (except MN of course!).

I used to print out recipes from websites and lose them etc. but now I can save them on pinterest for when I want them. Have also collected ideas for what to wear (have no style), and for redecorating the house (used to have a scrapbook but was spending a fortune on interiors mags - now I never have to buy one again!).

It is fab and yy to visual thinker, and yes you can create up to three secret boards where no-one can see your pins...

[freddiefrog]

I use it a lot, as a sort of memo/notice board/shopping list

I browse women's fashion to pin ideas and styles I like and suit me and use it as a shopping list as it stops my old habit of random impulse buying

We redecorated my girls shared bedroom and I used it to pin ideas

I pin recipes, gift ideas, craft projects, all sorts

[Keepthechangeyoufilthyanimal]

I love it and use it every day!
But then I have a lot of interests!

claudedebussy I think the same, I would rather it be private but then again that defeats the object in a way as its just one big cycle of pinning things from other people.
I don't want to be identified by friends and family on there as I pin things I am privately interested in. (Don't mind random people following me as I am not identifiable from my account)

The only way around it from what I can tell is what I have done:
Do not link your account to your Facebook or Twitter, sign up via your email address only
My username is literally a username, not my name like most peoples, with my account details as
first name 'keep the change'
last name'you filthy animal'
and my profile pic is just a random pic, not a photo of me.

All my friends, colleagues and family know I use Pinterest because I go on about how great it is all the time but no one I know in RL has followed me yet. So far, so good!

[chirpchirp]

Pinterest is wonderful, it's my true love and I will not stand to hear a bad word said about it!

I think it probably does appeal to people who are more crafty in may ways but I use it all the time. Comes in great if you are throwing a party (See my BBQ, Star Wars party, Monsters Inc Party and Disney boards) Also brilliant for getting yourself organised - since discovering Pinterest I now meal plan, have completely decluttered and manage to maintain some sort of cleanliness around my house. Also brilliant for ideas of entertaining and getting creative with the kids with tonnes of projects and tutorials of how to make moonsand, play dough and the like.

Generally if you would ever browse the internet and bookmark loads of pages with recipes, outfits, days out etc then Pinterest is what you've been looking for.

[GemmaTeller]

If you don't want followers or don't want people to see what you're pinning opt for the 'secret board'.

I have made a lot of recipes I've pinned, made some of the craft items I've pinned and bought some of the items I've pinned.

I also use it to promote my business and found it to be a very successful business tool.

Its just like one giant scrapbook with new ideas added all the time.

Pinspire and Picsity anyone?

[AvrilPoisson]

I think one can have 3 secret boards on there...but tbh, as I use a 'username' not a real name, no-one knows who I am anyway (i and I do have a lot of followers, particularly for my decor and gardeningboards)
I love finding inspration on there..for decor and gardening, but also parties (possibly limtless!), food/recipes/menus, clothing/style etc.

[MammaTJ]

I am addicted and so is my 7 year old DD. It is one of our favourite things to do together.

[Whitewineformeplease]

Hmmm, thanks for the advice, seems like it just hasn't grabbed me yet. Meal ideas for babies sounds good, I have a DD who eats like a bird at the minute, so will try that. Interesting what people said about visual learners, I'm not one at all, so maybe that's why I can take it or leave it?

[Decoy]

I don't get it either, OP.

I'd rather just do my own shopping than wade through other people's choices.

[Startail]

It's great a huge free craft and interiors magazine, without the annoying ads and smug home owners with yet another kitchen extension

[Ozziegirly]

We've just bought a house that needs doing up. I have minimal style so I am taking inspiration\stealing from other, more stylish people.

[AvrilPoisson]

i agree with startail... I have saved so much money not buying magazines since I got on pinterest!

[sooperdooper]

Decoy, it's not just other people's choices though, you add your own pins from other websites you see elsewhere and save them yourself - it's not just a case of looking at what other people have pinned :)