Fascinating DIYs that do not actually work

Have you ever fallen into the never-ending stream of videos on social media? No one needs to be bored to fall for that; just one click on the video that stroked your curiosity and then wait until your brains turn to mush, taking it to the point where you just cannot watch anymore. 

We have all been a victim to such a situation and especially during this lockdown, our phones and laptops have come to rescue us many times. If I am not wrong, we have at least tried to make something - food or craft. For me, it would be my fruitless attempts to make something using my glue gun, box cutter (anti-cutter), and art supplies.

Sitting at home, almost tired of this lockdown, I have been pulled into the never-ending stream of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram staring at videos of DIYs (do-it-yourself), hacks, and pranks more than once.

I personally loved these videos - yes, past tense - as this was one of those things that my Abba taught me. He loves crafts and cooking and that is what we bonded over when I was a child. So, undoubtedly, videos showing kitchen hacks and DIY tricks have been saved and bookmarked many times and this lockdown was the perfect opportunity to try some out. 

Some hacks worked wonderfully and a lot of the credit goes to my Abba for giving me the patience to do them. And there are also quite a few pages with content that make the whole idea of crafting and hacks very simple. But what looks easy and helpful can be impractical and dangerous when actually attempted . 

Dangerous "kemne bhai"? For starters, I saw a woman put hot glue on her toothbrush and brush her teeth and the video does not tell me why she did it! These videos have millions of views and thousands of likes. 

There are many DIYs and how-tos that no person could ever replicate or should try. There is a video where a woman pins eight bottles to her t-shirt to make a floating device and the hack is called an 'emergency life jacket'. Who has eight identical bottles lying around in the house in the first place let alone in an emergency? 

However, l decided to try this and see if it worked. It took me a month but I managed to save eight bottles. But unfortunately, they got sticky and dirty and some were missing caps. 

These videos popping up all over the internet, getting millions of views and likes are nothing but clickbait material. With only one or two accurate ones, all these companies produce fake content only to please the algorithms. Basically, the videos have nothing to do with the quality of the crafts and everything to do with their intended audience.

To name a few: '5-minute crafts', 'So Yummy,' and 'Troom Troom' have popped up on all platforms with content that seems too good to be true, and they are! For instance, there is a video where a person puts peanut butter on his hair to make it softer. I have seen other people trying this hack but most say they would never do it again because it left their hair dry - and if not washed thoroughly - very sticky. I honestly think peanut butter is only good for my tummy with some bread and jelly. 

Most kitchen hacks do not have any instructions as to how long should someone microwave or what the hack is actually for. Their catchy titles '25 crazy hacks and crafts that actually work' are complete lies and a waste of your time and money. If you look closely, the videos have flaws in them. They show a different final product than one achieved during the filming and the content makers will use extra food colouring or products and never tell you about it. 

But there are some really good content producers like Makoccino, Diy Handmade Things, Mana Creative Corner, Coolirpa, and many more on YouTube. And if you plan to go crafting, try to go past those fake giants and look them up. Those people are doing genuine hacks and crafts and the best part with proper instructions.