What. The. Craft. Fail.

By Mandi 02/15/2012

argh.

So are you ready for this awesomeness? My friends at Studio 5 emailed me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I would be up for a challenge. You know I couldn’t turn it down right?

What was the challenge?

Gumdrops.

I spent the next week and 1/2 brainstorming about what I could do with freakin gumdrops.

In my mind I pictured this super cool textured piece of ombre art.

After 6 hours of gluing, painting and repainting this is how it ended up.

Gumdrop Art 040

Now. I am going to put up a disclaimer. IF I had started this project with more time I possibly could have made it work. And I spent $30 on gumdrops so…we’ll see what happens, maybe I will be able to salvage it. If I get inspired. Or not. My MIL suggested that I should use it as a doormat. Hahahaha!

So with about an hour before my project was due I came up with a simple solution. I refinished a thrifted gumball machine.

Gumdrop Project Final 4

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Do you think I am lame? I know its not SUPER Mandilicious but I actually really love how cute it is. What do you think? (please be kind!)

And if you are in UT I am skyping the segment LIVE! (Channel 5 @ 11:00)

What would YOU have done?

Love  Your  Guts,  Mandi

47 thoughts on “What. The. Craft. Fail.”

  1. I cannot believe you painted those. Who paints gumdrops…. haahahah, DIY Queens only.. I like it for the record, the fail and the success.

    I totally love you so much for spending 30 dollars, I wouldn’t even spend a penny on gumdrops. Worst Candy Ever.

    I bet you love me a ton right now.

    Call me back. K, thanks, bye.

  2. Im crazy in love with the gumdrop machine as you created such a beauty with the crisp white and rainbow drops!! it would last forever in my entry way cuz i dislike the gumdrop flavor but I think ur GENIOUS, Mandi! Have a blast!

  3. I would have freaked when I found out the challenge was gumdrops–Yikes! I think your gumdrop machine is adorable. And I can’t wait to see you on Studio 5. 🙂

  4. I love gumdrops, hate gumballs….I’ll be trying this with an old gumball machine. I wonder if they’ll dispense. If not, they’ll still look cute.

  5. If this is the worst you ever fail, then you are doing amazing! I really like the gumball machine twist. It really worked out nice and I agree with your MIL 🙂

  6. I’ve learned that sometimes a fail isn’t failure…it just takes me on a different road that otherwise, I would not have taken. So instead of a fail, I just call it a detour! Love the gumball machine! Total detour win!! xoxo

  7. I don’t think it was a fail at all as you thought outside the box and made something that NO ONE would have dreamed up using gumdrops of all things. So that is a win, I think the color choice they gave you just wasn’t the best.

    So you just happen to hove a gum ball machine lying around at your house????? You need to open your house and just let everyone shop there!
    [email protected]

  8. You rock because of your complete honesty. NO cover up, no excuse, just good ol’ honest DIY disaster. Every DIY Diva has them- that’s how we get so good. I always try to turn mistakes into something else, but sometimes it’s just a learning lesson that you file & use on a future project. Thanks for your inspiration. I plan on starting my DIY blog next month because of YOU!! BTW- LOVE re-painted machine. SOmetimes simplicity is the best answer. 🙂

  9. You rock because of your complete honesty. NO cover up, no excuse, just good ol’ honest DIY disaster. Every DIY Diva has them- that’s how we get so good. I always try to turn mistakes into something else, but sometimes it’s just a learning lesson that you file & use on a future project. Thanks for your inspiration. I plan on starting my DIY blog next month because of YOU!! BTW- LOVE re-painted machine. SOmetimes simplicity is the best answer. 🙂

  10. Poor ugly doormat 😉 The gumball machine is darling even if it’s not terribly creative. What to do with gumdrops? How about recreate Starry Night by Van Gogh in a shallow shadow box frame & hang it on the wall or make an Anthro-ish art piece a la their window displays to set upright on a table or lay flat on a coffee table. Of course, if you have toddlers or a dog your project might vanish pretty quickly 😉

  11. The idea of painting gumdrops is enough to make me want to cry. You have patience! Very original idea though. I love the white gumball machine filled with the rainbow-ed gumdrops, super cute and also original.

  12. The gumball machine is cute! That was a creative solution to your problem with a big time crunch. Maybe you should put your wall art in a big picture frame…the texture is really awesome, it just needs something to visually “contain” the candy!

  13. Mandi, I’ve loved hearing your project on this process…I did expect your craft fail to be a bit more horrendous though 🙂 Love the gumdrop/gumball machine. Nice save!

    xoxo

  14. The first one you obviously made it very well, its looks sharp! ..Now the Vintage Gumball Machine is cool because it reminds us of days gone by …just like gumdrops..hmmm if you had an old sign like” gumdrops 5cents” and then had done the artwork around it…but darn they didnt give you enough time….You STill Rock…I love all of your ideas I mean all of em! Anna

  15. I have a gumball machine in my front entry with gumballs in it that are like 6 years old (hard as a rock). Maybe I will steal your idea and put some gumdrops in there that someone will actually want to eat. It looks nice. :0)

  16. You are so NOT lame! At least you didn’t give up when your project didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to. The gumball machine with the gumdrops is adorable – it has such a happy vibe.

  17. While I agree that the initial project was a fail I think the gumdrop gum ball machine is really clever and your attention to keeping the colors the way you did makes it even better.

  18. My first thought about using gumdrops was that it’d be a problem for me because I’d want to eat them all, so I’m thinking re-doing the gumball machine was more up my alley. It looks super cute, so don’t worry about being lame at all.

  19. i like the gumball machine! i don’t know why… but when i saw it i though “lucky charms”! i think it would be cute to decorate with for st. pattys! good luck on tv! you’re always great!

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  22. i like the gumball machine, but i also think the other thing could work. i think the problem (in my oh so humble opinion) is the colour choice. fading from light to dark would probably look pretty cool. (and ps, what is up with the last few comments? are they spam? weird!)

  23. I think the gumball machine is really cute but I agree with @TheAdventuresAshley – the other thing could work. If you did a spray paint fade and made it look truly ombre with a simple color palette. I think the only problem with it is how blocky the colors are. The concept is great!

  24. Hi Mandi, I was one of the the other presenters on the segment. I wish I could have met you in person!!! I loved the gumball machine, but I really think the other thing is cool!!! It’s fun to see them both 🙂 I did the gumdrop people. That was a HARD challenge!!! Love your blog!

    <3

    Risa

  25. I’m just starting out in the creative world, I make things to sell on! It was very refreshing to see that you did something that failed! Your blog is full of fascinating things that make me smile! How often do you make something not so great? Whenever I do I loose enthusiasm!

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