heart trails by Anne Dejong
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*We apologize, but we are no longer able to accommodate Pinterest invite requests. We cannot respond to user questions about Pinterest, please direct those questions and issues to Pinterest Support.*
I think it’s safe to say that I (Katie) have done a pretty good job of promoting Pinterest lately. I promise I’m not affiliated with Pinterest in any way, I’m just a big fan of online sources of inspiration, and I have found a lot of that since this new site entered my life. Pinterest is a place for visual bookmarking that you share with others. It’s a great way to keep track of all those things you’ve been wanting to try, and a fabulous way to discover new and inspiring ideas! I’ve posted about Pinterest here before, but today I want to give you a step-by-step tutorial on how to get the most out of Pinterest.
Pinterest has taken a unique approach to get people interested in the site – you have to be invited to participate. You can request an invitation right on the site, but be warned that it takes a long time before you will get one. You are better off to ask a friend who is already on Pinterest to send you one. I’ve also seen a lot of people asking for Pinterest invites via twitter and facebook and someone is always willing to help out. Do you see the genius in this plan? Requiring people to secure an invite, is a great way to spread the word about the site!
The first thing you will want to do is to setup your account. You can sign in using your existing twitter account or facebook account. The benefit of using one of those social media accounts to sign in, is that you can find people on Pinterest that you already interact with on those other sites. You also can log in to Pinterest using the email and password you establish when setting up your account.
When signing up, you will be prompted to create some boards. Pinterest suggests a few basic boards with titles. I suggest accepting those and editing them later on. (See step #4) If you want to edit them at this point, just go ahead and change the names to topics you think you might like to file inspiration under.
Your Pinterest experience will be completely shaped by who you follow. You will see “pins” from the people you choose to follow and so they will create the content of the site. I have found that this can really make or break Pinterest so I feel like it’s important to have a few inspirational and safe friends to follow to get you started. Then you can refine your own interests as you explore and become more comfortable. When you create your account, you might be automatically following others from the social network you used to sign in. You will also be automatically following the Pinterest account. I immediately “unfollowed” Pinterest because they do repin links and images that I might not feel comfortable having my children see. One of the rules in our house is that we use our computers in common living areas and so everything should be appropriate for all ages. It’s just something that is important to us. I realize that not everyone will feel the same way, so if that isn’t a concern for you, you will probably find some very interesting things by following the Pinterest people.
You can use twitter, facebook, yahoo, or gmail to help you find people you might already know.
If you want some Pinterest buddies to help you get started, we are happy to help you! All of the following accounts are family-friendly and will most likely appeal to those who are interested in topics like digital scrapbooking, memories, photography, home decorating, yummy foods, and fun ideas.
- The Daily Digi – We have a Pinterest account now! Follow us for fun ideas and inspiration to help you make the most of your memory-making and memory-keeping activities.
- Islandmom – Yes, I finally convinced Steph to take the Pinterest plunge! She’s just getting started, but she already has a knack for finding fun things.
- Katie Nelson (that’s me!) Also known as “Katie the Scrapbook Lady” – I’ve become a total Pinterest addict! The day just isn’t complete for me without a visit to Pinterest.
You can follow all of of someone’s boards, or just pick a one or a few to follow. You can also unfollow a person or certain boards at any time.
Once you have a few friends to follow, look around their pinboards and see if you can find anyone else who looks familiar or interesting. You can always unfollow them later on. You can click on who I follow or who follows me to find some fun people.
It’s time to create your own pinboards and start pinning (see step #5). Some people chose not to repin anything and just use Pinterest to follow others. That is perfectly fine, but it’s even more enjoyable when you get involved. You can “like” pins which is liking adding them to a “favorites” file. If you “repin” them, you will want to sort the pins into boards. After browsing through a few pinboards from friends, you will probably have a pretty good idea of what topics you want to focus on. You can always rename and rearrange your pinboards so don’t worry too much about getting them “just right”!
Here’s a peek at my boards:
These are the titles of my boards:
- Word (quotes, sayings, typography)
- Photography Fun (ideas for taking and displaying photos)
- Gallery Walls (I love frame and picture groupings)
- Artful Inspiration (Art & artsy stuff)
- Silly Stuff (things that make me giggle)
- Digi Scrap Love (digital scrapbook layouts that inspire me)
- Sweets and Treats (yummy stuff that I probably shouldn’t eat)
- Healthy Eats (food that I should be eating)
- Dream House (a girl can dream…)
- Dream Destinations (my bucket list for places I would love to go)
- Color Me Happy (I’m inspired by colorful things)
- Crafty Fun (projects I would like to make)
- Holiday Fun (I love to celebrate!)
- Toys and Joys (a place for Legos and other fun things)
- Garden (yard and garden ideas)
- Sew Fun (all the stuff I say I’m going to sew someday)
- Organization (good ideas for organizing)
- Book Love (favorite books)
To edit them at any time, I just go to the boards from my drop down menu and I can edit each one individually or even rearrange the order they are displayed in.
It’s also helpful to be be sure each board is categorized properly – this helps others find your pins. Just click on “edit” for each board and select the most appropriate category.
ETA: 3/5/2012 we have another post all about Properly Pinning on Pinterest
Now you are ready to start pinning! The easiest thing to do on Pinterest is to “repin” something that is already there. As I’m browsing on Pinterest, I find the image of photos on a wall that I want to repin to my own boards. As I hover over the picture with my mouse, the option appears to either “repin” or “like” it. I choose “repin” and it prompts me to categorize it to one of my boards. I choose Gallery Walls and click on repin. I could also automatically share this pin on twitter or facebook by using the buttons at the bottom.
What if you want to pin something you find on another site? You can go to “add a pin” and then enter the url and description.
The easiest way is to just add the bookmarklet by dragging the “pin it” link to your brower toolbar.
I use the bookmarklet all the time. When I’m reading through blogs, I use this little tool to add pins as I find ideas I want to save. If I wanted to pin a layout from yesterday’s post here on The Daily Digi, I would just click on the bookmarklet while I had The Daily Digi post open on my screen.
Once I click on the pinning tool, I will see all the images from this post pop up on my screen. I simply need to use my mouse to hover over the one I want to pin and then click on “Pin This”.
I then choose the board I want to pin the image to and type in a description.
You can even mention other users if you want to notify them about the pin.
Pinterest is still a fairly new site so the etiquette is still evolving. It’s best to follow good general guidelines that would apply to any social site such as; polite and kind comments, not infringing on copyright, crediting the original sources, and avoiding too much self-promotion. Pins are meant to be shared on Pinterest, but occasionally, someone might ask to have a pin removed because of a copyright issue. If you want to share the pins you find outside of Pinterest, use the tools provided to share on facebook or twitter. You can also embed the image on a blog using the embed tool Pinterest provides. This ensures that the credits and source of the pin stays intact.
So if I want to share this amazing layout from Lynette Penacho right here on The Daily Digi (which I totally do want to share it here!)
I simply use the embed code found on the right side of the screen.
Source: sweetshoppecommunity.com via Katie on Pinterest
Pretty cool!
More Pinterest links to check out:
As you can see, Pinterest is a fun and exciting place to hang out online. I can’t wait to see what’s new every time I login. I hope you enjoy it as well!
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I’ve just heard about pinterest and would be so grateful if you could send me an invite! It looks like such a great tool. Many advance thanks!
Can you send me an invite? I’m been browsing all day and I love it!
Thank you! I went to the Pinterest website and was completely confused about how to join. I would love an invite and thank you again for explaining it so clearly.
I would LOVE an invite! I look at pinterest daily – and ohhh the wonderous ideas and inspiration. I want to save all the ideas, especially for my classroom.
Could you send me an invite? Pretty please?!
This tutorial is great! I would love a Pinterest invite.
just heard about pinterest today! would love to join
Hi, thanks for your terrific blog post.
I’d love to receive a pinterest invitation.
Thanks!
hi
Thank you for all your posts. They are very helpful!
Would love pinterest invite!
Thank you so much
Great post! I was wondering how to embed the image on a blog in a right way! Thanks for sharing.
Would love an invite!
Oh, I’d be SO happy for a pinterest invite! Really. So. Happy.
Hi just found your blog…would love an invite for pinterest! Thanks for the tutorial too!
Hi !
…just found your blog, and your amazing talents are impressive !
Super curious about joining Pinterest soon and thanks for your generous offer ! I would love an invite.
Thanks !
This is such a interesting site and I just love looking at all the wonderful ideas that people have. Thank you for your post, it was very helpful. I would love for you to send me an invite. Thanks
Awesome thorough post- I have been admiring some Pinterest boards for awhile. Can you send me an invite? Thanks!
Katie, I love your easy to follow explanations for how to use pinterest. I would absolutely love to get an invite. They are very hard to come by!
I would love an invite and can’t wait to get started.
thanks so much!
Thanks for the tutorial. I have been longing and drooling and waiting for an invite. I would love a pininterest invite from you so I can get started. Thank you so much!!!
Am loving the pinterest website, but still having trouble finding things! Can you tell me how I can follow others? I would love to add you and the Daily Digi but not sure how to add you as followers? thanks for this tutorial!!!
To follow us, just click on the links in the post where it says this:
If you want some Pinterest buddies to help you get started, we are happy to help you! All of the following accounts are family-friendly and will most likely appeal to those who are interested in topics like digital scrapbooking, memories, photography, home decorating, yummy foods, and fun ideas.
The Daily Digi – We have a Pinterest account now! Follow us for fun ideas and inspiration to help you make the most of your memory-making and memory-keeping activities.
Islandmom – Yes, I finally convinced Steph to take the Pinterest plunge! She’s just getting started, but she already has a knack for finding fun things.
Katie Nelson (that’s me!) Also known as “Katie the Scrapbook Lady” – I’ve become a total Pinterest addict! The day just isn’t complete for me without a visit to Pinterest.
…
as you get familiar with pinterest and start repinning things, you can click on them to see who originally pinned them. That’s often how you find great people to follow!
I would love to get a Pinterest Account. Thanks for being so helpful and willing.
Would love a Pinterest invite, you’re very kind. Thanks.
This is perfect! I’ve been reading a lot about Pinterest, but had no clue where to start not to mention I’ve been waiting for an invitation, could you please send me one? Thank you for this great tutorial!
What a detailed tutorial! This looks like a lot of fun and I would like to try it. Would you please send me an invitation? Thank you!
Thanks for the tutorial! I have been waiting for a while or an invite from Pinterest. I would love an invite, please.
Could you send me an invite too? Thanks!
Hi can I have an invite please? I signed up a few days ago but nothing yet. When I do get an account I’ll definately be using this tutorial as a guide, it’s awesome!
I would also love an invite if you still have the time and the inclination?
Many thanks!!!
- Sarah
help katie! i have tried several times to log on via twitter but it doesn’t work;( what now? i’ve gone back and forth to the site but i can’t seem to find the right to create my account after i’ve received my invitation (twice). mahalo for your help and this amazing tutorial you wrote up!!!
that is so strange – maybe it is some sort of glitch in their system? I would try to log in using a different browser and see if that helps.
I would love an invite to. My bestie left your site up on my laptop..I’m so glad she did!
Yes please. I would love an invite to Pinterest! Thank you for the grand information you share!
I posted a request for an invite to Pinterest on your blog but it said you were taking a break so I thought I’d post here too. I hope I’m not being a pain. Thanks.
No worries! I’m still happy to send invites and I just sent yours
I would love an invite. What a great way to organize some inspiration!
Hi Katie! Thank you for all the amazing information you send out in your blog! As well as the monthly kits
I would love an invite to Pinterest, please
Thanks so much!
Thanks for this great tutorial. I just got a Pinterest account, and love it! So much fun.
I just have one question, and am hoping someone can help me. I created a new board called “Creative ideas”. When I go to pin something there, it isn’t in the drop down list of my boards. When I go to create another board with the same name, it tells me that I already have a board with that same name! Has anyone else run into this? It just bugs me, and I want to know what I am doing wrong. I’m new, so maybe it is me.
Thanks!
Steph responded with this answer when someone else posted about the same problem -
I have had the SAME problem and emailed them. They said it is a bug they are working on. I have found it is especially a problem if I create boards in the iPhone app. Instead of waiting, I just created a new board and when the other one shows up, move my pins and then delete it.
I just knew about pinterest. Very interested. Can you invite me?
Hey, this is great! I have been really interested in this site for a while and I requested for an invite months ago and still to no avail, I have not received one. *sigh* I did find this very helpful though. I sort of had an idea about what this website was designed for but I had no idea how to actually work the website. I am going to bookmark this so that when I finally get on, I will have a guide about how to use it!
PS: Can you send me an invite??? THANKS A MILLION!
I have had the SAME problem and emailed them. They said it is a bug they are working on. I have found it is especially a problem if I create boards in the iPhone app. Instead of waiting, I just created a new board and when the other one shows up, move my pins and then delete it.
That is really strange – glad Steph found out it is just a bug. Hopefully they will get it fixed soon! Sometimes I find that when I go to look in my drop down menu, I don’t see the board where it should be, but it is actually at the top of the list for some reason. Maybe that is part of the same glitch?
Love your blog! This post was incredibly informative. I have been waiting for an invite from the site for so long now! I would absolutely love if you could send me an invite! Awesome boards!!
Thanks!
OMG! I Love Pinterest! I have been obsessed with it for awhile but never understood the invitation thing – thanks for explaining. I look forward to the invite!
Be sure to leave your request for an invite on my blog since the comments field on this post will eventually close. Leave a comment to request an invite on any post at http://scrapbookladypages.com/
I would love an invite!
Thanks for this intro to pinterest – I would love to get an invite! Thanks!
FoR those of you who don’t know. If you Try to register to pinterest, when setting up a new account. If you just click the icon ‘request an invite’ and are willing to wait 24-48 hours, the makers of interest will just send you one. That is how I got my account last week. Other than that little tidbit of advice, I must say AWESOME post!!!
Most people have told me that they’ve had to wait several weeks to get their invites from pinterest. Glad you had better luck! That’s why I’m happy to help out if someone doesn’t want to wait. Be sure to leave your request for an invite on my blog since the comments field on this post will eventually close. Leave a comment to request an invite on any post at http://scrapbookladypages.com/
could i get an invite as well? thanks!
can you please send me an invite to pinterest
Ok, Miss K… Would love an invite, have been holding back but your tut is drawing me in. Thank you!
Yes, I spent a good amount of time perusing Pinterest too. I would love an invite! And thanks for the tut.
Woo hoo! Thanks Katie! I’ve been inviting friends and this will be super helpful.
Ohh I want a invite to Pinterest.
I heart Pinterest! Katie, you sent me an invitation a while back, and I’ve been happily pinning away ever since! I use it as a sort of visual bookmark, having tried Tumblr and Delicious and just not getting the hang of it. But, Pinterest is EASY and beautiful and useful and intriguing. Thanks for the invite and the tutorial!
I got an invite directly from Pinterest (took just a few days), but I haven’t done anything with it yet. So this tutorial is perfectly timed for me. I wonder if anyone knows if Pinterest is fully functional on the iPad? I do most of my browsing and surfing on my iPad. I guess I’ll just give it a try. Thanks, Katie!
Sandie, they have an iPhone app that you can use on your iPad but it’s not full resolution. They’re working on an iPad app now. I usually go directly to the site in Safari on my iPad. It works well, but if you have more boards than what will fit in the box when you’re pinning something, you have to use two fingers to scroll in order to see the rest of your boards. I had to email them awhile ago to find that out. Hope this makes sense?
Great post, Katie! I’m a Pinterest addict too. It’s so fun! I’m already following you, but now I need to follow the Daily Digi. I didn’t know you guys had an account. Cool! I love new followers too. My Pinterest name is iDebbie http://www.pinterest.com/idebbie
Thanks so much for this tutorial! Does anyone know if you have to use facebook/twitter to register? I don’t want to give my facebook info and don’t want to get a twitter, so if those are the only two options I’m stuck. Thanks!
not anymore. You can just create a pinterest account and log in that way.
how do I do that? Has anyone here done it? Thanks so much.
There should just be an area for you to enter the username and password. If you can’t find it, I would suggest trying to log in with a different browser and see if that works.
I just did it…actually signed up for twitter so I could, lol. Thanks so much,,
I must admit I’ve been avoiding Pinterest because I KNOW I will become addicted. But after reading this I just can’t avoid it any longer. It’s WAY too cool!
You so totally got me hooked on Pinterest with your first post on the site. Thanks for sending me the invite. It’s become one of my very favorite time wasters!
This is an awesome tut!!
Katie, After receiving my invite I went to sign up.
I was put off by the release I had to give for them to access all areas of my facebook account. Have you had any concerns that way?
Lisa
I don’t think you need to sign in that way. I think you can just choose to enter your pinterest name and password. I don’t have any problem with the facebook issue though, because you don’t have to post anything to your facebook with pinterest unless you want to. It won’t do anything automatically.
Thanks everyone! Be sure to leave your request for an invite on my blog since the comments field on this post will eventually close. Leave a comment to request an invite on any post at http://scrapbookladypages.com/
I am not sure this is a good idea, but I have to check out Pinterest! Please send me an invite, Steph. Thanks.
Oops Katie!!
sent
Great article! I have been hearing so much about Pinterest, but didn’t know how to get started. This is definitely on my to-do list, now!
You must have been reading my mind. I’ve been hearing so much about pininterest, but had no clue how to use it. Thanks for the instruction and the offer for an invite. Looking forward to getting started.
Woo Hoo! Katie, you rock! Thank you SO MUCH for this tutorial. I signed-up for a Pinterest account a while back (since everyone was talking about it); but I have to say I hadn’t done much with it yet b/c I just didn’t have time to figure it all out. That has changed this morning! I have created my boards and I am pinning away. Thank you! It is hard to find time to keep up with all the new technology b/c there is just so much and so little time. Tutorials like this make it so much easier. Well done! Many thanks again.
GREAT write up!!! Love your site btw, wish i was just a fraction of talented as YOU!
now, to see how i can get a pinterest invite….!!!! would love one!!!
just sent you one
What a fabulous write-up Katie, thank you