Thursday 16 July 2026
The DIY fail of the year has become a masterclass in what not to do
Home & Garden

The DIY fail of the year has become a masterclass in what not to do

One garden path, one bold Pinterest ambition, and roughly $8,000 in remedial work.

By Rowan Faulkner · Published 9 July 2026 · 3 min read

It was going to be so easy. A cheerful weekend project. A curved pebble path lined with reclaimed brick. What could go wrong?

Everything. In order.

The lessons

Landscape fabric matters. Compaction matters. And — the homeowner admits with a laugh — measuring the width of a wheelbarrow before designing the curve of the path matters most of all.

The path has now been rebuilt correctly, at three times the original budget. "Would I do it again?" she asked. "Absolutely not."