Passionate for Pinterest: 5 must-dos at Arlington Pinners expo

Energetic Pinterest patrons from North Carolina to Idaho converged on Arlington on Friday to shop, celebrate creativity and be inspired at the Pinners Conference & Expo.

“We are so happy, and people are really loving it,” said Roxanne Bennett, owner of Bennett Events, which is putting on the event. “This convention is where Pinterest comes to life.”

Don’t worry that the Pinners Conference & Expo says it’s in Dallas. It’s at the Arlington Convention Center and continues through Saturday.

After my wedding and eight of my Pinterest boards went from useful to just memories, I felt Pinners remorse, unsure of where to go next. But not anymore. This convention will leave you inspired to create, share, try new things and make more time to do what you enjoy.

And the expo is not just for those well-versed in Pinterest.

If you’ve ever had a Pinterest fail or been too overwhelmed to even try, this convention is for you. With almost 100 classes to choose from, you can learn how to make French macaroons, get tips on the art of wood burning and craft the perfect crepe paper flower.

There are also more than 200 vendor booths featuring the things Pinners dream of: cleaning supplies, cookie decorating, calligraphy, clothes, crafts, decor and more.

Donald Christian, 53, traveled with his wife from Atlanta. He recommends if you come with your significant other, bring a full wallet.

While you could spend all day — seriously — exploring the expo, here are five things you should not miss:

1. Hippie Alice is way cool

Bridget Meyer from Decatur always dreamed of owning her own boutique, so she took a 1971 Airstream trailer and converted it into a shop filled with boho-cowgirl style clothing. Be sure to step inside and admire the crafty decor. If you get the chance to talk to her, ask her about how she renovated the old airstream into a hippie-styled trailer — it might just leave you inspired to refurbish an old school bus.

2. Treat yourself to a quick manicure

The Jamberry vendor booth is giving away free (yes, really!) two-minute manicures. After walking around admiring vendors, creating crafts and learning new ways to do old things, rest your feet and let Jamberry take over. When your done seeing how easy it is, shop their hundreds of nail styles and find your way over to the booth selling chocolate moonshine fudge.

3. Prizes for Pinners galore

IKEA is giving away a whole home furniture set, and Michaels is giving away a free Cricut, a do-it-yourself craft cutter, but look closely because many vendors are giving away all sorts of fun prizes and packages. Along with giveaways, many vendors are offering discounts during the conference, so make sure to ask your favorite booth about their specials.

4. Plan easy meals on a budget

At 2 p.m. today, Danielle Reeves, blogger of busymomshelper.com, will be hosting a class on how to plan simple and fun meals on a budget. A mother of four herself, she knows how little time there is in the day and even created a book to help along the way. This class is sure to get you out of that pasta-for-dinner-every-night funk.

5. How to build your dream home

As you pass by the talented vendors who refurbish old furniture and make it new, take it a step further and think bigger. Dallas blogger Trista Perot will be teaching a class at 3:30 p.m. today on how to build your dream home, whether from the ground up or remodeling. With special guest Laura Davis from HPD Architecture, this class will give you all the inspiration you need to take the next step in creating a new place to call home.

This story was originally published September 9, 2016 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Passionate for Pinterest: 5 must-dos at Arlington Pinners expo."