Peeps we love on Pinterest

If you use Pinterest, you know how addictive it can be. (If you don’t, what are you waiting for? Check out our primer on Pinterest.) Some pins make us laugh or inspire us, and the social media platform is a prime place to find recipes, craft ideas and DIY projects — and just about anything else you’re interested in.

Sometimes it can be a little daunting to figure out where to start. There are numerous “top pinner” lists out there, but social networking isn’t a popularity contest. It’s about finding people and content that suit your interests.

Here are some of our team’s favourites:

Travel: Lonely Planet. Is it wrong to admit we love Lonely Planet for the travel eye candy? Like its widely popular books, the company’s Pinterest account is like a little vacation every day. There are boards for just about every region and “Best places to go in…” for every month of the year. In addition, you’ll find food, drinks, gifts, guides, museums and quotes. The photos are a nice escape from your desk.

Laughs and inspiration: Leandro Toledo. His travel photos will have you daydreaming about your next trip, but many of his pins are purely for fun. There are entire boards dedicated to “Sarcasm”, “Memes” and “Curiosities” — not to mention “Funny” and “Funny 2”.  A word of caution: you may want to pick and choose among his boards or this prolific pinner will quickly clog up your feed.

Food: Foodily. Warning: you may need to wipe the drool off your keyboard. How can we resist boards like “Baking, we love you” and “Farmers Market Junkie”? There’s a little something to please everyone here including vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free fare — not to mention a variety of specialty boards covering just about every occasion.

Food: The Kitchn. Tired of food porn that requires a master chef to prepare? The Kitchn is an extension of the popular website designed with real home cooks in mind. It’s not just about recipes — you’ll find tips, tutorials, favourite finds and food stories as well. The account isn’t so huge that it will take over your Pinterest feed either.

Food: Meatless Monday. The Meatless Monday movement was originally founded to support the war effort during World War I, but the concept has caught on as people look for delicious meatless meal ideas to give their grocery budgets a break. Its organizers don’t just pin on Mondays, however — watch for tasty ideas throughout the week.

Save money: Canadianfreestuff. If you’re looking to save some cash, you can’t go wrong with a Pinterest account dedicated to coupons, contests and money saving tips. Canadian Free Stuff also serves up easy recipes, how-to tutorials, free printable items and “Recycle Projects” for its fabulously frugal followers. We love their “Home Organization” board for some practical and decorative ideas.

Home décor: Pascale De Groof. This pinner’s passion for life is evident in her creative décor and DIY boards covering almost every room in the home — include home workspaces. While we love her décor ideas, her “seaside” boards make us wish we were at the beach and the “Nom Nom” food boards make us hungry!

Crafts: Etsy. Often voted one of the top companies on Pinterest, Etsy has plenty of inspiration for people who like to DIY. As you would expect, there are a wide variety of crafts, but Etsy goes farther with boards such as “Cool Spaces”. If you’re looking for gift ideas, many of the items are for sale too. (Etsy is a crafting e-commerce site, after all.)

Fashion: StylewithClass. Here you’ll find a little celebrity, a little vintage, some retro glamour a la Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn mixed in with some everyday fashion inspiration. The fashion theme extends beyond clothing and accessories to home décor, books, art and travel. We feel a little more glamorous just perusing the boards.

Culture: Metropolitan Museum of Art. Pinterest boards let anyone become an online curator — why not the top museums and galleries around the world? While you may want to browse the boards of institutions like the Met instead of following them, they show off stunning artefacts you won’t see every day. For instance, the Met has entire boards dedicated to dancing, dogs, cats, swords and red dresses. The board dedicated to wedding attire is both pleasingly nostalgic and historic.

To see who’s online in Canada, check out the Canadian Heritage Information Network’s list of Canadian Museums on Pinterest.

Nature: ZooBorns. Puppies and kittens are cute, but how about an alligator hatchling or a baby rhinoceros? Though only a single board, ZooBorns delivers on its promise to bring you the cutest newborns from zoos and aquariums around the world. It’s where we get our daily dose of “awwwwww!”

Nature: explore.org. Pinterest isn’t just about photos, though you’ll find many stunning shots here. The folks at Explore.org are adept at using this platform to feature animal videos and live web cams. A few of its stars include Siku the Baby Polar Bear and a pair of playful panda bears. You can also keep up with the latest from the organization’s “Dog Bless You” and “Cat Bless You” therapy animal programs.

Books: We hope more publishers will follow in the footsteps of Random House Books and Random House of Canada. From “Hot Books” and “Bookish Quotes” to “Banned Books” and “Bookish Escapes”, these accounts are sheer heaven for book lovers. Austen fans will get a laugh from Random House Books’ “What would Jane Austen do?” board, and we could easily get lost in Random House Canada’s “Bookish Spaces.”

For the gentlemen: Drew Hawkins. Pinterest gets a fair amount of teasing for being a “women’s social networking site”, but pinners such as Hawkins prove there is something for everyone here. His collaborative “Board of Man” focuses on all things manly from celebrities to humour. Don’t forget to check out his other boards too — like “Daperness” and “Geek out”.

Fun products: Think Geek. Looking for a bullet-proof wallet, Darth Vader cake mould or Batman cufflinks? The folks at ThinkGeek.com bring their offbeat selection of items to Pinterest. (After all, if you need a garbage can, it might as well be a Dr. Who garbage can!) There are boards just for Star Wars, Star Trek and Dr. Who fans as well as a heavy dose of geeky humour.

Humour: Pinterest, You are Drunk. Some things you see on Pinterest will make you cringe or scratch your head! Though only two boards — appropriately named “Pinsanity” and “Pinterest, you are drunk” — these pinners collect the worst this social media site has to offer. (To humorous ends, of course.) If you prefer to mock Pinterest from afar, check out the blog at www.pinterestyouaredrunk.com.

Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention our own account: Zoomers!

This list is just a small selection of the many excellent pinners out there, and we’re always on the hunt for more! Which boards and pinners do you enjoy? Share your favourites with us and our readers in the comments below.

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