We all need a morale boost mid-week, don't you think? I do. And nothing makes me smile like big, old can't-ignore-'em construction and public works mishaps. Check out my new slideshow to see what I mean.

What were these roads/doors/stairs/balconies supposed to lead to? What happened? Who is to blame? We'll never know ... but we can have a chuckle at some terrible construction jobs.

Sometimes tree pruning goes wrong. Awfully wrong.

If you're not sure how to shape a tree or control its size, learn how – don't just guess. The Arbor Day Foundation lays out tree pruning basics on its website. Amongst the golden rules: never cut limbs back to stubs and never prune more than a quarter of a tree's crown. Instead, prune individual branches to promote attractive, healthy growth.

Another great way to learn is by viewing other peoples' mistakes. Okay, I'll admit it's kind of fun for a laugh, too. So check out my slideshow on how NOT to prune a tree.

Theodore Roosevelt once said: "The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything."Heartening words, my fellow DIY'ers. Because every man or woman who has ever wielded a paintbrush or screwdriver also knows the taste of failure. It's good to remember that those failures make us better at what we do.

Welcome to DIY Disasters, a brand new, very fun feature here at DIY Life. Join us each week as we explore the ways that DIY projects of all shapes and sizes can backfire! We're kicking off the series with my new photo gallery, "Messy Paint Mishaps."

Want to share your personal DIY Disaster stories? Send us a message and tell us all about it! We'd love to see your photos and/or video clips, too.

Once there was a young woman who considered herself fairly handy in all things DIY. One stormy day, she heard a loud crash. Stepping outside, she discovered a fallen pine branch had clipped the trunk of her vehicle. The damage? Two quarter-sized dents in the paintwork. "My car!" she exclaimed and shook her fist angrily at the tree.

"I bet I can fix this myself," she mused. Next came a twinge of doubt, but she brushed it away. "A well-aimed tap with a hammer should pop that sucker right back out again," she told herself. The outcome to this particular DIY project was ... er ... not so great. Those taps were a tad too vigorous, leaving the car with unsightly bumps where the dents had been. Whoops.

Yes, that woman was me, and I learned my lesson. Turns out you can fix dents without special panel repair skills. You may not even need specialized or expensive tools. But you must do your homework first. Don't just grab a hammer and chisel like I did. (Gulp.)