Measured Updated dailyMarkdown copy
Odd cheap tool beats a tedious step
A viral culture and creative format on TikTok and Instagram
Show an unusual or inexpensive tool that removes a tedious manual step or does something that normally breaks equipment.
4
accounts it worked for
7x
median, times their usual
#40
of 63 in culture and creative
Angle
Voiceover, Screen recording
Why it works
The odd tool in frame creates curiosity, and the 'you don't need the expensive version' payoff is useful to any maker.
Hook formulaThis might be the [prettiest] [craft] cheat I know
How to make it
- 1Show the odd tool or setup in frame one
- 2Run it on a hard material or case
- 3Show the manual step it replaces
Examples
Best first, one per account. Each links to the original post.
- @arabesquescissors
99K followers, Instagram
“This might be the prettiest sewing machine cheat I know.”
31x their usual views, voiceover, crafts
- @sewing_tutorial_and_tools
1.8M followers, Instagram
“Look at this presser foot I'm using”
9.2x their usual likes, screen recording, crafts
- @colescraftingcorner
136K followers, TikTok
“Faux Stained Glass Cricut Craft”
9.9x their usual views, voiceover, crafts
- @limyanskystudios
128K followers, Instagram
“don't know who needs to hear this, but you don't”
5.6x their usual views, screen recording, crafts
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5 accounts, median 101x their usual
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8 accounts, median 14x their usual
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10 accounts, median 6x their usual
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7 accounts, median 12x their usual
- Messy behind-the-scenes clip, then clean final photo
6 accounts, median 11x their usual
How this is measured
- Every post is compared with its own account's usual reach, not with other accounts. "14x their usual" means the post got 14 times the median views of that account's recent posts.
- TikTok videos and Instagram Reels are measured on views. Instagram carousels have no view count, so they are measured on likes against the account's usual likes, and say so.
- A post makes the library at 2x its account's usual or more. A format is a repeatable move (what is said or shown, or how it is edited) that several accounts used in breakout posts. It is listed here once it worked for 3 or more different accounts.
- Formats rank on how many accounts they worked for and how far above usual, damped so a fluke on one tiny account cannot outrank a format that worked for ten.