Pinterest may be the hottest new social networking site in 2012. Weekly visits are now over 11 million–40 times what they were 6 months ago.

Pinterest is a visual pin board where you can collect images you find on the web and arrange them in categories with links back to the original site. It’s like a binder or folder to store everything you clip from magazines and newspapers, but you “pin” them to an electronic board where you can organize and find them later. You can also share them with others.

You can create as many boards as you want, based on your interests. Here is a snippet of my “religion” board with images and quotes that I like.

In addition to having a collection of all the great images you like, you have the added advantage of seeing what your friends have been clipping and saving. And when you look at the boards of your friends, you get a visual insight into their personal creative side.

You can pin anything you like–ideas for meals, crafts, styles to try, gifts to give, fashion ideas, activities to do with the kids, places you’d like to visit, scrapbooking ideas, teaching handouts, home design ideas, projects to improve your home, wedding ideas, products you’d like to try, inspiration for projects at work, fun stuff, infographics, charts with helpful information, books to read, pictures from an event, pictures of your friends, cars you like, movies to see, or photos of your favorite temples.

Have you tried Pinterest? What is your favorite way to use it?