DIY (Page 18)

PopSci's curated collection of life skills, tech tips, and hands-on projects we think you'll love.

Latest in DIY

expiration date on covid test

How to check if your at-home COVID test has expired

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

organized desktop

Teeny desk? Here’s how to make the most of it.

By Anthony Fordham

Person with earbuds and eyes closed

How to find music and videos with zero plays—and discover the next big thing

Out of focus magnifying glass lens hovering over DuckDuckGo search engine homepage

Anyone can now sign up for DuckDuckGo’s private email service

openemu showing nintendo game

Macs are better at video gaming (emulators) than PCs. Here’s how to set up yours.

Hand under a go pro camera hanging in the air

Get better video with these 7 GoPro tips and tricks

A person wearing a jean jacket and posting multiple photos to their Instagram story at once on an iPhon.

The fastest way to post multiple Instagram story pics at once

By John Kennedy

How to engineer the best sandcastle

How to engineer the best sandcastle

By Joseph Scalia / The Conversation

hands holding phone showing google maps in spanish

Android 13 lets you change the language in individual apps. Here’s how.

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

A phone screen with the Kiwi Browser, Ecosia browser, Brave browser, and Firefox browser icons on the screen.

7 alternatives to your phone’s built-in web browser

What to know about polio boosters, oral vaccines, and your medical history records

What to know about polio boosters, oral vaccines, and your medical history records

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

A homemade wooden DIY headphone stand on a lighter-colored wooden table, complete with a phone holder, a USB charging port, and slots for pens and pencils.

Start organizing your chaotic, messy desk with this DIY headphone stand

By Jean Levasseur

close up of girl's hand using smartphone with instagram app

This tool lets you find out for yourself how much Big Tech is snooping on you

laptop showing broken website on google chrome

5 steps to solve the most common browser problems

A scuba diver takes a step into the ocean.

A diver’s guide to a more sustainable scuba adventure

By Carla Delgado

A person using an iPhone in front of a silver Macbook laptop.

With the right software, you can build your own cloud storage service

All the ways you can reduce screen time across your devices

All the ways you can reduce screen time across your devices

Phone showing tiktok on screen

7 tricks to make the most of TikTok

A DIY jointer sled holding a small piece of wood in place atop a table saw in a woodworking shop.

Two ways to joint wood on your table saw—no jointer needed

By Jean Levasseur

A glass of water with crystal-clear ice cubes in it on a sunlit wooden table.

How to make crystal-clear ice cubes

stack of magazines with page markers

5 bookmarking apps to keep your unread open tabs organized

three kids on a couch looking at phones and tablets

How to use built-in parental controls on Instagram, TikTok, and more

A person sitting at a wooden desk in front of a large window, bathed in sunlight, with the Google search engine open on a laptop and a small cup of coffee on a saucer next to them.

How to get the most space in your cloud storage—without paying to upgrade

honda element suv in front of welcome to utah sign

Why and how to convert a Honda Element into a van-life dream

person sleeping on the kitchen floor next to open refrigerator door

11 ways to sleep better in unbearable heat

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

A TV in a dark room, backlit by purple light, with a lot of streaming TV and music apps visible on the screen.

Where to find new music, movie, and TV recommendations

How to get rid of painful muscle knots

How to get rid of painful muscle knots

By Zachary Gillen / The Conversation

Hand holding a google tv remote

Remap the streaming service buttons on your Google TV remote

Children running a race at sunset

How to protect your children during heat waves

By Emmarie Huetteman / KHN

phone on fake lawn with no trespassing sign on it

The Opt Out: You have the power to protect your data. Own it.

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Person jumping on a hill with mountains on the background

7 tips to stay clean and fresh in the outdoors

By Alisha McDarris

A person shooting with a Super 8 camera on the beach pointing at the sky.

Super 8 film is making a comeback. Here’s how to get started.

By Marissa Wu / Popular Photography

A red-haired woman facing the camera, using her black iPhone to take a photo, with the phone covering her face.

Make the most out of your iPhone’s back tap feature

By John Kennedy

A Microsoft Surface tablet with a red keyboard and mouse on a shiny black countertop.

Find out if you need to replace your laptop with a tablet

hand holding dice with board game on background

10 useful tools built into Google Search you should know about

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

A small child standing at a large glass window in an airport, looking out at the planes on the tarmac.

A parent-tested plan for flying with a toddler

A surfer with black skin and long brown dreads and a surfer with white skin and long brown hair both in red rash guard UPF shirts high fiving in the waves

Everything you need to know about UPF sun protection

By Julia Craven

jar of mustard with pitcher of beer in the background

When the mustard shortage hits, make your own

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

How to take cool photos of cars

How to take cool photos of cars

By Mark Elias / Popular Photography

Starry valley of Carina Nebula against dust and light on a bluish universe in a James Webb Space Telescope image

Get alerts every time the James Webb Space Telescope drops a heavenly new look

By Maria Parazo Rose

hands on keyboard of laptop with phone beside it

Websites use URLs to track you. Here’s how to stop them.

A fanned-out stack of printed photos on a white surface.

Organize your catastrophic digital photo library

By Harry Guinness

How to pick the perfect seat in a movie theater for sound and picture

How to pick the perfect seat in a movie theater for sound and picture

A van-life van with its back doors open and two camping chairs and a small grill set up behind it.

5 ways to keep your van-life rig organized

people laughing in the outdoors

How to make yourself laugh

By Hasan Merali

A woman walking on a street wearing headphones, viewed from her shoulders up, as she looks off to her right.

5 ways to find your next favorite podcast

dining room with plants

9 nature-inspired decorating tips to make your home a more relaxing space

By Sofia Quaglia

A brunette woman wearing pink headphones and looking away from the camera as she listens to music she owns that she put onto her Spotify playlist.

How to add your personal music collection to your streaming playlists

An old TV on a wooden table in front of a wall covered in orange square-patterned wallpaper.

7 ways to find new music, shows, and movies

An intricate maze of small lakes and waterways define the Yukon Delta at the confluence of Alaska's Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers with the frigid Bering Sea. Wildlife abounds on the delta and offshore where sheets of sea ice form during the coldest months of the year.

3 advanced mapping tools for your every cartographic need

By Anthony Fordham

Four people standing facing away from the camera, with their arms around each others' shoulders, in the middle of a field of golden grass under a blue sky.

Cloud storage is cheaper when you know how to share it

cat sitting on kitchen chair

How to keep even the fluffiest cats cool this summer

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Two people on their stomachs on a towel on a beach, looking at their phones.

Wireless sharing with Apple, Android, and Windows devices made easy

Two people sitting at a wooden table in an office space, with one of them writing in a paper calendar, and the other looking at a phone while working on a laptop.

Syncing Google and Apple calendars is less annoying now

By John Kennedy

Photo of woman outdoors on bright day

How to take good photos in bright sunlight

By Harry Guinness/Popular Photography

A few slices of pepperoni pizza.

The best way to reheat pizza (and some things you should never do)

By John Kennedy, Sandra Gutierrez G.

Plants_Elephant

How to keep your houseplants from dying this summer

By Ellen Airhart

travelers eating street food laughing

7 techno-savvy ways travelers can find food to fit their dietary restrictions

By Alisha McDarris

A woman standing at the back of a partially completed van conversion project, holding her arms out wide with a measuring tape held between them.

Vehicle conversion tips to fit any van-life budget

three glasses of beer on table

5 essential apps for brewing your own beer

microwave with metal

6 metal myths and tips for cooking

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Bearded dad holding a newborn baby in a blue onesie and reading a picture book

The best way to choose a parenting book

By Denise Bodman and Bethany Bustamante Van Vleet

A Honda Element parked off-road in an open area by a large rock

A beginner’s guide to choosing the perfect van-life vehicle

Yellow citrus home-brewed iced tea with lemon slices and metal straws in front of a black background

3 quick ways to brew refreshing iced tea at home

By Nissan Haque / Saveur