DIY (Page 19)

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

Latest in DIY

A phone with the Spotify app open, playing Play the Silences by Hippie Sabotage.

Where to find new Spotify playlists when you don’t want to make your own

A pile of food scraps and compost materials.

Drug-resistant fungus could be lurking in your compost, but you can reduce the risk

A SanDisk USB drive on top of an e-reader.

4 smart reasons to keep an old USB drive around

A turtle crossing a road.

What to do if you find a turtle in the road

By Natalie Wallington

A woman wearing a brown hat and a striped shirt, standing on a rooftop during the day and holding a coffee and her phone.

You can trick your brain into using your phone less

By Whitson Gordon

Looking through the windshield of a car driving down a flat road between open fields under blue skies, with one person in the driver's seat and a toddler in a carseat in the passenger seat.

A road-tested guide to long drives with young kids

A person holding a Windows 11 tablet while standing outside near a gray background on a sunny day.

You can make Windows 11 easier to use on a tablet

A woman wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans using a laptop on her lap with the Popular Science archive on the screen.

How to read the Popular Science archives

By John Kennedy

A mobile phone with a bunch of social media apps on the screen, along with other apps.

How to prevent your social media accounts from oversharing

A person holding a houseplant at the store.

Learn how to spot a healthy houseplant in the store

By Amber Guetebier / Bob Vila

Two surprised students learning in a library on a laptop.

How to remove your data from people-finder sites

By Whitson Gordon

A man sitting and opening his wallet to remove several hundred dollars in cash with a laptop on the table in front of him.

Getting rid of an old phone or computer? Protect your data first.

Archive Gallery: PopSci’s Quirkiest DIY Projects

Archive Gallery: PopSci’s Quirkiest DIY Projects

Google is making it easier to scrub your personal info from search results

Google is making it easier to scrub your personal info from search results

By Harry Guinness

Some playing cards in a wooden drawer in a workshop, with the joker in the foreground.

The surprising woodworking tools you already have around the house

By Jean Levasseur

A phone with an audiobook on its screen, sitting on top of an e-reader and an actual book, with some earbuds on top of the phone.

7 nifty Audible tips for your audiobook needs

A cracked-open coconut on a light pink background with the white outline of a palm leaf underneath.

The planet needs its peat moss. Use these gardening alternatives instead.

By Ellen Airhart

Two Windows laptops on a long wooden table, facing opposite directions. You can see the screen of one, but not the other.

Make your life easier by syncing up all your Windows 11 devices

A photo of perch on a fish smoker being smoked.

Everything you need to smoke fish

By Jack Hennessy / Field & Stream

A young Black man wearing headphones and speaking into a microphone while sitting at a wooden table and using a laptop.

How to find online radio stations run by real human DJs

hands on laptop working on google drive

20 tips to get the most out of Google Drive, Docs, Slides, and Sheets

Person at cafe looking at laptop and smiling

How to use emoji reactions in Google Docs

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

A man standing at a mirror and yelling at his reflection in the dark.

How to protect your identity online

By Harry Guinness

A close-up of a hand holding a TV remote with an out-of-focus TV screen in the background.

Use this little-known Google feature to bookmark every movie you want to watch

A person using a silver Macbook laptop on a gray wooden surface, while looking at a watch on their wrist.

There’s a better way to install software on your Mac

person in pajamas trying on dresses in the mirror

Why you should dress to impress even if you work from home

By Alexandra Frost

Tips for buying and caring for long-lasting fabrics

Tips for buying and caring for long-lasting fabrics

How to use a VPN

How to use a VPN

By Eric Frederiksen

A close-up of Reddit in the Google Chrome browser on a laptop.

Custom feeds and other tricks to make you a better Redditor

Don’t stash away your camping gear—it could save the day during a power outage

Don’t stash away your camping gear—it could save the day during a power outage

By Nadia Bajuelo

A man sitting solemnly on a couch in the dark with his Apple Mac laptop

How to break back into your locked accounts

produce in recyclable bags

How to go zero-waste at the grocery store

By Alisha McDarris

A laptop computer set up with two screens and backlit by a purple LED light.

Expand your horizons by adding a second screen to your computer

A woman sitting in front of a white laptop looking annoyed.

Live in bliss by tuning out news stories you’re tired of hearing about

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Sennheiser AMBEO underbelly with HDMI cables

How to connect a soundbar to a TV: HDMI ARC vs optical

By Markkus Rovito

Wind turbines against a cloudy sky.

3 steps for making your rental’s energy bills greener

By Bridget Reed Morawski

close up to hands holding phones

How to easily share anything from your phone

A child with a shaved head and white shirt shouting or singing into a mice with a pop filter in front of it.

How to send a voice message in any chat app, even if you think you can’t

parts of an electronic device laid out flat

Big tech companies are finally making devices easier to repair

By Harry Guinness

A young woman sitting at a table in a dimly lit room, typing on a computer with a lot of books on the table.

Google’s expanded Markdown feature could change how you work

By John Kennedy

Eucalyptus essential oil on a white surface with some green leaves next to it, and in front of a brick wall.

Essential safety tips for using essential oils

A DIY shop vac-mounted dust collector in a basement workshop.

Keep your workshop tidy with this DIY dust collector

By Jean Levasseur

A close-up of a computer monitor with Netflix on it before you check to see if someone is using your account.

How to kick strangers and exes out of your streaming accounts

A woman wearing a gray top stretching while she sits up in bed in the morning in front of an open window.

4 gadgets that will wake you up better than your phone

Takeout boxes on green backdrop

How to make your takeout order less wasteful

By Carla Delgado

Google Maps on a smartphone.

Make Google and Apple Maps better for everyone by reporting errors

A computer with the title of the video game Fortnite on its screen, in a room lit by blue and purple lights.

A parent’s guide to playing Fortnite with your kids

By Jean Levasseur

A brown-and-white dog laying on a blue-green carpet under a wooden table.

How we vanquished the strong pet odors in our new home

By Jose Mendoza, Mary Kearl

A person holding an iPhone displaying NordVPN for iOS.

Boost your phone’s security with a VPN

A person reading a newspaper while sitting on a bench outside.

How to read the news without doomscrolling through social media

By Harry Guinness

A man sitting in a dark room, his face illuminated only by the blue glow of a cathode-ray TV as he plays a retro Nintendo game.

Turn your old Wii into the ultimate retro gaming system

A person holding their phone up at a concert to record or live-stream the performance.

How to start a livestream from your phone

A partially closed Macbook laptop emitting multi-colored light in a dark room.

Make sure no one is spying on your computer

ambulance on street

Android’s Emergency SOS feature can be a literal lifesaver

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

hand holding phone

Here’s how to fix the latest Android Messages bug

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Subwoofer and soundbar sonos

Where to place a subwoofer with a soundbar to level up your TV setup

A large padlock sitting on a computer keyboard under some green and red lighting.

Protect your inbox from phishing and other email attacks

Person working on a laptop computer

How to optimize your computer’s RAM for the best possible experience

A person sitting in front of a silver Macbook laptop and holding a credit card.

3 tech-savvy ways to boost your credit score

By Karina Montoya

A person with their phone connected to their laptop, maybe to share a large file with someone.

How to share huge files online

You should start using a password manager

How to get started using a password manager

A bathtub full of bubbles with a homemade wooden bath tray on it, complete with a book, a phone, a candle holder, and a wine glass holder.

Soak in style with this customizable DIY bathtub tray

By Jean Levasseur

hands holding phone with dead battery advisory

4 tips to make your phone battery last longer