DIY (Page 19)

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

Latest in DIY

hand holding phone showing screen with sensitive content on twitter

Tweeting a spoiler? Put a content warning on it.

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

hand-holding-out-a-white-bra-over-blue-background

It’s time to figure out your real bra size

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

How to send and receive texts from the comfort of your computer

The inside of a parked car on the top floor of a parking garage, baking in the heat.

How to keep your car from getting butt-burningly hot this summer

By Whitson Gordon

A vegan pulled pork sandwich made with shredded banana peels covered in homemade barbecue sauce.

Don’t waste banana peels: Turn them into tasty vegan ‘pulled pork’

By Alisha McDarris

A DIY crosscut sled on a table saw in a woodworker's workshop.

Make table saw projects easier with a DIY crosscut sled

By Jean Levasseur

hand-watering-plants

Proper drainage is the key to keeping houseplants alive. These tricks can help.

By Ellen Airhart

How to only watch the best bits and other tricks to upgrade your YouTube experience

Person paying with phone

Forget your wallet: It’s time to start paying for everything with your phone.

a person using a phone

You should switch to a browser that has its own VPN

hand-holding-phone-with-google-maps-app

8 tips for navigating Google Maps like a pro

A baby in a stroller drinking formula from a bottle held by a woman.

3 solutions for when you can’t find your baby’s formula

By Alexandra Frost

mac computer open on desk

Run Windows on your Mac and get the best of both worlds

A person typing on a Windows keyboard while holding a clipboard.

Windows has a hidden clipboard manager—here’s how to find it

A lot of logs, rough-sawn wood, and assorted planks stacked up in a barn of some kind.

4 ways to save money on lumber

By Jean Levasseur

A row of houses on a street, with two in the middle blurred out.

How to hide your house on every map app

An Amazon delivery man putting an Amazon package on a porch in front of a door during the daytime.

19 Amazon tips to save you time and money

four orange candles are in a row with a black background

How to use candles and incense sustainably

A person working on a laptop on a wooden table while taking a video call on their phone.

Keep your video calls private, whether you’re working or not

A woman standing by the ocean, using her phone to take a photo of the sunset over the water.

How to share photos without blasting them all over the internet

hands on keyboard of laptop with google on the screen

The latest Google Chrome feature can make online research easier

Two adults and a child in a rowboat on a calm lake at sunset. The man at the bow is paddling, the man at the back is holding a fishing rod, and the child is sitting between them.

A casual angler’s guide to taking kids fishing for the first time

By Jean Levasseur

A woman in hiking attire and a large backpack standing on a cliff in a mountain range.

Smart tips for travelers looking for a sustainable getaway

By Alisha McDarris

Image of an app that digitizes photos.

How to turn your phone into a small-photo scanner

By Dan Bracaglia / Popular Photography

neon sign depicting an instagram like notification bubble with a zero

5 tips for cutting down on social media

close up to rbg colored keyboard

3 things to know before remapping your keyboard

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

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