DIY (Page 29)

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

Latest in DIY

An alligator resting on a grassy bank near a body of water.

How to avoid an alligator encounter—and what to do if you can’t

By Alisha McDarris

Salmonella could be lurking at your bird feeders and baths. Here’s how to clean them.

Salmonella could be lurking at your bird feeders and baths. Here’s how to clean them.

By Natalie Wallington

MacOS Big Sur has an annoying Do Not Disturb bug. Here’s how to fix it.

MacOS Big Sur has an annoying Do Not Disturb bug. Here’s how to fix it.

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Two bamboo toothbrushes, one with tan bristles and one with blue bristles, on a white towel.

How to safely turn your old toothbrush into a household cleaning tool

By John Kennedy

How to fix common smartphone problems

A person working on a laptop.

Save space on your laptop and in the cloud by compressing files

A Muslim woman daydreaming while sitting in front of a laptop outdoors.

Daydreaming can have loads of benefits—if you do it right

By Nadia Bajuelo

Set up voice dictation on your computer and give your fingers a break

A child holding a map outdoors.

5 activities to show kids that maps can be fun

By Noah Lederman

A person using a phone on a crowded subway train.

Google’s Live Caption can instantly add subtitles to any app on your phone or computer

A woman wearing a white knit cap, a white sweater, and a jacket, talking into a phone at night by a street.

7 of the best voice recorder apps for your phone

Get smarter with these gamified learning apps

Get smarter with these gamified learning apps

By RK Pendergrass

8 creative ways to add flair to your Instagram stories

8 creative ways to add flair to your Instagram stories

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Two people walking on a trail in the wilderness, heading toward a body of water and some mountains

Tips for picking the best hiking trail

By Nadia Bajuelo

How to declutter your kids’ artwork while keeping what matters

How to declutter your kids’ artwork while keeping what matters

By Jean Levasseur

A woman looking at her phone screen at night while the screen illuminates her face

Your phone’s dimmest setting is still too bright. Here’s how to darken the screen even more.

By Whitson Gordon

A person holding a phone and looking at a song they'd like to use for their iPhone's ringtone.

How to make a custom ringtone on Android and iOS

A person leaning over a desk working on two phones and a laptop, as one might do when it’s time to switch phones.

How to switch phones without losing your information

couple waking up to alarm

Choose an alarm app that will actually wake you up

Discord screenshot of the Science and Technology channel

Why you should use Discord (even if you’re not a gamer)

By Stan Horaczek

cleaning stain on carpet

How to remove stains of any kind

Turn yourself into an illustrated avatar for free

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

How to send self-destructing messages

The best screenshot and screen recording apps for your phone

The best screenshot and screen recording apps for your phone

How to use Wolfram Alpha to supercharge your web searches

How to use Wolfram Alpha to supercharge your web searches

How to Create an Office Wellness Room Your Colleagues Will Love

How to Create an Office Wellness Room Your Colleagues Will Love

By Maricar Santos/Working Mother

A beginner’s guide to choosing the right motorcycle gear

A beginner’s guide to choosing the right motorcycle gear

By Seth Richards/Motorcyclist

Essential survival items for your go-bag

Essential survival items for your go-bag

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

Three ways to use rain water in a survival situation

Three ways to use rain water in a survival situation

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

Make instant ice and beer slushies

Make instant ice and beer slushies

By Marissa Shieh

How To Build A Soft Robot Hand

How To Build A Soft Robot Hand

By Andrew Terranova

Science by design(ers)

Science by design(ers)

By Dave Prochnow

An Insider Account Of The Hack That Saved Apollo 13

An Insider Account Of The Hack That Saved Apollo 13

By PopSci Editors

A woman in a red bathing suit sitting on the floor by a sliding glass door, staring at the ocean outside.

How to fix a sliding door without taking it down

By John Kennedy

A woman sitting behind a laptop, looking somewhat amused.

This free tool can reveal who is behind any internet domain

By John Kennedy

a sign made of tape that points to free stuff

Where to find the best free stuff online

A screen attached to a Roku, displaying various streaming apps.

7 tips and tricks to master your Roku

A person holding an iPhone while sitting in front of a laptop, possibly setting up a burner phone number.

You should get a burner phone number (even if you are not a spy)

Hand inserting SD card into DSLR camera

How to recover deleted photos from a memory card

By Whitson Gordon

survival garden

Start planning now for a healthy crop of homegrown food

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

How to open broken computer files

Music apps for your smartphone.

These music-recording apps are your first step to winning a Grammy

By Mallory Johns

Kid with glasses using computer in a living room

Your guide to kid-proofing a computer

A person lying on a white mattress in dim light, with one arm across their forehead, one arm on their stomach, and a phone next to them.

The best way to prevent arm pain from using your phone too much

Hand in rubber gloves with a cleaning product sprayer

Master odor removal with a little help from science

A person in a red plaid shirt sitting in front of a laptop computer, gesturing with their hands.

5 sleuthing skills that’ll reveal the age of any web page

By John Kennedy

How to manage subscriptions for smartphone apps and save money quickly

How to manage subscriptions for smartphone apps and save money quickly

A woman in a pink jacket outside near some trees, listening to music on a pair of Thalia headphones.

Instantly improve Spotify by organizing your playlists

By Harry Guinness

French Kiss Cocktail

How to melt, mix, and balance chocolate in cocktails

By Dan Q. Dao/Saveur

Kids and tablet

How to set parental controls on any phone or tablet

Smartphone using the app Google PhotoScan to scan a printed photo

Scan and print anything from your phone

A fisherman with a white beard tying a knot in some fishing line.

The strongest fishing knots you can tie

By John Merwin/Field & Stream

A woman in a blue dress looking away and down to the side, as eight hands reach out to her from the edge of the frame.

How to break free of the bystander effect and help someone in trouble

By Tyler Santora

What to do when Google doesn’t have the answers you need

What to do when Google doesn’t have the answers you need

A plastic piece depicting a menacing plastic dragon on a board game

Organize and accessorize your board games with 3D printing

By RK Pendergrass

Hand holding a phone with a map in front of an empty road.

No cell service? These are the best offline apps.

7 Smart TV apps every viewer should check out

Two people facing away from the camera while pointing at their iPhones.

How to create a Wi-Fi hotspot on your phone or computer

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Hand holding Amazon Fire TV remote towards TV screen

7 tips and tricks to make the most of your Amazon Fire TV

A lean to shelter built on a rock side.

Three ways to build a winter survival shelter

By Jim Baird/Field & Stream

Person holding a clock

Tech tips for working with people in different time zones

A Black man in glasses and a t-shirt sitting on a marble wall, looking at a phone.

The best apps for dealing with anxiety

By RK Pendergrass

Orange flames on wood

Everything you need to know to start a fire

By Popular Science Team

A MacBook displays a loading Gmail icon.

How to delete your old email address without losing everything