DIY (Page 29)

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

Latest in DIY

How to build a solar microscope

How to build a solar microscope

By William Gurstelle

A silver Nokia cell phone (left), the back of the phone with its battery exposed (center), and the battery and two SIM cards (right).

Take the shackles off your cellphone

a person holding a handmade DIY cutting board with cheese, grapes, carrots, and strawberries on it

Craft an impressive cutting board in eight easy steps

By Courtney Starr

handmade exterior doors on a handmade shed

Build your own door and ascend to a higher level of DIY

By Courtney Starr

a work surface made of MDF that fits on top of saw horses

Build a semi-permanent work surface you can put away easily

By John Kennedy

a turkey dinner on a plate

How to cook and eat a turkey without dying

By Rachel Feltman

a man wearing sunglasses while holding cash money in his mouth

The apps and sites you’ll need to rent out everything you own

One notebook could replace all the productivity apps that have failed you

By Amy Schellenbaum

hand holding phone screen showing Apple Maps

14 tricks to get more out of the underrated Apple Maps app

Declawing cats is harmful. Do this instead.

An unattended laptop at a coffee shop.

How to protect your devices and data from theft

A person standing on a sidewalk outside while using their phone.

How to avoid common phone-related injuries

Hands working on edging a piece of leatherwork

Everything you need to know to start leatherworking

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

iPhone beside steering wheel in car

4 apps with special car modes for safer driving

A man sitting and holding an electric fan in front of his face.

4 ways to keep cool when the temperature spikes

By Claire Maldarelli

Two round birds in a birdbath.

Build a classy, easy birdbath with vintage finds

By Natalie Wallington

spilled oats with a golden spoon

How to make oat milk—with science

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

An iPhone plugged in and updating its software.

Stop putting off your device updates

A closed laptop with a book, a mouse, and a phone on top of it, all chained together.

How to choose safe passwords—and remember them, too

Hand holding iphone

5G is fast, but not perfect. Here’s why you might want to turn it off sometimes.

hands on a mac keyboard

38 advanced Mac keyboard shortcuts to supercharge your workflow

By Monroe Hammond

A phone with a Google account open on the screen.

How to secure your Google account

Children playing with microscope

9 cool ways your family can help scientists collect data

By Jean Levasseur

People in a public building at night, maybe using public Wi-Fi.

Public Wi-Fi can expose your data. Here’s how to stay safe.

Person sitting at a table on a Zoom call

Secure your Zoom calls with end-to-end encryption

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

a home office with a solid wood desk and many windows looking out onto a snow-covered forest

The best tips for working from home, from people who do it all the time

By John Kennedy

Hand holding Google Pixel phone

24 hidden Android settings you should know about

5 signs your laptop is in trouble

5 signs your laptop is in trouble

Person sleeping under weighted blanket

Make your own custom weighted blanket for the ultimate sleep

By Vanessa Nirode

A person standing outside bear a concrete wall, holding their phone with a coffee nearby.

How to save any file to your phone so you have it when you need it

A woman leaning over a laptop computer, annoyed, with her hand on her forehead.

Take control of your computer’s annoying pop-up notifications

An unlocked iPhone X on a faded blue-green surface.

24 iPhone settings that feel like secrets

Hand with tweezers collecting strawberry DNA

A goopy guide to extracting strawberry DNA in your kitchen

By RK Pendergrass

A laptop open with an image of Google Maps on the screen.

5 uses for Google Maps beyond navigation

By John Kennedy

A person using a laptop computer on a wooden table.

5 Google Chrome tips that will level up your browsing

9 advanced Gmail searches that will dig up stuff you never knew you missed

9 advanced Gmail searches that will dig up stuff you never knew you missed

A partially open MacBook in the dark, with multi-colored lights shining from the screen.

23 useful Mac settings hiding in plain sight

peron riding a bike in the city

How to carry just about anything on your bike

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Ants climbing on an electrical wire.

Fight ant infestations with these expert tips

By Mary Beth Griggs

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