2011 proved to be a great year for all things DIY, from repurposed and updated technology to computer building to cool things you can make for your own enjoyment. Here's a look at our most popular do-it-yourself projects and posts this year.



With the rapid progression of technology each year, it's easy to accumulate a pile of obsolete gadgets that you just can't bear to get rid of. So don't! Here are our top 10 ways you can take the retired gadgets you've already got and turn them into something that has a solid place in the future. More »

Top 10 Space-Saving Household Projects Whether you live in a tiny apartment or just have too much stuff, there's likely a lot of space you Read more


Whether you live in a tiny apartment or just have too much stuff, there's likely a lot of space you aren't using, like your walls, your ceilings, or the nooks and crannies in your furniture. More »



We've shown you how to build a Hackintosh with enough power to rival a Mac Pro, but for those of you who want a still powerful Mac on a budget you can build a Hack Mini. Here's how. More »



For less than $10 you can make a one-of-a-kind lamp that commemorates your personal history or other past events. Creative lighting aside, this quick project also finally finds a use for those old 35mm negatives you have lying around. More »


Top 10 Headphone Hacks Ever since the days of the Walkman, our headphones have been a staple of our backpacks. Here our… Read more


Ever since the days of the Walkman, our headphones have been a staple of our backpacks. Here our our top 10 hacks for increasing their sound quality, making them more comfortable, and carrying them around hassle-free. More »



If you have a neighbor that's playing their music too loudly, you can get them back by hijacking their speakers with a little DIY project. More »



Things break down, whether due to accidents, negligence, or just plain wear and tear. Instead of shelling out for an expensive repair or replacement, though, you can often fix the problem yourself for much less. More »



If you need a small pick me up in the middle of the day but don't have an actual shower available, this frozen "shower to go" can get off some of the day's grime. More »



Building a hackintosh-that is, installing Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware-used to require extremely restricted hardware choices and quite a bit of know-how. More »



If you want high-quality music but don't feel like shelling out hundreds of dollars for a decent pair of headphones, blogger Stacy D shows us how to turn a cheap pair of knock-offs into a legit set of audiophile headphones. More »



Reader Ryan Mottau built this awesome DIY smartphone car mount using our favorite DIY wonder-tool, the binder clip. Here's how he did it. More »



While there are plenty of great products on the market, buying what's available to you means playing by the rules of the manufacturers. Sometimes the only way to get the product or service you're after is to create it yourself. More »



A few months back we took you to night school and walked you through building your own computer from scratch. What we didn't do at the time is give you a suggest parts list for that new computer. In this post-which we'll update regularly as prices and components change-we'll walk you through the parts and hardware we'll need for the best of two different system builds: a mid-range PC for those on a budget, and an enthusiast's system for gamers and media professionals. More »



At its most basic, Network attached storage, or NAS, is a great way to share files on your local network. But it's also a perfect solution for backing up your computers, streaming media across your home network, or even torrenting files to a central server. If you have an aging computer lying around, you can turn it into a NAS for for free with the open-source FreeNAS operating system. Here's how. More »



If you're still cruising around in a car with an old stereo, that doesn't mean you're stuck with old technology. Blogger and DIYer Kevin Roof dreamt of the ability to wirelessly stream his music library to his deck, so he hacked in stereo Bluetooth support. More »


There you have it. It's been a great year for DIY projects, and it looks like you like your top tens and hackintoshes this time around. Whether your favorite of the year made the list or not, we'd love to hear about the DIY project you loved most in the comments. Here's to a great 2011, makers! And if you're still hungry for DIY, take a gander at the most popular how-to guides of 2010, 2009, and 2008.