INFORMATION

If youre all about the at-home design projects, then theres one item that definitely belongs in your toolbox: your smartphone. With apps that cover everything from inspiration to measurements to step-by-step instructions, youll develop a smoother, more efficient DIY routine. Whether you need a fresh new color palette or a cool project idea, these apps will help you make it happen. Hoping to step up your arts and crafts habit? Check out some must-have DIY apps to kickstart your creativity.

Description The Howcast App introduces you to thousands of how-to videos on dozens of topics. Learn something just for fun (Magic Tricks, Hip-Hop Dance, Graffiti, Pool Trick Shots) or because it�s practical (Cooking, Public Speaking, Pest Control, Woodworking). Challenge yourself to do something creative (Photography, Cake Decorating, Interior Design, Crocheting) or just get stupid (How to Play Drinking Games). Nurture your sexuality (How to Kiss, Pole Dancing, Dating Tips, Belly Dancing) or improve your appearance (Makeup Tutorials, Hair Tutorials, Nail Art, Natural Skin Care).

We can help you get fit fast, show you how to meditate, help you train your dog, and teach you how to defend yourself (Krav Maga, anyone?). Want to learn an instrument? Our music videos let you learn how to play guitar, bass guitar, or drums at your own pace, on your own time, in the comfort of your own home. Wish you knew a second language? Learn Japanese or Spanish in your spare time.

Getting married or know someone who is? Check out How to Plan a Wedding, Wedding Day Hairstyles, Wedding Etiquette and Advice, and Wedding Flowers. Starting a family? Take a look at the invaluable New Parents Survival Kit, How to Breastfeed, and Educational Songs for Kids. Sushi addict? Save a bundle on takeout with our Sushi Making for Beginners tutorials and Japanese Bento Box Recipes. Need to improve your jump shot? Learn how from the best: The Harlem Wizards.

Its a familiar tale. Youre in the paint aisle of the DIY store, trying to figure out how many tins of Hawaii Sand you need to cover the living room walls and youve forgotten your notes. Well, no more! Photo Measures allows you to take a picture of anything - a room (or at least part of it); the boat youve just sanded down; or that fence that needs weatherproofing - and annotate it with measurements. You can zoom in and out to make adding the required numbers easier, add notes, and create categories for photos. Once youre done, save the annotated photo to your Photo Library, or send it by email.

Then when you get to the shop and realise you cant remember the size of that window in the living room, just open the photo and there it is. It would be great if the app were able to calculate measurements from photos automatically, but given the hardware limitations, thats unrealistic. And you could just write the measurements in the Notes app, but to us, a visual reference is always preferable.

As a curated photo gallery, craftgawker (Free) is ideal for DIY inspiration. The editors review submissions to ensure quality and creativity, and new pictures are added every weekday. Love what you see? Tap the image to visit the submitters blog post for a tutorial, then save the project to your favorites so that you can return to it later.

 Perfectly timing a garden so that you always have something in bloom and something fresh for dinner can be a tough task. A well-planned garden should be staggered, so that your once-bountiful backyard isn�t empty by late summer.

Garden Plan Pro (iPad) takes the guess work out of garden design, telling you what to plant, when to rotate crops and offering up tons of useful growing tips. The app also lets you map out your garden so you can make the most of your arable land and figure out which plants to put in full sun, and which could use a little shade.

This app should make simple household wiring projects from light switches to sockets less intimidating thanks to its large, clear wiring diagrams. It�s worth noting that these conform to American standards and there are no detailed instructions, so you�ll need a reliable manual before you begin work. Of more international relevance is the section on pinouts that includes guides for a range of connections such as HDMI, component and Ethernet cables. The app also has four specially designed calculators for experienced electricians who need to do trade-specific calculations. If you are experienced, this graphical guide will help you avoid getting your wires crossed.

If youre ready to graduate from building Ikea furniture and branch out into real woodworking, Woodcraft is the app for you. Designed as a 3D modeling tool specifically for carpentry projects, you can use it to visualize your ideas and build plans and models, making precise measurements before you even cut your first piece of lumber. Woodcraft allows you to specify imperial or metric measurements and choose between finished and unfinished lumber. Generate a project booklet for each project, which can be emailed, printed, or shared, and even print a bill of materials to make sure you get enough lumber, nails, and other materials.

If you need new or replacement products, this app will prevent you from having to wander around the store looking for what you need. Instead, spend that time planning your project. A great feature of the app is being able to buy something and have it delivered to your home or local Home Depot.

If you need an app that will help you plan a DIY project, pick up this $2 app which will keep you on track with measurements, material lists and a tasks list so you know what you need to do next. From estimated project costs to projects you should consider to prepare your home for the upcoming season, this app has it all.

Plumbing. Just the thought of it strikes fear into even the more intrepid DIY enthusiast. It conjures up images of rubber-gloved hands reaching into a pipe blocked up with who-even-knows-what, in order to stop the toilet spilling water over the bathroom floor. Happily, thats where Plumbing, the app, comes in. It show you how to fix common plumbing problems, from a toilet that wont flush properly to fixing a burst pipe. There are also videos for tasks like installing a water heater or waste disposal unit.

In addition, theres a glossary, and a written guide to common techniques, only with US phraseology. All the videos in Plumbing are taken from YouTube, and so accessible for free. So, why pay for the app? Simple, because for 69p you can access videos that have been pre-selected and organised, thus saving you trawling through YouTube trying to find them. To us, thats 69p well spent.