Photos of clever DIY repairs done by amateur engineers

When things fall apart, most folks simply throw them away or grab a new one. But every now and then, a resourceful thinker gets inventive instead.

Let's honor these DIY geniuses by checking out some of their most impressive and clever repairs.

We All Need To See

side mirror fix for the car
Photo Credit: rawdenim / Imgur
Photo Credit: rawdenim / Imgur

Rather than spending a fortune on a full mirror replacement, this person found a smart workaround by mounting a handheld Walmart mirror.

Even with the bright pink handle sticking out, it's surprisingly practical and definitely easy on the wallet.

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Someone Drew Tubman On Them

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Tubman bill came out the atm
Photo Credit: wowbobwow / Reddit
Photo Credit: wowbobwow / Reddit
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A while back, there was buzz about featuring Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.

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Years have passed, and it still hasn't come to fruition. So when someone pulled out a few twenties from the ATM, this unexpected surprise showed up instead.

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Power For All!

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somebody-in-my-city-wired-a-power-strip-to-a-light-pole-v0-5ua1wczis1mg1
Photo Credit: birdsarentreal / Reddit
Photo Credit: birdsarentreal / Reddit
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Some amateur electrician took it on themselves to connect this street light to a power bar, which is available for anyone brave enough to try it out.

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On one hand, this looks like it might be incredibly hazardous in about a hundred different ways. On the other hand, sometimes you really need to charge up your phone.

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At Least It Latches

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trunk-latch-v0-ycs41maz7uig1
Photo Credit: Alternative-Skill-73 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Alternative-Skill-73 / Reddit
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It's easy to take the latching capabilities of a car's trunk for granted, but if anything goes wrong with it, you're stuck with a trunk that flies open and stays open every time you go over a bump in the road.

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One solution would be to take it to a professional to get things properly fixed. Another solution is the one seen above. It might not be pretty, it might not even be legal, but it sure is cheap.

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For That Cracked Screen

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Ryu broken phone fix with blast
Photo Credit: terry1847035 / Imgur
Photo Credit: terry1847035 / Imgur
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Cracked screens are all too common—but if you're not ready to shell out for a fix, some DIY ideas turn disaster into fun.

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Take this classic trick: pick your favorite fighting game character and line up the crack so it looks like part of their battle move. Suddenly, your screen’s damage becomes an epic showdown instead of a flaw!

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Tattoo Artist Brings A Nub To Life

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tattoo artists fixes stub
Photo Credit: Bizrat7 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Bizrat7 / Reddit
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Though this person tragically lost part of their finger, the story took an inspiring turn.

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A skilled tattoo artist crafted a remarkably realistic design, turning the loss into an incredible piece of art.

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For Relaxing When Pregnant

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pregnant woman hack for relaxing
Photo Credit: jolocke90 / Imgur
Photo Credit: jolocke90 / Imgur
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Pregnant women don't always get to enjoy the same comforts as others—but this clever setup lets them finally relax on their stomachs.

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It’s a simple idea, but it definitely looks like a game-changer. Judging by her expression, she’s loving every second of it.

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When You Don't Have A Real Scale

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no scales so use the Wii Fit
Photo Credit: BenoitBB / Reddit
Photo Credit: BenoitBB / Reddit
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If you don't have a standard scale handy, a Wii Fit board can work in a pinch.

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That’s exactly what these grandparents use—and honestly, it’s not a bad stand-in for the real thing.

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An Etherbucket?

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etherbucket for carrying
Photo Credit: yegor3219 / Reddit
Photo Credit: yegor3219 / Reddit
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What do you get when you combine an Ethernet cable with a busted bucket? An etherbucket, of course!

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It might not be the most elegant solution, but hey—it gets the job done.

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Patching Pants With Socks

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patched a sock into jeans
Photo Credit: two-tons-of-awesome / Reddit
Photo Credit: two-tons-of-awesome / Reddit
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Someone decided to mend their torn jeans using a pair of dinosaur socks—and honestly, it's a pretty creative fix.

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Not everyone has quirky socks or sewing skills on hand, but if you do, you're in luck.

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TENS Unit For An Alarm

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alarm hack for waking up
Photo Credit: second_to_fun / Reddit
Photo Credit: second_to_fun / Reddit
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Fed up with oversleeping and ignoring his alarms, this guy took matters into his own hands.

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He hooked up a TENS unit to his alarm clock, delivering small electric shocks to jolt himself awake.

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Keep The Gas Locked

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lock the gas tank with a real lock
Photo Credit: Pmoneygreen456 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Pmoneygreen456 / Reddit
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Nobody wants their gas stolen, and this driver clearly wasn't taking any chances—especially if their gas tank cover wasn’t working properly.

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Slapping an actual padlock on it might seem a little over-the-top, but hey, it definitely gets the job done.

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Need Paint?

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red paint for loss of color
Photo Credit: dreadedbedhead / Reddit
Photo Credit: dreadedbedhead / Reddit
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Why invest in a full paint job when a straightforward message does the job perfectly?

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This sign delivers its point clearly and effectively—no fuss needed.

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A Clever Window Fix

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window not found 404 on front door
Photo Credit: ckoppula199 / Reddit
Photo Credit: ckoppula199 / Reddit
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You don't need to be a computer whiz to get this "window not found" joke.

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It’s a clever play on the classic error message your computer throws up when something fails to load—and here, it’s taken very literally.

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When The Bros Need Their Protein

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broken blender fix from the bros
Photo Credit: radioactivejoel / Reddit
Photo Credit: radioactivejoel / Reddit
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This is what happens when the bros need their protein shake blended now—and the blender decides to quit on them.

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You can bet they'll find a way to make it work. When gains are on the line, there’s no such thing as giving up.

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Giving The Plant What It Needs

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plant for leak in a building
Photo Credit: crookedcusp / Reddit
Photo Credit: crookedcusp / Reddit
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Hey, plants need water, and holes need closing. This is a great temporary fix but could go on for however long they wish.

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Please don't knock it until you try it!

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Oh Yeah!

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kool-aid man fixes the hole
Photo Credit: X3FBrian / Reddit
Photo Credit: X3FBrian / Reddit
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Here's a quick and fun way to fix a small hole in the wall. Add the Kool-Aid man!

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His big red smile will deter anyone from wondering why you have a hole in your wall.

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A Quick Remote Fix

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remote control fix
Photo Credit: captainflux / Reddit
Photo Credit: captainflux / Reddit
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If you don't know where your specialty remote is for your device, here's one way to fix that.

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You'll need a remote-controlled car to do this, but it looks like it's worth it.

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It Needed A Head

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gorilla head fix
Photo Credit: Imgur
Photo Credit: Imgur
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Would you rather see a headless person feeding a lamb, or a person with a gorilla head?

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I know both sound a bit strange, but I'd rather see something with a head.

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In Need Of New Employees

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need employees at the McDonalds
Photo Credit: ledzeppelinlover / Reddit
Photo Credit: ledzeppelinlover / Reddit
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What better way to tell people you're hiring than by sticking an application in the food bag?

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After finishing their fries, a customer can become an employee. That's one way to get new faces.

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He Needed To Climb

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climbing poles with special shoes
Photo Credit: Axeeel / Imgur
Photo Credit: Axeeel / Imgur
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I don't know what this man needed to fix, but he found a way to make it happen.

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Those shoes look like they could be dangerous, but you never know how things work.

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Santa Is Out Of Town

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new santa on display
Photo Credit: brandontaylor1 / Reddit
Photo Credit: brandontaylor1 / Reddit
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If Santa isn't around, you can always replace him with the person at the top of the naughty list.

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They're probably the same height and can travel far distances in the same amount of time.