In an nutshell

  • YouTube is full of must-watch DIY YouTubers
  • DIY stands for “Do it yourself,” meaning doing things like building, crafting and creating at home
  • If you want to start your own DIY YouTube channel, you should first find out what’s working for other DIY YouTubers

There are some serious creative geniuses in the YouTube community. Many can be discovered in the DIY category of YouTube. These “Do it yourself” (DIY) experts show viewers how to save money by avoiding plumbers when you can fix a minor problem under the sink. Viewers tune in to learn anything from building birdhouses that birds really use to making massive upgrades to their own homes. Want to transform your backyard into an oasis? Learning to upcycle old junk into cool new things? DIY YouTubers have you covered.

More importantly, if you’re a content creator, you can learn how to make your own content better by watching their channels. They are creating great content that educates, inspires and entertains millions of viewers every day. So, even if your channel isn’t in the DIY category, you can look to such pros to pick up successful techniques, key points and best practices. Here are five DIY YouTubers to watch and learn from. 

House Improvements (799K subscribers) 

House Improvements
Image courtesy: House Improvements

Shannon is a business owner in construction and renovations. His channel’s purpose is to empower people to tackle their home improvement projects and get the job done correctly.

Here are a few things you’ll notice right away:

First, he has a brief introduction video that autoplays. It’s not super imaginative — just a guy in front of a blank wall telling you what’s important. However, this no-frills style is perfect for his intention and immediately qualifies him as an expert in his field. 

Second, he’s done a great job with his playlists. He’s broken them into project types. He has playlists specifically for roofing, tile floors, bathrooms and understanding tools. This is a perfect way to organize your videos so that DIY-ers can find what they need. It also generates more watch time because viewers are already looking for the topic, so they’re more likely to binge the whole playlist. 

Steve Ramsey (1.84M subscribers)

Steve Ramsey
Image courtesy: Steve Ramsey

This DIY channel is dedicated to beginners who want to develop woodworking skills. He focuses heavily on space-saving and money-saving tricks that help newbies get in without getting in over their heads. Steve has free downloadable guides, checklists and tools available. Offering things like this increases loyalty with your viewers and helps you stick in their minds as a resource – not just for entertainment. It keeps them coming back for more. Also, he has links to Patreon and Amazon on his homepage. Chances are high that the Amazon link ties into an affiliate or referral program. Always be monetizing.

Evan and Katelyn (1.26M subscribers)

Evan and Katelyn
Image courtesy: Evan and Katelyn

Evan and Katelyn are the epitomes of DIY YouTubers. They are not experts. Like, not at all. They’re a little experimental and clearly having fun, learning as they go. Projects in this channel have a wide range of topics, including welding, 3-D printing, building some weird things for their cat, totally unnecessary ⁠—but super-fun ⁠— upgrades to your keyboard and a lot of wacky art. This power duo has been uploading new videos twice a month for years. Videos on this channel are full of color, and the array of thumbnail images really captures the mood of their content. 

Karina Garcia (9.27M subscribers) 

Karina Garcia
Image courtesy: Karina Garcia

Karina creates makeup tutorials, crafty DIY tutorials and product reviews for her channel. She also shares a lot of her own life with the audience while still offering some great takeaways. For example, she has several videos revolving around her newborn child, but she offers helpful tips that she’s learning in her own journey that other new parents can implement, too.

She talks to the camera casually, like chatting with a friend, regardless of the topic. However, there’s no mistaking that she’s serious about her channel. The videos are crisp and fun, with movement and lighting. Graphics and effects are used to add some pizazz. She sets a solid example for a channel that feels casual, even though it’s a full production.

Lone Fox (1.39M subscribers)

Lone Fox
Image courtesy: Lone Fox

DIY YouTuber Drew is the creator of this channel which is chock-full of unique, stylish home decor, craft projects and hacks for easy upgrades. His content is polished, and he provides insights into interior decorating concepts regarding space, colors, textures and shapes. More importantly, if you love his creations but don’t want to actually DIY, he has a store page where you can purchase his wares.

Scrolling through his videos, you’ll notice a lot of consistency. Most videos don’t exceed 20 minutes of runtime. The fonts and titling are similar, which helps everything look tied together. The texts and captions are professional. Every inch is managed and marketed as a business. Plus, he’s created a channel within a channel. Videos added under the title of “What Would Drew Do?” dive into room or decor problems.

Bonus DIY YouTuber channel

We’re also going to add an honorable mention shout-out to 5-minute Crafts for mostly strange but fun projects. As time goes by, the weird hacks and creations on this DIY tutorial channel seem to get progressively more absurd ⁠— and adorable. With 76 million subscribers, it’s hard not to mention 5-minute Crafts went talking DIY YouTube channels. Sometimes, it really is just about being entertained, and there’s something to be learned from that.

Now, go and do it yourself

There you have it. All of these DIY YouTubers are finding massive success on the platform. Take notes on their success, and you will be well on your way to climbing the ranks in the algorithm.