Hi! I am Anika.
An electrical engineer turned entrepreneur who’s here to teach you the why behind the how—and help you demystify DIY.
Demystifying DIY, one power tool at a time…
You know you could build that sweet little nightstand yourself—if only you had the right tools & equipment, a space to build in, and the technical know-how not to mess it up.
You’re constantly scrolling DIY Instagram & TikTok, wondering how in the world it can look so easy AND so complicated at the same time. 😅
You’re not crazy! In fact, you’re right. 🙂
To get from this…
to this…
My first project!
… you need to understand the basics.
Good thing you’re here!
Hey! I’m Anika Gandhi, and I made everything you see on this website.
I grew up in India, where “DIY culture” is not really a thing (especially for girls).
Access to power tools and lumber was non-existent, but I still found ways to work with my hands—macramé, embroidery, handmade cards, whatever I could make, I was making it.
In 2012, after a Master’s Degree in Physics, I came to the US, got a Master’s Degree + PhD in Electrical Engineering, got married, and moved into my first home. No big deal! 😅
One day, my husband and I were trying to hang curtains, and I must have put 100 holes in the wall because I didn’t know anything about studs, drywall, or how a drill works.
(So, in case you ever felt embarrassed because you put 100 holes in your drywall—I’m now a professional DIY educator and practically destroyed my living room when I started. 😆)
A few months later, I was scouring the internet for cute furniture for my daughter’s room when I stumbled into the world of DIY blogs.
I realized I could do this and built my first-ever DIY project (below).
And then I was hooked for life.
I started my DIY blog in 2016, and at first, I was making stuff and posting about it, just like more experienced bloggers in my space.
But over the years, I found that as much as I love making my furniture, being the parent who fixes things around the house and saying, “I can make that!”—
I really love working with power tools and teaching aspiring and beginner woodworkers how to be less afraid and more confident and learn to use their power tools like a woodworking badass.
I’ve found that this foundational knowledge is either missing from most DIY platforms or presented in a way that only makes things feel MORE confusing and intimidating.
The truth is, you don’t need to own a bazillion expensive tools. You don’t need a professional-looking woodshop in your garage. (You don’t even need a garage!)
And you don’t need a degree in electrical engineering to operate your drill properly. 😉
What you do need is a simple, approachable method for understanding and mastering your power tools without intimidation or fear of injury (to yourself or your home, wink wink).
And a few easy-win projects to help you build your confidence.
That’s what I do! I’m so glad you’re here. 🙂
A little bit about me…
I’ve been featured in MSN, NBC LA, Family Handyman, Popular Woodworking, FDMC Magazine, Women’s World, Mollie Makes, Domino, The Spruce, The Kitchn, Apartment Therapy, Buzzfeed, and more. I also won the Amara Blog Award 2019 for the Best Creative Blog (International).
I currently live in Southern California with my husband, son, and daughter.
I like big, blingy earrings, old architecture, Marvel movies, and 90s Bollywood music. Even though I’m a classically trained dancer and an accomplished builder, I trip over my own feet way more often than you’d think.
The 3-legged stool of woodworking & DIY:
I. Mastering your power tools
This is my favorite thing to nerd out on, and I love breaking down all the little features and functions of drills, Kreg jigs, sanders, saws, and more. I promise you that you can become totally confident and unafraid and get to work with complete confidence in your power tool abilities. (Trust me, I’ve seen it happen too many times to be wrong!)
Once you truly understand how your tools work, what each one does, and when to use which tool, you could start experimenting.
You’ll probably make some pretty awesome stuff just with that knowledge alone.
II. The basics of building
There are a handful of foundational woodworking skills that, once you learn them, you’ll be able to build almost anything you can imagine.
Yes, you! 🫵🏽
I’ll let you in on a little DIY secret—even those fancy Instagram projects start with these foundations. Woodworking is all about stacking and combining these various skills and techniques.
So it’s really just a matter of learning the basic techniques individually – how to make accurate cuts, how to make a strong joint, how to get that factory finish… and more!
My tutorials will help you build confidence as you master the basics one-by-one—and you’ll get to build some cool stuff while you’re at it!
III. Understanding the “why” (aka problem-solving)
Here’s where 99% of DIYers get tripped up—you’re going along, following your YouTube tutorial, when suddenly, the project in front of you looks nothing like the one in the video…
… and you have no idea why. 😬
You need to understand the WHY behind the HOW to track down what went wrong and how to correct it. Anyone can put together a step-by-step instruction video, but you need to know why those steps are in that order.
When you know that, you’ll be able to figure out & solve your DIY hiccups—and that’s the real measure of how “good” you are at woodworking. 🙂
Write to me!
I absolutely love hearing from my readers! Send me pictures of your projects, questions, feedback, or a note just because! Email me at anika{at}anikasdiylife{dot}com
Or you could write to me the old-fashioned way (which I love, by the way!) –
P.O. Box 974
Cypress, CA 90630