Raspberry Pi: 10 cool DIY projects for the home

The Raspberry Pi single-board computer and all its variants have always fired the imagination of do-it-yourselfers and aspiring hobbyists alike – even if it wasn’t immune to the chip crisis (sometimes hard to come by). With the

new 8GB model

the interest in the mini-computer increases again, after all we have it here with us

as much memory as a Mac Mini

to do. And that’s not all: at the

Raspberry Pi 4

Expect a huge CPU upgrade, USB-C charging, and enough graphics power to run two 4k monitors simultaneously.

There are almost endless practical uses for the little calculator, from media streaming to signal boosting of your Wi-Fi network. Be inspired by the following project ideas.

1. HTPC media streaming

The original Raspberry Pi ($35 at the time) may have been revolutionary for manufacturers, but it also found favor with PC enthusiasts because it could be used as a dirt-cheap home theater calculator. That appeal has now waned somewhat, also and primarily due to dedicated devices like the Chromecast (in price comparison) , all of which are available at similarly low prices. Nonetheless, using a Raspberry Pi as a media streaming box still offers more power than most streaming sticks, especially if you have an extensive media collection.

There are quite a few HTPC operating systems available for the Raspberry Pi: OSMC is based on the popular Kodi media center software (formerly XBMC), while RasPlex turns your Pi into the ultimate Plex streaming box. With the Raspberry Pi TV Hat, your mini PC even gets an OTA update.

2. Upgrade to Smart TV

If you’re looking to add a web browser or other basic computing functionality to your TV, a Raspberry Pi will cost you far less than a Chromebit or Compute Stick running Windows. However, you should use a Raspberry Pi 2, 3 or 4 – the original Pi and Raspberry Pi Zero are simply too small and unwieldy for this. With the right housing, the Pi also looks really chic in the home cinema.

Bonus Feature:

If you connect the mini calculator to your TV, you can also use it to stream web videos.

3. Inexpensive network storage

Use your Raspberry Pi as a cheap NAS for file storage. Follow this link for a detailed guide on how to turn the computer into a file server. Tip: If possible, use an Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi.

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A NAS server for home can also be implemented with a Raspberry Pi.

© slavomir.gawryluk / Shutterstock.com

4. Setup as a network printer

With the Raspberry Pi you can turn any USB printer into a practical wireless printer and use it via other devices in your home network. As a prerequisite, you’ll need a power source for each device, as well as a USB connection between devices, but the setup itself is pretty easy. In this guide we will show you how to set up your Raspberry Pi as a print server and how to connect your local printer to the network.

5. Extension of Wi-Fi network

The WiFi signal from a router can vary depending on the transmission power and the nature of the room. If the signal in your house fluctuates greatly or there are dead zones, you can use a few tricks to turn your Raspberry Pi into a WiFi repeater and thereby increase the range of your WiFi network. Configuring the Wi-Fi Booster device takes a bit of time, but again, it’s relatively easy to do with a guide.

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Bad Wi-Fi reception? Then use your Raspberry Pi as a WiFi repeater.

© Kamil Urban / Shutterstock.com

6. Old school game emulator

While game emulators are a legal gray area, Raspberry Pi hobbyists take it pretty lightly. The mini calculator can play games from a variety of older consoles (back to the PlayStation 1 era) provided you have some legal ROMs of the games. The older the system to be emulated, the better the performance.

Curious? In this guide you will find all the information you need to turn your Raspberry Pi into a retro gaming console.

7. Music Streaming

The media capabilities of the Raspberry Pi are not limited to video streaming. With the numerous distributions that have come out now, you can connect the device to a speaker and turn it into a hi-fi music player—a more powerful, flexible version of Chromecast Audio, so to speak.

The different distributions (e.g. Volumio or MusicBox) also offer different functions. So be sure to check the FAQs and features of each system to find out which one best suits your needs. A German guide to setting up your Pi 4 as a jukebox can be found here.

8. Learn to program

Of course, you can also use the Raspberry Pi as it was originally intended: as an inexpensive introduction to programming and computer science. The mini PC is equipped with all kinds of software that encourages tinkering. The Raspberry Pi Foundation recommends that newcomers install the Raspbian operating system. In addition to the essential command-line terminal, you’ll find several versions of Wolfram Mathematica, Python programming tools, and Scratch, an animation programming environment for kids.

Reading tip:

Online courses: Learning to code made easy

9. Play Minecraft

There is actually a Raspberry Pi version of Minecraft that anyone can download for free. Even better, it is designed so that the player can learn to use the Python programming language as the world is built. A useful tutorial on how to start the game can be found at this link.

10. Inexpensive PC for everyday use

With 2GB, 4GB and now 8GB, the Raspberry Pi 4 is more powerful than ever, making it suitable for basic everyday tasks like surfing the web, playing streamed videos and editing documents. Setup itself is also quick (about an hour), with most of that time spent installing the operating system. So if you’re looking for a cheap entry-level or secondary computer, the Raspberry Pi 4 is hard to beat.

These articles will tell you even more news and tips about the Raspberry Pi: