Yes, There’s a YouTube Tutorial for That: From Braiding Your Hair to Working From Home

Want to learn how to do something? The time is now. 

With the coronavirus pandemic keeping most people around the world in their homes for the foreseeable future, many are figuring out what to do with all this extra time inside. Fortunately for those who have exhausted their To-Do Lists and might scream if they sit through another episode on Netflix, a whole new world of entertainment awaits on YouTube. 

Thanks to the video platform’s seemingly endless library of (mostly) free video content and the gurus, influencers, hosts and personalities that help populate it, practically anything you’ve ever wanted to see is just a click away. Between music videos, bizarre challenges and vlogs, YouTube can offer anyone bored and restless on their couch a virtual escape in any subject. You can watch celebrities talk you through what they’ve eaten in a day, a YouTube personality’s birthing story, Tonight Show clips from seven years ago or a tour of a house that costs 1,000 times your rent. 

But, perhaps the best part about YouTube is everything you can learn from the experts who have divulged their tips, tricks and hacks on the platform. From Princess Diana‘s makeup style by the artist behind it to how to cook up onion rings, any skill is just a YouTube search away. 

But, before you peruse YouTube on your own, here are a few gems to get started: 

1. For when you’re craving onion rings: 

With restaurants closed and people confined to their own kitchens, you’re probably craving some foods you’ve never made on your own before. Behold: Epicurious’ “4 Levels” series. Not only does this series tackle how to make many of your culinary favorites, from scrambled eggs to doughnuts, but it also always features three cooks of different skill levels and a food scientist to explain why things worked the way they did. Entertainment and knowledge? *Chef’s kiss!*

2. For when you miss getting a blowout at a salon:

With salons closed for the foreseeable future, you might be missing that fresh bounce your hair only gets after a trip to your hairstylist. With all this extra time, why not practice on your own head with helpful directions from hairstylist and beloved YouTuber, Brad Mondo. 

3. For when you want to do your makeup like Princess Diana: 

The beauty of YouTube is the access you get to people you might not ever meet, like Mary Greenwell, a makeup artist to the late Princess of Wales for years. In this tutorial, she not only shares her methods, but also divulges stories about the People’s Princess. 

4. For when you decided it’s time to figure out how to do a fishtail braid: 

With more free time right now than you’re probably used to having, why not add some skills to your repertoire…like doing a fishtail braid. Channeling Blake Livelyin less than three minutes? Sign us up!

5. For when you want to channel Barbie: 

With social distancing comes, well, boredom. One way to have some fun at home is to pretend it’s Halloween, tap into your creative side and transform into someone else. This Barbie transformation, courtesy of OG YouTuber Kandee Johnson, is particularly epic—and has more than 34 million views to prove it. 

6. For when you really need to get a handle on working from home:

While essential workers are bravely heading out into the world to do their jobs, the rest of us are adapting to working from home, some for the first time. Of course, doing your job outside of your usual office environment can be challenging, especially with all the extra distractions surrounding us right now, from kids and pets to daily press conferences on the state of the country. But, there are things you can do to ease this temporary transition, as explained by longtime work-from-home YouTuber Ingrid Nilsen in this tutorial below.