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Seattle-area DIY guy's videos more popular than ever now that we're all staying home

Bring Your Own Tools makes remodeling fun

SHORELINE, Wash. — Do-it-yourself -- with some built-in fun -- is Brent Gentling's calling:

This Central Washington University Construction Management grad used online how-to videos to fix his first home in Shoreline in 2010.

“It was just an ugly duckling, it needed everything, it was just the ugliest duckling on the block and when I first bought it I just gutted it,” said Gentling.

Then in true DIY spirit, he started making his own YouTube videos when he couldn't find the projects he wanted online.

He built a solid following for his YouTube show Bring Your own Tools, which features a fun approach to home makeover, complete with lots of details, and outtakes like drone crashes and family dog antics. Then the pandemic hit.

“So I went from all of a sudden averaging 250 thousand views a month on YouTube to at the surge, over a million views a month. Which was unbelievable," said Gentling.

Now this Northwest DIY guy is doing an even bigger buildout -

“I just teamed up with Smart Healthy Green Living which is an amazing platform that's built around that creator, DIY mindset with some amazing dedicated creators,” he explained. The free streaming service features popular on-line home and garden experts giving advice on everything from tiny house living to planting veggie gardens.

Gentling’s BYOT videos will have you installing new floors -

Adding a lounging hammock to your deck -

And building faux brick walls like the one behind him for our interview.

"This wall is actually an accent wall I created from a stencil!” he laughed.

And they almost all end the same way, with Gentling showing off what he calls a “beautiful, sexy beast” of a completed project.

And the creator of BYOT says if you want to make your own 'sexy beasts', the most important tool to bring – is your curiosity.

"You don't even have to be brave, just try to learn a skill. Try to improve yourself every day just a little bit because those little bits add up over time. And lo and behold, years down the road you're all of a sudden a master DIYer.”

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