25 bank holiday projects

Host the ultimate party

Bunting, orange squash and coronation chicken? Pah. Make your Jubilee party a day (and night) to remember with some royally good party gadgets. And make sure you have the best tunes on your block with our list of the best street party albums.

Create an app

If our pick of iPhone and Android apps doesn't quite meet your gaming needs, make your own with Sketch Nation Studio. It's iPhone only for now but you can draw your own characters and platforms to create basic games that could make you millions. But probably won't. Download it now from the App Store.

Set up a media centre

Buy a second gen Apple TV on the first day of your four-day weekend and half an hour later you'll have turned your living room into the ultimate media set-up. Check out our guide to setting up an XBMC media centre to find out how.

Call far-flung friends

It’s a small world after all, and all your friends and relatives have gone adrift in their pursuit of better climates (environmental and financial). What better way to remind them of your friendship that a phone call at an unsuitable hour? Use Viber (or another VoIP app) and you won’t even have to pay.

Publish your own book

Gone are the days of trawling your dog-eared manuscript around nicotine-stained publishing offices trying to get your novel read by people you aren’t related to. Publish and be damned with the Stuff guide to getting your tome on the bookshelf (real or virtual).