… and a Bit of Ingenuity
In the 1970s, if something broke, you didn’t replace it; you fixed it. Or at least gave it a valiant, slightly dangerous try. Whether it was your cassette tape unraveling mid-Madonna or the TV refusing to tune in after someone walked by too hard, ’70s kids learned early that grown-ups weren’t always around and manuals were for amateurs. Armed with some ingenuity and whatever tools were lying around (duct tape, a bent paperclip, your teeth), you got the job done. These weren’t just fixes, they were rites of passage, and every one came with a smell, a sound, or a shock. Here are 15 things every ’70s kid knew how to fix and probably still could, if you handed them a coat hanger and got out of the way.
1. A Cassette Tape That Got Chewed Up
When your favorite tape got eaten by the stereo, you didn’t cry. You grabbed a pencil. Every ’70s kid knew how to fix a cassette that had barfed out its brown ribbon like spaghetti. You’d gently pull the cassette out of the player, careful not to rip the tape, and wedge a yellow No. 2 pencil into one of the spools. Then came the slow, satisfying twist. Click click click, watching the ribbon feed back in like rewinding time. If it were a real mess, you’d flatten the wrinkles with your fingers or snip out the crinkled part and splice it with Scotch tape, hoping you didn’t lose the song’s best part.
The stakes were always high. This wasn’t just music. It was your summer mix, roller-skating jam, or the tape your friend recorded off the radio with the DJ still talking over the intro. Every spin of that pencil felt like a rescue mission. No one told you how to do it. You just figured it out with your hands and your instincts. And when the tape finally played clean again, it felt like magic. Real, analog, kid-made magic. Tapeheads.net
2. TV Picture That Went Fuzzy (or Black Entirely)
When televisions were boxy, buzzing, and more static than sense, every ’70s kid learned how to fix a rolling screen. You’d be sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching “The Brady Bunch,” when the picture suddenly started sliding upward in an endless loop. No one got up faster than a kid who knew where the vertical hold knob was. It was usually unlabeled, dusty, and mysterious on the front or side of the TV. You’d give it a slow twist and hold your breath, hoping the image would stop climbing and finally lock in place.
If that didn’t work, the next step was to smack the TV’s side. Not too hard or soft, just the right amount of persuasion. Some kids added a ball of foil to the rabbit ears; others moved the entire set an inch to the left, swearing it made a difference. Fixing the picture was a learned skill, like cracking a safe or tuning a guitar by ear. You didn’t always know why it worked. You just knew it did. Source: BBC YouTube
3. A Record That Skipped in the Same Spot Every Time
When your favorite LP got stuck in a skip, looping the same lyric over and over, you didn’t throw it out. You’ve got to work. First, you gently lifted the needle, blew on it like you were defusing a bomb, and tried again. If the skip came back, you studied the vinyl like a map, looking for the tiniest scratch or speck of dust. Sometimes you’d brush it with the soft velvet pad from the record cleaner kit, but it was often just your T-shirt or a clean finger. The goal was to smooth the groove so the needle could pass without tripping.
For tougher skips, the old penny trick came out. A single coin, placed right on top of the tonearm, added just enough weight to push through the problem spot without skating out of control. Some kids used washers or buttons. It wasn’t perfect. Sometimes it made the record sound a little warped or fuzzy. But it felt like winning when it worked, and the song played straight through. Because in that moment, you hadn’t just fixed the music. You’d earned it. Source: WikiHow
4. A Bike Chain That Popped Off Mid-Ride
It always happened at the worst time. You’d be halfway up a hill or tearing around a corner when suddenly your pedals spun freely and your momentum died. The chain had popped off. But if you were a ’70s kid, you didn’t panic, flipped your bike upside down, propped it on the handlebars and seat, and got to work. You grabbed the greasy, dangling chain and looped it back over the sprockets, turning the pedals slowly by hand until the teeth caught and everything clicked back into place.
Your hands were instantly covered in black grime, part of the ritual. If your bike had gears, you knew which one liked to jump and how to finesse the shifter just right to avoid another slip. There was no calling for help or waiting for a grown-up. You fixed it on the sidewalk, wiped your hands on your jeans, and kept riding. The grease stains on your fingers stayed through dinner, and the pride lasted even longer. Source: Popular Mechanics
5. A Zipper That Lost Its Pull Tab
If the pull tab on your jacket zipper snapped off, you didn’t toss the coat or ask someone to sew on a new one. You made it work. Every ’70s kid knew the zipper still functioned; you just needed something to grab. The quick fix was always the same: rummage through the junk drawer or dig into your pencil case for a paperclip. You’d bend it open just enough to loop it through the tiny hole in the zipper slider, then pinch it closed so it wouldn’t slip out mid-zip.
Sometimes, you got creative. A safety pin worked in a pinch, and soda can pull tabs were a surprisingly sturdy option. There were always a few kids with key rings or twist ties dangling from their jackets, and we all acted like it was completely normal. It didn’t matter what it looked like, only that it zipped. You fixed it fast, you fixed it yourself, and you walked into school like nothing ever broke. Source: You Look Fab
6. A Roller Skate That Wouldn’t Stay Tight
Back when skates clamped to your sneakers and required a key to tighten, every ’70s kid knew the chaos of a skate that came loose mid-roll. One second you were gliding down the sidewalk, the next you were wobbling with one skate flopping around like it had a mind of its own. But you didn’t sit down or go home. You pulled the skate key from the string around your neck because it was always there, and tightened those toe clamps until they squeaked. If the key was missing, you found a wrench, a coin, or even used your fingers, red and aching, to crank them down just enough to keep going.
The straps were another story. The thin leather or canvas would stretch or snap, so we tied them in knots, wrapped them in masking tape, or swapped them out with shoelaces. And when you finally got both skates snug again, you stood up, gave your feet a test roll, and took off like nothing happened. You didn’t need a rink, new gear, or anyone’s help. You needed that key, determination, and maybe one good lap before it slipped again. Source: National Museum of Roller Skating
7. Shoelaces That Kept Coming Undone
You didn’t blame the shoes if your laces refused to stay tied, especially on your Chuck Taylors or suede Pumas. You blamed the knot, and then you fixed it. Every ’70s kid had their upgrade to the basic bunny-ears loop. Some double-knotted. Some tucked the loops under the crisscrossed laces. And some invented elaborate tugs and twists that looked like a magic trick but held strong through kickball, recess, and the walk home.
Sometimes the laces were the problem, stiff from rain, frayed from wear, or slick with playground dust. You might wet them and tie them tight so they’d dry in place, or tie them extra hard with a grunt for good luck. And if they broke? No big deal. You borrowed a lace from another pair or pulled a string from a hoodie. Tying your shoes wasn’t just a skill. It was a point of pride. Your shoes stayed on, and that meant you were ready for anything. Source: The New York Times
8. A Pencil with a Broken Tip (and No Sharpener in Sight)
When your pencil broke in the middle of a spelling test or while writing your name in bubble letters, you didn’t ask for help. You fixed it. If the tip snapped clean off, you’d start rubbing it against the edge of your desk, a notebook spiral, or even the concrete floor to grind it back into shape. If it splintered badly, you picked at the wood with your fingernails, carving out a fresh point with all the patience of a whittler on a mission.
Sometimes you used scissors. Sometimes your teeth. Whatever it took to get a point sharp enough to write again. It didn’t matter if it was jagged or smudgy or left graphite crumbs behind; it worked. When the teacher walked by and saw you writing again, it was like nothing had happened; you felt like a genius. Because back then, you didn’t raise your hand. You made it work with whatever you had. Source: Wiki How
9. A Loose Battery in a Flashlight or Toy
When your flashlight started flickering or your handheld game cut out mid-score, you didn’t assume it was broken. You popped the back open and checked the batteries. Nine times out of ten, one had slipped just slightly out of place. A little jiggle, a twist to line up the contacts, or a firm smack to the palm usually brought the power back. Every ’70s kid knew how to press a spring-loaded battery back into position without pinching a finger or shorting the whole thing.
If that didn’t work, the next move was to roll the batteries between your hands like they needed waking up. Some kids licked their thumbs and touched the ends, convinced it helped conductivity. Others dug in the kitchen drawer for aluminum foil to fold between the battery and the contact point. It was all trial and error, but you felt like an engineer when the flashlight lit up again or the toy made its telltale beep. Or at least, the boss of the batteries. Source: Flashlight Reviews
10. A Kitchen Drawer That Got Jammed (Again)
Every house had one. That one kitchen drawer that stuck halfway open and made a horrible screeching sound when you forced it. You knew the feel of it, the way you had to pull slightly to the left, lift up a little, and pray nothing was blocking it from the inside. Usually it was a rogue measuring spoon, a bent takeout menu, or the lip of a Ziploc box wedged just wrong. But you didn’t call anyone. You tugged, rattled, and negotiated it open like a safecracker with a grudge.
Sometimes, you grabbed a butter knife to pry up whatever was jamming the track. Sometimes you opened the drawer above it and reached down like a burglar breaking in from the roof. And when it finally came free, sending a rogue battery and a pack of birthday candles flying? That was a triumph. Not because it was fixed forever. Just because you won, for now. Source: Just Answer
11. A Wobbly Table or Chair
Every kid who grew up in the ’70s knew the telltale thunk-thunk of a chair with one leg shorter than the others or a table that rocked every time you leaned on it. You didn’t wait for someone to fix it; you grabbed a napkin. Or a folded-up matchbook. Or the corner of a comic book someone had left lying around. You wedged it under the short leg, tapped it with your foot until the wobble stopped, and kept eating, drawing, or playing your game like it never happened.
Sometimes the fix was temporary and needed to be redone whenever someone bumped the furniture. Other times, you upgraded to cardboard or layered masking tape until it was level. We’d do it with textbooks under the desk leg in school, adjusting them like shims. It didn’t have to be perfect. It just had to stop the shaking. Because nothing was more annoying than a table that moved when you were trying to beat someone in Uno. Source: Family Handyman
12. A Tangled Telephone Cord
Back when phones were attached to the wall and you were attached to the phone by a long, curly cord, those spirals loved to twist into knots. You’d pace the kitchen during a call, winding the cord tighter with every turn until eventually it looked like a rubber slinky that had lost its will to live. But if you were a ’70s kid, you didn’t complain. You grabbed the cord near the base, lifted the receiver, and let it dangle. Then you held your arm out and watched it slowly spin back into shape, unwinding like magic.
Sometimes the cord was too tangled for gravity alone. That’s when you unclipped it from the handset and twisted it manually, smoothing each curl between your fingers as you turned. It was weirdly satisfying to fix, like brushing doll hair or straightening a shoelace. And once that cord was springy and bouncy again, you gave it a proud tug. Just in time for your brother to pick up the extension and start yelling. Source: Show Me Cables
13. A Slipped Slide Projector Tray
If you were helping your dad set up a slideshow in the living room, usually with a screen that squeaked when you pulled it up, you knew the dreaded sound of a carousel tray misfeeding. Instead of the next vacation photo clicking into place, the whole projector would whir, hesitate, and then jam with the image stuck halfway in or upside down. But any ’70s kid allowed near that setup knew what to do. First, you turned the knob backward slowly until the tray unlocked. Then, you lifted the entire carousel off with two hands like a sacred artifact, hoping no slides spilled.
Sometimes one of the cardboard-mounted slides had warped or bent, and you’d smooth it flat again by hand. Other times, it was just slightly misaligned, and you’d reseat the tray until it clicked into place. And when the next slide finally showed up, crisp and right side up, a shot of someone standing awkwardly in front of a landmark, you felt like a behind-the-scenes genius. In the era before PowerPoint, the click of the next perfect image felt like a pure cinematic victory. Source: Ask.com
14. A Wristwatch That Stopped Ticking
When your wristwatch suddenly stopped, you didn’t assume it was dead. First, you held it up to your ear. Every ’70s kid knew that quiet little tick meant life. You gave it a few firm taps against your palm, if it was silent, or shook it like a maraca. Some watches, especially the wind-up kind, just needed a crown twist to get going again. You’d rotate it with enough pressure, not too fast or far, until the second hand gave a tiny jump and started sweeping again.
If it was a digital watch and the screen had gone blank, you checked the tiny screws on the back and raided the junk drawer for a battery. Someone always had a spare button cell lying around, even if it was from a calculator or an old toy. You’d pop it in with a butter knife or a coin, screw the back on crooked, and hope for the best. When the time blinked back at you, you didn’t just fix a watch. You revived a tiny ticking world on your wrist. Source: Reddit
15. A Record Player That Spun Too Fast or Too Slow
Every ’70s kid knew the horror of putting on your favorite album only to hear the singer wail like a chipmunk or crawl like they were stuck in molasses. It meant your turntable speed was off, switched accidentally, or misbehaved. The first thing you’d check is the speed setting switch, usually marked 33, 45, and sometimes 78. One quick flick and you could restore the song to its proper groove. But when that didn’t work, it was time for deeper intervention.
You might lift the rubber mat, peek underneath for lint, or clean the spindle with a cotton swab. Some kids used a dab of oil under the platter to smooth the motor. Others gave the whole thing a spin by hand to “wake it up.” There was something so satisfying about hearing the pitch snap back to normal, especially if you memorized every note. You didn’t need a technician. You just needed to listen, trust your ears, and know your machine like a friend. Source: Vinyl Engine
The Fix-It Generation
We didn’t have Google, tutorials, or tech support. We had our hands, guts, and whatever was lying around the house. Growing up in the ’70s meant knowing how to wiggle, tap, twist, wind, and rethread our way out of any jam. Things always broke, but we didn’t treat them as disposable. We treated them as puzzles and figured them out. Not because someone taught us, but because we had to.
There’s something about that era that sticks with you. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of solving a problem with a pencil and a little grit. Perhaps it’s the pride in making something work again without waiting for help. Or maybe it’s just the quiet confidence of knowing that if life ever unravels like a cassette tape, you still remember how to grab and fix a pencil.
