DIY projects for Tabletop RPGs

How do you, personally, use them?

Granted, my D&D terrain needs are more driven by functionality, rather than aesthetics. And I've also never invested the time or money needed for a "system" that holds tiles together, like magnets or "Dragon Lock"-type schema.

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I've personally found that tiles are completely impractical and unplayable terrain accessories.

Lacking a system to keep them tight together, I've found they just shift and break away from each other, even under light/normal use, requiring constant fiddling and "maintenance", during play, to be functional. Which that fiddling makes them non-functional for my personal needs.

I get that they're an easy way to get into terrain crafting and can give an easy boost to the appearance of a table, but I've just not found them to be worth it, compared to just, say, a singular dungeon mat or board (with constructed walls to bound the playable area).

What am I missing, besides the ability to spend the time or money on magnets or a 3D printer? Are there other ways to make tiles work?

How do you, personally, use tiles?