I am going to be TOTALLY honest with you, ok? (Brace yourself!) This is the first time I have sat at my computer to write a post in TWO WEEKS! Two weeks?!? And I don’t even know the real reason why. Maybe it’s because I have been completely and utterly uninspired. Perhaps I just didn’t have the time or haven’t taken the time (and this can be time consuming!) Maybe I have been choosing to do things other than write. Probably all of the above. I brought you a blog every week for almost 6 months without any problem, and now? Well, now I am FINALLY writing another one. But I think even more important than the post itself this week, is the notion that I am actually doing it. I am awakening from paralyzation and starting again, and there is NOTHING wrong with that! (Can I get an AMEN?!?). I think so many times we get in a routine and we push that routine almost off a cliff. I mean, we push it so hard that when we aren’t in that routine, we don’t even know what to do with ourselves. Maybe we don’t even know who we are when we aren’t in that routine! My life has changed a little bit (OK a lot!) in the last few months, and I am readjusting to a new routine. But first, I had to figure out what that routine was going to be (post idea for the near future, perhaps?), then I had to put it in action. I am here to tell you that if you, too, are going through a transition, maybe needing a new routine or on a new journey yourself, YOU CAN DO IT!! If you don’t think you can, you are the ONLY one who believes that so STOP lying to yourself and get GOING! I believe in you, and we need to stick together. So get up, dust your NIKEs off, grab your drill or laptop (or Cheez-its, in my case) and let’s do this thing.
Top 5 DIY Tools for the Handyperson
#1 Drill
No brainer, right? Well I am putting this one first because my drill recently changed and it was a GAME CHANGER! I used to work with a corded drill (I know, right?), but was recently gifted a new-to-me DeWalt battery operated drill and it. is. AMAZING!!!! Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my face! I can’t believe it took me this long to join the club, but now that I am here, I feel like the President! There are many on the market that are great. A battery drill is so powerful and much more convenient than a corded drill. If you already have other battery-operated tools that you love, consider getting the drill to match the battery. Just sayin’.
#2 Miter Saw
When my oldest was about to enter this world, I decided her nursery needed chair rail. So, I took my mitre box and hand saw and went to work. To say it was a labor of love was a complete understatement. I’m pretty sure it was a labor of insanity! My life changed when I invested in this tool (actually, I think it was a gift from my husband and I’m sure his life changed, too). I make so many small cuts for builds, this is a life and wrist saver. Although, if I wanted a really good upper arm workout, I could always go back to the box…naah. I’m good. If I were to buy this again, I would get the sliding compound mitre saw. I guess I didn’t realize how many 1x10s I would be working with!
#3 Nail Gun
This is a fairly recent purchase, er, gift that I have been using that has made all the difference (are you seeing a trend here?). This sat on a shelf, in the box, unopened for 18 months!!! I was so afraid to use it, and I knew if I read the manual, it would take me hours (I’m very thorough!). And I didn’t really want to use it incorrectly and blow my face off! So I just watched it collect dust. Big mistake! I had a great idea of feeding someone for information, and in 15 minutes, I knew exactly what I was doing with this thing. Great investment! I’m still trying to figure out why I would ever need 3 inch staples though. If you have any ideas, please comment below! If I were to buy this right now, I would probably go for the Ryobi air strike model. That compressor is a bit intimidating!! But this allows me to put things together quickly (and no smashed fingers!)
#4 Kreg Jig
It has been a while since I have used this since most of my builds have been smaller floating shelves (I do use it for the bigger shelf braces). Nevertheless, this little thing is really great! Again, it does require a little work to know what all the settings are, but it’s well worth it. Plus, there are an abundance of YouTube videos and tutorials for this one! The reason this is so great is because it allows you to make pocket holes for a really tight fit. Think Farmhouse table tops, boxes, furniture. Pocket holes allow screws to be used without seeing the screw head. Worth it!
#5 Sander
There are quite a few types of sanders, some of which I have never used or at least don’t own myself. The sander I use for most projects is the orbit sander. This has a round pad and goes around (Oh, I get it! Orbital!). It’s good to sand down projects before painting or staining. However, it is NOT good for sanding in-between stain or paint coats. You can sometimes see the circular pattern in the grain. This kind of upsets the cool wood-grain look. Not. Good. I usually hand sand for those jobs. There is also a corner cat sander (these names are so original) that can get into corners easily. The belt sander is good for heavy sanding and bigger jobs. I’ll give you one guess why it’s named a belt sander. They’re all good, just depends on what you need it for!
Well, there it is. Now excuse me while I pat myself on the back for a job well done. Or a job done. Either way, I am proud of myself that I didn’t let a little lapse in time erase my self confidence and ability to be creative in my own space. I hope you got some value from this post. Maybe an idea for a gift? I think V-Day is coming soon. It wouldn’t be the first time I got a tool for this holiday! Blessings!
Want to join my HomeBeautiful YouBeautiful FB group and see the projects that I use these tools for along with other tips and tricks? Click here!
See some projects I have used these tools for!
