5 of my favorite things – DIY Tools I can’t live without
I’ve shared lots of my Favorite parenting things with you – today I’m sharing my Five, favorite, must-have DIY tools. I have WAY more than five, so there will be some honorable mentions. I’ve been renovating homes and DIY’ing for 12 years – these are the things that are my favorites. From painters tape to a Channellock screwdriver my favorite things.
Blue Painters Tape
Not just for painting anymore! I use painter’s tape for labeling things, holding things together. You name it. I’ve put painters tape on it. A roll fits on my wrist and I’ve always got 1 inch or 1.5 inch wide rolls around.
Here’s why Blue Painters tape is one of the 5 things I can’t live without. It’s easy to tear – you don’t need any blade or scissors to cut it. You can easily write on it – sharpie, ball point, or pencil. The paper finish marks easily. I use to to mark measurements all the time without damaging the underlying substance.
It easily bundles things together without leaving sticky residue. But it also is sticky enough to hold things together. More the texture of washi tape than duct tape. It’s part of my daily use items.
Dewalt Power Drill Drive Guide bit holder – one of my favorite things
Having a guide sleeve makes a huge difference for driving screws. It allows easy driving without slipping. You put the screw in, slide the sleeve down, and you can hold the sleeve while the screw rotates. This is very handy for larger screws to keep them stable, and for tiny screws because they are hard to keep a grip on.
Plus when you are removing a screw it retains it in the sleeve so that you are less like to drop it, watch as it catches the light arcing through the air, and then disappears forever into the dark corners of your garage.
The holder lets you store the sleeve and an assortment of bits. Which means I don’t end up losing that one correct square bit for those darn tiny square screws that someone used ALL over this house. It’s just the right size to slide in my back pocket.
Stiletto Titanium 10 ounce Hammer
I’m pretty strong, but swinging a full weight framing hammer for a couple strokes is no big deal. But if I’m using it for more than an hour it starts to give me tennis elbow..Hammer Elbow?
It took me too long to realize this. And it took me even longer to realize that a lighter hammer doesn’t strike as hard. So driving large nails is way harder with a lighter hammer. That being said, the titanium hammer is a favorite. I especially like this one for it’s long claw and a magnetic slot on the head for starting nails.
Custom Fort Birthday Insulated AND Covered Tumbler
I’m a cold drink junkie. Diet Coke with Lime is my favorite. But I love icy cold water. Or icy cold flavored seltzer. I will brag that I was ahead of the curve on stainless steel straws – I’ve had them for 10 years. But I didn’t know about custom tumblers until last year.
When you are DIY’ing having a covered drink is key. That way you don’t have to drink sawdust, grit, or dirt. Plus, a cheery custom tumbler helps remind you to stay hydrated. My friend, Jamie Tutson (who is a rock star nurse and blogger also) made my custom tumbler.
This is one of those two birds with one stone kind of thing. It keeps my drinks clean and cold AND I love that it helps me cut down on how many disposable single use items I go through. Every little bit helps, right?
Number 1, on my list of 5 favorite things, is the best screw driver ever
Sometimes you do your research, read the forums, and make a careful and considered choice when you are adding a tool to your toolbox. And sometimes you make an impulse buy. If you are REALLY lucky then your impulse buy turns ends up the best purchase you’ve ever made.
This Channellock screwdriver was a lucky purchase at the start of my DIY career. I needed a hex head screw driver, but didn’t want to purchase a whole set of bits. I bought this multi-bit driver and love it like my own children.
There is a thumb adjust ring that lets you switch rapidly from a fixed position to ratcheting either forward or backwards. The bits are double sided, so let you quickly switch sizes of driver.
My husband borrowed mine a few years back and LOST one of the bits. I didn’t divorce him, which I feel is a testament to my good nature and forgiving spirit. But I did buy another one, that I keep hidden, for my use ONLY.
My favorite tools, I stripe with tape or spray paint. That way I can spot them if I lay them down when I am working AND so I can catch thieving thievers in the act of thieving.
Honorable Mentions for My favorite DIY things
There are so many things I consider useful day-to-day tools for DIY. My every day kit includes a scratch-awl. That’s essentially a Favorite DIY must have, rather than a favorite. It replaces a pen, marks drill points, scores lines, and pokes holes. I have three (I have a tool habit, I admit).
I also, love my Santronics, non-contact voltage tester. It lights up and beeps if you touch it to an energized electrical line. But, if you aren’t doing electrical work, it’s not really a necessity.
Usually you can also find in my pocket a box cutter of some variety. I like the folding ones from Kobalt. And, honestly, I use naked razor blades some of the time for scraping or cutting, especially for detail work.
What are some of your favorite things? What is a DIY tool you can’t live without. Tell us in the comments.
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