Every woman needs tools she can call her own. Because I live with a contractor, tools are part of my everyday life. No seriously, it’s not unusual to have a saw laying on my dining room table, or a drill on the bathroom counter. You don’t even wanna know what comes out of his pockets and is left on his nightstand. Between equipment keys, screws & drill bits, we could open a hardware store!
After only a short time of marriage I realized I was going to need to claim my tools if I ever wanted to have them when I needed them. That’s exactly what I did! Over the last decade, I’ve collected lots of little tools here and there, but I have a bag of my essentials that I’m gonna share. These are my go-to tools!
My essentials! Tin snips – aka best invention ever, I use these to cut anything tougher than paper. Ideal for floral wire, picture hanging wire, cardboard, etc. These make me feel handy! They’re heavy, masculine and just bad-to-the-bone! (Do people still say that?) lolPinking shears – perfect to add a cute edge to cards or for a fabric edge that won’t fray. I use these a lot if I’m going to hand stitch something (kid’s Easter basket lining) or leave the hem unfinished (Halloween costume or dress up clothes). Standard hole punch – essential for every mom. I use these to attach a kid-made card to a birthday gift, gift tags for teachers, make holiday garland or to help with hanging artwork. Straight pins – great for the obviously reason… pinning things to help while sewing, but I mostly use them to hang things! That’s right, my mother-in-law taught me to put three straight pins together, gently hammer them in to the drywall and keep them at an upward angle. They barely leave a hole and can hold small things without a problem! Glue dots – great for anything you would glue, just much stronger with no mess and no drying time! Plus they’re in a handy dispenser. Hammer – I know this seems obvious. Most households have at least one hammer, in our we have 6… 6 hammers y’all. No matter how many you have, claim one for yourself sister! That way you’ll know where it is when you have the urge to hammer something! Zig brand glue pen – perfect for adding a small amount of glue. I use this to add a dab of glue to small embellishments and paper crafts. Once it dries, it’s a very strong adhesive. Painter’s tape – not just for painters! This is handy because it’s a great adhesive that won’t damage walls. I use this a lot if I am going to temporarily hang something on the wall. It comes off easily and doesn’t leave any residue. I also use it to tape off part of a craft I don’t want to paint. Changeable screwdriver – this is gold! You never know what kind of screwdriver you’ll need to assemble that toy or new desk! This screwdriver has an interchangeable tip and uses a magnet to keep it in place. Switch from Philips to flat in an instant. Nail glue – super, super strong adhesive, a little goes a long way, trust me! This is great to repair something that breaks or when you want to permanently glue something. It doesn’t work well on porous surfaces but it works great on most everything else. Once it sets up, it is virtually indestructible! If you know my mom, ask her about my history with nail glue… it ain’t pretty! Mavalus brand tape – should be called “marvelous” because that’s what it is! When I was a teacher, this is the only tape we were approved to use on the walls, that’s how I discovered this “mavalus” stuff! It’s like painter’s tape in that it doesn’t destroy walls, but it’s stronger! A teacher, and a momma’s, best friend! Keep it away from littles because it’s pretty pricey (for tape), I know my P could go through a roll like this in less than half an hour, sweet girl’s like her momma! Pick up a roll at the teacher’s aid store. Good ol’ Scotch tape – I go way back with this one! My momma jokes and says that when I was growing up she could throw a roll of Scotch tape in my room with me and I’d stay busy for hours! … she’s not lying y’all. I haven’t changed… you just can’t live without this stuff! Gifts, torn books, coloring book pages that never tear out straight… you need Scotch tape. Disclaimer: spend the extra buck and get “Scotch” brand. Trust me on this… tape, toilet paper and post its aren’t worth having if they’re “off brand”. Goo Gone – my husband introduced me to this one! This I use often! I’m convinced, whoever invented the price tags at Marshall’s, Homegoods and Tuesday Morning must’ve also invented Goo Gone; right after they taught all their employees to put the price tag smack dab on top of the beautifully painted furniture piece, delicate hand-blown glass bowl, clear plastic storage container or toy! It’s like NASA grade adhesive on those things! With a little elbow grease, Goo Gone takes the residue off! It also works for nasty bandaid marks on your kid’s skin. My daddy used lighter fluid for this growing up… don’t ask… it was the 90s. Goo Gone is this generations lighter fluid! LolExtra tiny screwdriver set (I don’t know the official name) – These little guys are lifesavers when changing batteries around the house. Most toys and small appliances require some type of screwdriver to get in to the battery cavity. These are a must! A level – we have levels, but they tend to be bulkier than what I need. When I use a level, it’s generally just for picture hanging and small things. I love the level app you can download for free from the App Store. If you’re super particular, take your phone out of its case before you use it to make sure it’s perfectly level. I’m not that way… So I just throw that baby up there and eyeball it! This is a really handy tool… Plus it’s free! Kitchen shears – I designate these for my use around the house and another pair for kitchen use. These are used to cut just about anything. They stay sharp and are a good size for my hand. I use them a lot when I’m helping cut things out for my child’s classrooms at school. I’ve found they cut easily and are fairly comfortable. Picture-hanging kit – This is nice to have so you don’t have to ask hubs for help hanging a picture. If you’re like me, you get a wild hair to do stuff like this at the most inconvenient times, so it’s nice to just be able to DIY! Hot glue gun – Need I say more?! This thing and I have some memories! Let me just say, hot glue holds just about everything! I have literally hot glued a Halloween costume WHILE my husband was wearing it! Sometimes you just need a little finishing touch! Wreaths, crafts, toys, broken things… I could go on. Just note: it gets extremely hot and the melted glue takes practice to get used to. I definitely recommend only adults use this tool. I’ve been burned more times than I can count and it hurts! Hot glue sticks – obviously this is a given, but I wanted to mention it separately because it’s important to always have extra on hand. There’s nothing worse than getting neck deep in a project only to run out of hot glue sticks! I also wanted to introduce you to “fabric” hot glue sticks. These are great! I use them a lot for felt crafts, costumes, or just repairing something small on anything fabric! Any type of hot glue is very permanent, so just keep that in mind! Also, the fabric hot glue goes on white and stays white. Liquid stitch – This is a little gem! Why stitch when you could liquid stitch?! Seriously though, this has saved me from pulling out the sewing machine plenty of times. I wouldn’t use this to complete a whole Halloween costume or anything, but for a hem that comes unstitched, or a small embellishment that comes off of my girl’s top, or something like that…this stuff works great! You do have to allow for drying time so consider that.
Well that brings us to the bottom of our list. By no means is this EVERYTHING you need for EVERY project but it’s certainly a start! I hope you got some good ideas and are inspired to DIY next time!
Love all these ideas! I have most handy for me, but definitely need to add some like liquid stitch & glue dots! Great points!
Have you ever dyed linen fabric? I have some curtain panels that are stark ( blinding ) white. I wanted them to have more of an ivory color. I haven’t tried yet because 1. scared I’ll ruin them 2. I don’t want them to look dingy or dirty 3. See #1 and #2!!!! Help if you can please! Any tips will be helpful.
Hey Julie! I have never dyed fabric, other than tie-dye ?, so I’m not sure how easily it can be done. I sent you a pin on Pinterest that may help you get started. Good luck! Can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Love all these ideas! I have most handy for me, but definitely need to add some like liquid stitch & glue dots! Great points!
Have you ever dyed linen fabric? I have some curtain panels that are stark ( blinding ) white. I wanted them to have more of an ivory color. I haven’t tried yet because 1. scared I’ll ruin them 2. I don’t want them to look dingy or dirty 3. See #1 and #2!!!! Help if you can please! Any tips will be helpful.
Hey Julie! I have never dyed fabric, other than tie-dye ?, so I’m not sure how easily it can be done. I sent you a pin on Pinterest that may help you get started. Good luck! Can’t wait to see how they turn out!