Building things runs in my family. Construction, real estate, pretty much all of my immediate family members have been in a related profession. I’ve been privy to conversations about drywall and impact drivers for as long as I can remember, so it feels natural to me that when I want to do a project, I make a Home Depot run and do it.
Through this blog, though, I’ve learned that a lot of my female friends don’t feel quite so confident when it comes to home improvement. I want to change that! I think all women should feel like they can tackle any hands-on task they put their mind to, not just the ones their dad or significant other helps with (although I will take any helper I can get).
Having the right tools is a great place to start. Here are 8 tools every woman should own that will get you through any basic DIY project.
1. Screwdriver
It can put together furniture. It can open paint cans. It can reach under the fridge to fish out the Cheeto you dropped (and, using all your willpower, will throw into the trash rather than popping into your mouth).
You can’t live without a screwdriver! You need two screwdriver heads: a Phillip’s head (the one in the shape of an X) and a flat head. These will take care of 95% of all screws. Invest in a nice screwdriver with a reversible head, which you can easily pop out and flip over to switch to a different type of screw.
2. Hammer
The hammer is number two on my list but it should really be 1B, because it’s just as essential as a screwdriver.
A good hammer will last forever. I’ve had the same basic wooden hammer that I got at Walmart for at least ten years.
I’m pretty sure you know all the things a hammer can do, but don’t forget that it’s a two-in-one tool. The claw end works wonders for prying things. When I recently ripped out our old carpet I had to pull up about a zillion staples from the wooden subfloor. They make all kinds of fancy tools for pulling up carpet staples, but the one that worked best was a plain old hammer.
3. Electric Screwdriver
Yes, you have a regular screwdriver, but some things are just too much of a pain in the ass to put together turning every screw by hand (looking at you, Wayfair dresser). My electric screwdriver has saved me hours when putting together larger items.
I have three electric screwdrivers that I use for different things. Some women like shoes, some women like power tools…
If you’re going to buy just one electric screwdriver like a normal person, this is the one to get. I have an older model; the newer one looks even better and has two different drill speeds. It’s powerful but not too heavy. The head can be adjusted to not only drive screws, but also to pre-drill holes using a drill bit.
I also own this one, which adjusts to different angles to reach screws in tricky locations, and this one, which is a smaller, more lightweight version for quick jobs.
4. Drill Bit Set
When you’re drilling a screw somewhere—let’s say into the wall to hang a heavy mirror—you can’t always just put the screw straight into the wall. Hanging heavy things requires drilling into one of the pieces of wood that runs vertically inside your wall, called a stud.
If you don’t drill into a stud, you’ll only be drilling into plaster or drywall, which will rip right out if you try to hang that heavy mirror from it.
To properly put a screw into a stud or any other solid piece of wood, you need to pre-drill a hole first using a drill bit. The pilot hole makes it a lot easier to put in the screw, and also prevents the wood around the hole from cracking.
A basic drill bit set only costs a couple bucks and comes with enough sizes to cover pretty much any home improvement project.
5. Wrench
This definitely isn’t my most-used tool of the bunch, but it’s necessary in that when you have a task that requires a wrench, you just need a wrench.
Get one with an adjustable head so you don’t have to hang onto a full wrench set that you’ll barely use.
6. Tape measure
For the longest time, when I needed to measure something I relied on a fabric measuring tape, the kind that come in those little sewing kits. My world changed when I finally sprung for a proper tape measure!
Okay, not really, but a tape measure is a lot more convenient. You can lock them in place while you’re walking around and marking things up, and they retract back into place so you never have to deal with a tangled mess. SOme even have a built in laser so you can make sure you’re measuring a straight and level line.
7. Level
You–yes you, the woman who’s trying to eyeball it when hanging a gallery wall? Do yourself a favor and use a level so it doesn’t look like a toddler hung those frames.
This is a good basic one.
8. Pliers
From unlocking rusted-in-place screws to bending and cutting wires, a good pair of pliers is an essential do-it-all tool. The needlenose kind come in super handy for those annoying tasks that require elf-sized fingers, like fixing clasps on jewelry or attempting to use the keyboard on an Apple watch.
Nice-To-Have
I have a few honorable mentions that aren’t essential, but are nice to have if you’re doing more involved DIY projects:
- Table or circular saw. This opens up a whole new world of Pinterest projects, like this DIY console table I’m dying to recreate.
- Staple gun. I bought one years ago when I was recovering a chair, and I love having it on hand.
- Nail gun. I haven’t pulled the trigger (GUN, GET IT?) on one of these yet because they’re pricey, but it’s the next tool I plan on investing in as we make bigger improvements to our house.
- Crowbar. If you’re tearing anything apart, this will be your new BFF.
Tell me–how many of the items on this list are in your toolbox? Are there any projects you’d like to take on around your house?
