Where do you even begin? You want to be able to perform basic tasks around the house – hang a picture, mount that shelf on the wall that has been sitting in the box for a month – the list goes on. You know you need some basic tools but you don’t want to waste money on things you don’t need. But how do you know what is worth purchasing and what’s not? Look no further – I am about to go through the 5 tools every woman needs to start her toolbox and why.
1 Tape Measure
A tape measure is your first priority! There are so many tasks that you need this handy little guy for. Measuring the center of a wall for picture hanging, measuring a space in your home to ensure the furniture you purchase will fit, measuring for your new washer/dryer. Tape measures come in all different lengths, but for household purposes and home projects, a 25′-0″ or 30′-0″ one is all you really need. I personally have a 25′ Stanley “Fat Max” and love it.
2 Electric Drill
Next on the list is the electric drill – the only power tool I am putting on this list. I could arguably put a screwdriver on this list, but because of the versatility of the electric drill, it won out (you should still have a screw-driver in your toolbox). This is probably one of the most used and versatile tools you will purchase. You will use this anytime you need to drill a hole or drive a screw. Some household activities you will use this for are: mounting a TV wall bracket, hanging a heavy picture/mirror, running TV cable, mounting wall hooks, mounting shower rods, mounting wall shelves – the list is endless. When purchasing, you can either choose plug-in or cordless. I highly recommend cordless. You will often be using this tool in tight, hard-to-get-to places or areas which may not be conveniently located near an outlet. Some tools, I recommend purchasing with a cord because they are more powerful or they would kill your battery life. The electric drill, however, is one where you should go cordless in my opinion.
3 Coping Saw
Up to this point, you are probably familiar with the tools I’ve mentioned. But what the heck is a coping saw and why do you need one? This is actually the first saw I started using when I was a little kid. It is a small handsaw with a removable blade which can be used for soooo many projects around the house. You can make straight cuts as well as curves and angles. You can remove the blade and thread it through a drilled hole to cut out the interior of a shape (i.e. Let’s say you were cutting out letters for a door-hanger – you could cut the center of an “o” out.) It can do many of the same tasks a jigsaw can do, but if you’re not quite ready to get into power tools yet or you just want a more economical option to get the job done, a coping saw is the way to go.
4 Hammer
Did you know there are different hammer weights? This is useful depending on what you are using it for – a heavier weight will drive a nail with few hits as well as larger nails. Ask a framer or construction carpenter, and they will typically have a 20 oz. hammer…..sometimes larger, but this is definitely the lowest weight a true framer will typically go. If you plan on doing a lot of larger rough-frame projects with 2x4s, then this is probably a good option for you. However, for just general household tasks such as hanging pictures, a 16 oz. hammer is perfect. My favorite brand is Eastwing; however, if you choose to get a different one, just make sure the head and handle is one solid piece of metal. Some hammers have a fiberglass handle which attaches to the head and over time, these can wear out and the head and handle will come apart.
5 Speed Square
Ah, one of my favorite, time saving tools ever for your toolbox! You probably used a triangle in geometry class when you were in school. This simple tool offers a lip on one side and allows you to draw a quick line that is at a 90 degree angle across a surface. For example, you want to cut a board to a certain length to mount hooks on for your entryway coat rack. You obviously want a straight, clean 90 degree cut, so you grab this bad boy, hook the lip over the long side of the board and draw your line and voila, you’re ready to cut.
Now, yes, you can achieve the same thing using a tape measure. Let’s say you want a 3′-0″ board; you measure at the top of the board 3′-0″ and mark, then you measure 3′-0″ at the bottom of the board and mark, then connect the two marks with a ruler, and there you go – you have a 90 degree cut guide. However, I am all about time-saving tools especially for this price! Go ahead and add this staple to your cart errrr toolbox I mean. Trust me – you won’t regret it. One word of caution – these typically come in two materials – plastic and aluminum. I have used both and recommend aluminum. Aluminum nicks less easily than the plastic which can be annoying when you’re using it as a straight-edge and you end up with squiggly lines instead of a nice,straight clean line (Okay -maybe I’m sliiiiightly OCD).
In conclusion…
There you have it! The 5 most basic tools every woman should have in her toolbox! These tools are all you need to get started with simple tasks around the house. They are also the building blocks on which you can expand your toolbox. You will always need and use these tools even if you go on to purchase some fun power tools down the road (they aren’t so scary, I promise, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves). So don’t worry about making the investment – these tools will not become unnecessary down the road when you become addicted to collecting tools and creating many different projects for your home. Every good project starts with a solid foundation – think of these 5 tools as your foundation to displaying the bad ass, confident woman that you are.
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