Want to hear something crazy? Not one year ago, the only power tool I owned was a drill.
Tools were never a big thing in my family when I was growing up. My family was more of a hire-it-out kind of family, not a do-it-yourself family. And the same goes for my husband.
I’ve always been a big fan of projects, but up until a year ago, those mainly consisted of things like paint and wallpaper.
In fact, paint was and really still is my favorite way to transform any space on a budget.
But want to know what my second favorite is now? WOOD! You guys, did you know you can build a bunch of cool things with wood and power tools? Because you can!
My first woodworking project was our DIY board and batten down our back hallway. I had no clue what I was doing. All those feature wall projects always looked like they would be so tough and take so much time and effort.
Not to mention knowledge of what in the world you’re even doing.
But after I read a couple tutorials, I discovered that if we just had the right tools, we could absolutely do it ourselves.
And so it began. My love for power tools, projects, and creating things out of nothing!
Which brings me to the point of this blog post — tools!
A question I get often is, “What tools do I need for basic DIY projects?”
This could absolutely vary depending on the projects you do, but today I’m sharing the tools you need in your workshop… or garage… or wherever to become a successful DIYer.

THE POWER TOOLS EVERY BEGINNER DIY-ER NEEDS TO GET STARTED
DRILL & DRIVER KIT
A drill and driver kit is so necessary for just about any DIY! Whether you’re trying to hang something on the wall or put together a new piece of furniture, this is something you’ll need.
I find myself using my HART drill and driver constantly, and they haven’t let me down yet!
ORBIT SANDER
If you plan on refinishing any furniture ever, you must have a good, reliable sander! My favorite thing about this sander is the fact that it’s cordless! Just grab a battery, plug it in, and sand your heart out wherever you need to!
MITER SAW
My miter saw has come in handy over the last few months, I pull it out whenever I do any cutting. From DIY shiplap, making a new headboard, board and batten, and building a barn door baby gate, this has been so necessary!
MULTI-TOOL
Multi-tools are the best! They literally do it all and can help you with all the hard-to-reach spots throughout your project.
It can cut, sand, scrape, or grind a variety of materials, and it’s definitely something good to have in your back pocket!
CIRCULAR SAW
Meanwhile back at shiplap and feature walls! This helps you get away with making long, straight cuts without having to get a table saw! Perfect for long shiplap cuts and clean precision!
JIGSAW
And I’m sure you’ve heard of a jigsaw! But this baby is so helpful in the projects that require you cut something out of your wood. Whether it’s a space for an electrical outlet or a small cut to allow something to sit at the right angle, these tools are necessary.
Take it from someone who once tried to cut a whole for an electrical outlet with a handsaw. You need one of these!
NAIL GUN
And last but certainly not least, a nail gun! This is also necessary for most woodworking DIYs or wood feature walls!
I usually find I need a finishing nail gun more often than any other, but make sure you do your research on these! I use a brad nail gun (smaller nails) for things like DIY shiplap!
Happy DIY-ing! I hope this is a good list to help you get started!
And while I am a HART Tools partner, I do truly love all their tools! I do recommend making sure you have 2 batteries on hand for all your rechargeable tools to make sure you never have to stop and wait for your battery to charge!
Feel free to leave any questions in the comments! Can’t wait to see what you create!
Leave a Reply