I have never been the type to ask someone to do things for me if I thought I could do it myself. My husband worked long hours, so I did as many simple home repairs as I could. After I became a widow, knowing I could use simple DIY tools eased a lot of my fears of being alone. Women should have simple DIY tools of their own and know how to use them, especially if they live alone.
A small assortment of screwdrivers serves many purposes. Screwdrivers are either a flat head or a phillips head. A flat head fits a screw that has 1 slot for the screwdriver to fit in. A phillips head will fit a screw that has a vertical line with a horizontal line through the center. Choose screwdrivers that have handles that feel comfortable in your hand. It is a good idea to have them in various sizes and lengths. Small, short screwdrivers work best when you need to tighten a screw in a chair or coffee table leg.
A small, lightweight hammer should be in every woman’s collection of DIY tools. Have you ever walked past the trim on a door and gotten scratched or grabbed by a small trim nail that has worked its way out? I have snagged a few sweaters that way. If you do not get a hammer and tap it back in immediately, you may forget until the next time it grabs you. Men like those big heavy duty hammers, but all women need for a few DIY home repairs is a small one that is easy to grasp. When choosing a hammer to buy for your own tool set, test the weight. If the hammer head feels too heavy, select a smaller weight.
Choose a small cordless drill for easy DIY home repairs. Drills come in all sizes and speeds. A small drill that is easy to hold is your best option. My drill is an 18V cordless that has a reverse button. It is easy to grasp and is lightweight. A small drill is great for putting up curtain rod hooks, or screwing together a bookshelf or baby bed. My husband had big noisy drills that were way to powerful for me. They scared me, but I love owning this small lightweight drill.
Add a container of various size screws and nuts and bolts to your own DIY tool collection. Buy a plastic container that is full of different sizes of screws, bolts, nuts and nails. Hardware stores sell them in various sizes. Having your own DIY kit will save time. You will not have to go to the garage and figure out where hubby might have these things stashed. Tell the men in the house these are your things. If you do not, they will take them and you will not have the stuff you need when you want it. Trust me, it has happened to me.
Color Coordinate your DIY tools to make them your own. You can buy small tool kits that have the tools every woman should own. These tool kits come in bright pink or purple and are geared specifically for a woman to own. I love the color purple, so my small tools are bright purple. None of the men around my house want anything to do with using purple tools, so I know my stash of tools are safe.
Keep your tools in a small plastic tote and store the tote in your kitchen pantry. If the tools are in the house they are easily accessible. This makes it handier to get them when you have a small item that needs fixed. I would suggest starting out with these basic DIY tools that every woman should own and use. As you get more accustomed to using your tools, you will add other useful tools to your plastic tote. You might want to consider a small level and a tape measure. I use the small level to check my stove to make sure it is level before I bake a cake. The tape measure is great to measure space before you move furniture around.
Start your tool collection by checking at pawn shops and hardware store sale bins. My husband’s tools are all the lifetime guarantee name brand tools. The tools I own for my DIY household repairs are an odd assortment of brands and sale items. My cordless drill was purchased at a local pawn shop for just a few dollars. There is no need to buy expensive tools for minor household repairs. Purchase the tote from a dollar store and start filling it with your own DIY tools!
