The Do it Yourself Woman's Guide to the Perfect Toolbox

It's not always prudent for me to wait until my boyfriend gets home to fix something and to be honest, it's sometimes hard to get him to fix it anyway. I long ago learned that most things I can do myself, so why not just do it? I've learned many new things over the years and have decided to compile some of it here for others like me. There are certain "tools" that I have come to depend on, so here I give you:

Must Haves for a Do It Yourself Womens Toolbox

For starters, my tool box is not actually a tool box. I have a whole cabinet with labeled rubber maid containers that contain all of my "tools." However, most of these things could all be stored in your basic tool box. Also, I use the term tools lightly. To me a "tool" is anything you may use to get the job done, not just some steel forged item that you find in the hardware department.

We will however, start the list with some of these basic, steel forged tools. Unless you plan on becoming a pro-mechanic, there is no reason to spend a lot of money on these tools. They just need to get the job done. If you can find one near you, one of the best places to get cheap, serviceable tools is Harbor Freight, however any store that sells tools will more than likely have something that fits into your budget. Some of the hand tools that I find to be an absolute necessity are:

Phillips Screw Drivers-assorted size set
Flat Head Screw Drivers-assorted size set
Nut Drivers-assorted size set
Crescent Wrench
Channel Locks
Pliers-Blunt and Needle nose
Hammer-one that fits your hand and is not too heavy for you. I actually have a child size hammer that works very well for me.

These are the hand tools that I find I use most often. You can also buy separate wrench and/or socket sets, however you can most often get by with a crescent wrench or channel locks in place of these things. Let me also add here, that if you don't know what some of these tools are or what they do, don't worry. You can always look online and find that information, or ask a sales person at the store to explain it to you.

Another thing I highly recommend having is an electric drill. You can get a battery powered one or one with a cord, it's all a matter of preference. I myself usually use a battery powered drill, however I also have a corded drill as well. Battery powered drills have different voltages. The voltage on a drill is very important. The lower the voltage, the less power and strength the drill will have. A corded drill will generally have more power than a battery operated drill, although I have a 19.6 volt drill that can do any job a corded one can. A battery powered drill is often more convenient, because you don't have to worry about extension cords and finding a nearby electrical socket. A battery powered drill can also however, be a great pain in the butt when your battery goes dead in the middle of a job. Which ever drill you choose is totally up to you, but either one is definitely handy to have.

There are a few other items that I find helpful to have around. One of them is the ever infamous Duct Tape. I remember reading a joke somewhere a long time ago that compared Duct tape to The Force in the Star Wars movies. It said that Duct Tape was like The Force because it was dark on one side, light on the other and it held the world together. That is so true in my house! When ever something breaks, I always joke and yell "Grab the duct tape!" I have used it for so many things that I couldn't even begin to name them all. I have used to it temporarily hold broken windows together, as well as broken sink pipes. I have used it to seal cracks around window and door frames to keep cold drafts from coming in. Heck, I've even used it to tape a radiator hose in my car until I was able to go and get a new one. Duct tape is very strong and durable, and in my opinion extremely versatile. Make sure however that you put out the extra few dollars and get a good quality duct tape. Cheaper ones will work for some jobs, but a lesser quality definitely does not work as well as the name brand Duct tape. Electrical tape is also very handy. It too is very strong and can be used for many jobs, not just electrical related ones. I personally, have a major fear of electricity, so I'm not one to take on major electrical jobs. I will however say, if something comes up and you have to handle something electrical, please make sure that you turn off any breakers providing power, so that there is no electricity running through what ever you are working on. That being said, electrical tape is handy if you need to splice something together in a bind. I have used it to splice together phone wires, and electrical cords to appliances until I was able to replace those items. I also use it often to hold things together. For example, if I roll up an extension cord, I will wrap a piece of electrical tape around it to hold it together. It is very strong, but it is also not so sticky that you have a hard time removing the tape, as you would with a stickier tape like duct tape.

There are also some small items that are often overlooked, but very useful to have on hand. An assortment of screws and nails in various sizes can be very helpful. It is important to keep in mind that there are different screws and nails for different jobs, so make sure that you are using the correct one for what you are working on. Thumb tacks, a staple gun, super glue and tie wire are can also be extremely helpful to have around. The last item that I feel should be kept around at all times is clear, all purpose caulk and a caulking gun. Caulk can be used like glue to hold and patch things together, however it can be peeled off much easier then glue when it comes time to properly fix something. I have used caulk to temporarily patch holes in sink pipes, and to hold the pipes together when the seal broke. I've used caulk to created a seal around drafty windows and doors. It is very helpful to have around, and you'd be surprised at all the things you will look at and say "Hey, I can just caulk that for now."

These are just some of the things that I think are essential for the Do It Yourself woman to have. If your going to have to fix things yourself, it will make a considerable difference for you to have the proper tools to work with. This is just a basic list, and once you get started doing things yourself, I'm sure you're going to come up with your own "tools" that you just can't live without. So go get your tools and start to Do It Yourself!