Showing posts with label Organized Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organized Lifestyle. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2015
Simple Ideas for Holiday Organization
Howdy friends! How was your Christmas? I hope that it was completely magical and full of blessings.
I know that some of you are already ahead of the game, and have moved on from Christmas and packed up your things. I, however, have not. I can't help but want to hold on to that sparkle for a few extra days after Christmas is over, so I wait until New Year's day to put away the pretty lights and holiday bling and return to our version of normal.
That said, I am really in the organizing mood! And this year found so many great ideas, some old and some new, which I wanted to put together in one giant Christmas organization post for you. So I apologize if I am too late, just pretend that I am really ahead of the game for next year as some of these ideas were just too great to wait! And for those of you who are still looking to organize the remainder of your Christmas gear, hopefully you can snag a few ideas to still implement this year. Suddenly, I am feeling like Dr. Seuss....
First, let's chat about gift giving, since that is really a huge part of the season. One thing that I have loved year after year is my Gift Giving Tracker.
However, something new that helped me when it came time to wrap all of those happy little packages was our new gift wrap station!
For those looking for other great wrapping stations, I am still gaga for this over-the-door awesomeness created by my gal pal Cassie!
If you are looking to tote around your gift wrapping essentials, you must check out this amazing DIY caddy created from a fast food cardboard drink carrier.
When you have the space, it is great if you can carve out a little nook of your home for gift wrapping away from the kitchen table. I love this happy office corner, which can be used all month long for last minute gift wrapping sessions.
If you are at all like me and use your ribbon year round, check out this smart solution which pairs dowels and a plastic basket for rockin' ribbon storage!
And once the gifts for the kiddos are all wrapped and pretty,organize hide them inside a storage trunk until Christmas Eve.
But how about organizing all of those decorations? Many of us sprinkle Christmas throughout our entire home, and even trim a tree. So many things to store away nice and neat!
Tip number one is to always add a sleeve or clear pocket to each bin, so that you can easily tuck a contents list inside. This will prevent rummaging next year!
Tip number two is to fall in love with Ziploc bags and Gladware containers! I try to reduce my use of them in my day to day life, but when it comes to storing itty bits and even those shatterproof ornaments, they are my go to organizers!
Tip number three is to wrap the rest around cardboard! The cardboard wrap method prevents items from tangling and works for everything from lights to garland; and is a simple and free solution!
Tension rods work great as well!
I am also simply smitten with this alternative solution to cords and strands, which is to wrap them with Velcro strips. Easy peasy!
Other free storage solutions include empty apple containers...
Or maybe egg cartons tickle your fancy?
I am sure you have seen it 100 times, but the plastic cup glued to cardboard stacking trick is pure genius!
Tip number four is to pack things up as if you were unpacking them! Place less used items at the bottom, frequently used or the first items use decorate with, at the top. Make things as simple as you can for next year. Also, keep original packaging and even use gift boxes to provide storage inside of storage for those ornaments and special decor pieces.
Last but not least, tip number five is to store all Christmas decor in similar style and colored bins for easy identification. This will ensure you are only grabbing at bins that matter most during the holidays, and not left searching amongst bins of memorabilia and auntie May's fine china.
I am head over heels for these stackable divided bins used by Katrina of the Organized Housewife! They are so wonderful for dividing ornaments by category and separating decor types.
When it comes to storing a Christmas wreath, I have tried those hard sided bins and they only work well if you have a wreath small enough to fit inside. So happy I stumbled upon this idea to use a hanger paired with a dry cleaning bag for my additional storage-less wreaths!
Do you display the lovely faces of friends and family that grace your mailbox in the form of greetings throughout the month of December? How freakin' adorable is this card display crafted from an old window shutter?
But what do you do with those cards once the year has come and gone? I don't keep them all, but the ones with family photos get stored away in a special greeting card binder.
You can't go wrong by just paper punching them and placing them on a ring by year. Simple. Adorable. And memorable!
Last but not least, this little holiday binder didn't leave my side this season. It worked out great, and I look forward to adding to it for years to come! Even my guys used it a few times, which of course, made me warm and fuzzy inside.
So who is geared up to do a little extra organizing this year, to ensure next year goes off without a hitch? What are your favorite Christmas and holiday storage and organizing tips? Anything work particularly well for you this year?
Image used for header graphic found here.
Read more »
I know that some of you are already ahead of the game, and have moved on from Christmas and packed up your things. I, however, have not. I can't help but want to hold on to that sparkle for a few extra days after Christmas is over, so I wait until New Year's day to put away the pretty lights and holiday bling and return to our version of normal.
That said, I am really in the organizing mood! And this year found so many great ideas, some old and some new, which I wanted to put together in one giant Christmas organization post for you. So I apologize if I am too late, just pretend that I am really ahead of the game for next year as some of these ideas were just too great to wait! And for those of you who are still looking to organize the remainder of your Christmas gear, hopefully you can snag a few ideas to still implement this year. Suddenly, I am feeling like Dr. Seuss....
First, let's chat about gift giving, since that is really a huge part of the season. One thing that I have loved year after year is my Gift Giving Tracker.
However, something new that helped me when it came time to wrap all of those happy little packages was our new gift wrap station!
For those looking for other great wrapping stations, I am still gaga for this over-the-door awesomeness created by my gal pal Cassie!
 |
| {via} |
If you are looking to tote around your gift wrapping essentials, you must check out this amazing DIY caddy created from a fast food cardboard drink carrier.
 |
| {via} |
When you have the space, it is great if you can carve out a little nook of your home for gift wrapping away from the kitchen table. I love this happy office corner, which can be used all month long for last minute gift wrapping sessions.
 |
| {via} |
If you are at all like me and use your ribbon year round, check out this smart solution which pairs dowels and a plastic basket for rockin' ribbon storage!
 |
| {via} |
And once the gifts for the kiddos are all wrapped and pretty,
 |
| {via} |
But how about organizing all of those decorations? Many of us sprinkle Christmas throughout our entire home, and even trim a tree. So many things to store away nice and neat!
Tip number one is to always add a sleeve or clear pocket to each bin, so that you can easily tuck a contents list inside. This will prevent rummaging next year!
Tip number two is to fall in love with Ziploc bags and Gladware containers! I try to reduce my use of them in my day to day life, but when it comes to storing itty bits and even those shatterproof ornaments, they are my go to organizers!
Tip number three is to wrap the rest around cardboard! The cardboard wrap method prevents items from tangling and works for everything from lights to garland; and is a simple and free solution!
 |
| {via} |
Tension rods work great as well!
 |
| {via} |
I am also simply smitten with this alternative solution to cords and strands, which is to wrap them with Velcro strips. Easy peasy!
 |
| {via} |
Other free storage solutions include empty apple containers...
 |
| {via} |
Or maybe egg cartons tickle your fancy?
 |
| {via} |
I am sure you have seen it 100 times, but the plastic cup glued to cardboard stacking trick is pure genius!
 |
| {via} |
Tip number four is to pack things up as if you were unpacking them! Place less used items at the bottom, frequently used or the first items use decorate with, at the top. Make things as simple as you can for next year. Also, keep original packaging and even use gift boxes to provide storage inside of storage for those ornaments and special decor pieces.
Last but not least, tip number five is to store all Christmas decor in similar style and colored bins for easy identification. This will ensure you are only grabbing at bins that matter most during the holidays, and not left searching amongst bins of memorabilia and auntie May's fine china.
I am head over heels for these stackable divided bins used by Katrina of the Organized Housewife! They are so wonderful for dividing ornaments by category and separating decor types.
 |
| {via} |
When it comes to storing a Christmas wreath, I have tried those hard sided bins and they only work well if you have a wreath small enough to fit inside. So happy I stumbled upon this idea to use a hanger paired with a dry cleaning bag for my additional storage-less wreaths!
 |
| {via} |
Do you display the lovely faces of friends and family that grace your mailbox in the form of greetings throughout the month of December? How freakin' adorable is this card display crafted from an old window shutter?
 |
| {via} |
But what do you do with those cards once the year has come and gone? I don't keep them all, but the ones with family photos get stored away in a special greeting card binder.
You can't go wrong by just paper punching them and placing them on a ring by year. Simple. Adorable. And memorable!
Last but not least, this little holiday binder didn't leave my side this season. It worked out great, and I look forward to adding to it for years to come! Even my guys used it a few times, which of course, made me warm and fuzzy inside.
So who is geared up to do a little extra organizing this year, to ensure next year goes off without a hitch? What are your favorite Christmas and holiday storage and organizing tips? Anything work particularly well for you this year?
Image used for header graphic found here.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Wardrobe Organization Using Stylebook
A couple of weeks ago I completed a major closet purging session and went through every last piece of clothing that I owned. I typically keep a "donate" bag inside of my closet, so I have been pretty good about maintaining a "one in" and "one out" policy. And being that our personal closets are not all that big to begin with, I really didn't think I would find myself getting rid of too many pieces of clothing.
I still ended up removing 114 pieces of clothing/shoes from my wardrobe! That was almost half of what I owned and left me feeling a) astonished and b) amazing. Suddenly, I felt free from my daily "what should I wear" battles. I shared in this post how I tucked everything back into place, and today I am going to share a little more about the new system I have been trying out ever since.
I am going to preface this post with a few points right off of the bat:
The first step for me was to completely empty out my closet and my drawers. I dumped every last piece of clothing onto my bed to prepare myself for a major sorting session.
As I began to work through my jumbo pile, I started to realize a few things.
With each item of clothing I touched during the sorting process, I asked myself quite a few questions. Do I really love it? Like, really, really love it? How often do I wear the item? And more importantly, how many different outfit combinations can I make with the specific item?
Last week I shared my tips for making the most of your home decor, and I shared my new rule of three. The rule is that any home decor item that I purchase should work within at least three different areas of our home. I also tried to apply a similar rule with my clothing. Was I able to create at least three different looks/outfits with each piece I was keeping? And more importantly, did I enjoy the piece of clothing enough to even try?
I think the overall goal was to make the most of my closet and the items I own. I want to spend less and achieve more. To make the most of the amount of storage I have available instead of going out to purchase more as my inventory grows/changes.
Because I am not a blogger known for creating creative outfits, and because I also do better with visuals, I thought I would utilize Stylebook to manage my current clothing inventory. Previously, I had pin boards on my closet door that I would use as outfit inspiration each morning...
The concept worked well but required me to print and pin up the photos, and truthfully I started to fall behind. The same outfits stayed on the board to the point of not being useful any longer. In fact, one board fell down completely a few months ago and I didn't even miss it.
Where did those outfit ideas come from? Bloggers. And where did I find those ideas and store many of them? Pinterest.
As much as I fight it at times, technology can make our lives easier and is much more instant than the process of printing, cutting and pinning. After my sorting session, I had reduced my clothing inventory to only key pieces that I truly enjoyed. Now it was time to digitally catalog each of those special pieces.
Wowza! This was not a quick process. Fairly easy, but it did take a few different time slotted sessions to get everything added in. And for those with walk-in closets and rows of clothing, this may not be the best solution for you.
Using a combination of Google Images, Online Shopping Sites and the "Shop" feature in the application, I loaded in an image of each of the items of clothing that I decided to keep (or images that closely resemble my clothing items).
Once each item of clothing is saved, you can take things a step further and create outfit combinations with each of the clothing images. Those combinations can also be saved within specific outfit categories, such as "day", "evening", "formal", etc...
If you are at all like me, you like someone else to tell you how to dress. I typically will utilize Pinterest to search for specific outfit combinations based on the item I would like to wear. For example, if I would like to wear a coral skirt, I will search for "Coral Skirt" on Pinterest.
I will then scroll through the images until I find outfits I can make with the items I own (or outfits that look similar or can be used as inspiration). I save each of those items to my inspiration files in Stylebook.
And that is as much as I have personally done with the app. I have saved quite the variety of outfit ideas based on the clothing that I already owned, and finding at least three ways to wear each piece. Now, each morning I am able to flip through the categories in my Inspiration file and based on what my day holds, I can easily plan my attire. And because the application is on my iPad, I can do this from bed the evening before or right away each morning. Heck, I can even plan an entire week's worth of outfits in a jiff!
I also loved that many of the clothing items left in my closet really reflected my personality and my favorite colors (the same ones I use in my decor, printables and day-to-day life). That was a VERY good sign.
P.S. Major props to the fashion bloggers putting together outfits effortlessly each day. Even laying out pieces to photograph is not as easy as one would think!
A few more notes about my Stylebook experience:
Overall, the app is pretty user friendly, however, I did run into some questions along the way and realized I was making things a bit harder than necessary. I found this website extremely helpful when it came to troubleshooting my questions
Anyone else a fan of the Stylebook app? Or any other apps that help you manage your wardrobe? I would also love to know where y'all find your clothing inspiration.
Read more »
I still ended up removing 114 pieces of clothing/shoes from my wardrobe! That was almost half of what I owned and left me feeling a) astonished and b) amazing. Suddenly, I felt free from my daily "what should I wear" battles. I shared in this post how I tucked everything back into place, and today I am going to share a little more about the new system I have been trying out ever since.
I am going to preface this post with a few points right off of the bat:
- This post is not at all sponsored by Stylebook. In fact, they were a long time blog sponsor (which is how I learned about them), but they are no longer advertising on iHeart Organizing. I decided to purchase the app on my own to help me make better use of the clothing that I own.
- Stylebook is an app that I use on my iPad and iPhone. Just like many organizational apps, this app can be utilized down to an incredible depth of detail. I am using it at a higher level and know that I am not fully taking advantage of every last feature that the app offers.
- Some of you asked that I share a few examples of the outfits that I decided to keep. Knowing I am far from a fashionista, I was a bit apprehensive, but further down I do share how I put together a week's worth of outfits using the inspiration I gathered and stored in the Stylebook app. Not a trendsetter, totally a follower.
The first step for me was to completely empty out my closet and my drawers. I dumped every last piece of clothing onto my bed to prepare myself for a major sorting session.
As I began to work through my jumbo pile, I started to realize a few things.
- Many items hadn't been touched in over a year. I would let myself believe that I would find a way to wear it or make it work to avoid letting go of something I thought I loved and splurged on. This time I was ruthless and was OK letting go of things regardless of the cost or intention.
- I made sure to pay attention to the brands of the clothing I was purging the most. There were a few brands that hadn't held up well to frequent washings and wearings.
- Many of the clothing items I was putting in my donate pile, were items that I purchased either impulsively or to create a single outfit.
- Having too many pieces of clothing to select from can create an overwhelming feeling in the morning and can also mean that the clothes that are being invested in, are not being worn often enough.
- Having too many clothes costs more than just dollars, it costs sanity and space.
- I had a lot of items that were quite similar in shape, size and style. Below is an example of two dresses that I owned, and when I put them together I had to ask myself, "why"?
With each item of clothing I touched during the sorting process, I asked myself quite a few questions. Do I really love it? Like, really, really love it? How often do I wear the item? And more importantly, how many different outfit combinations can I make with the specific item?
Last week I shared my tips for making the most of your home decor, and I shared my new rule of three. The rule is that any home decor item that I purchase should work within at least three different areas of our home. I also tried to apply a similar rule with my clothing. Was I able to create at least three different looks/outfits with each piece I was keeping? And more importantly, did I enjoy the piece of clothing enough to even try?
I think the overall goal was to make the most of my closet and the items I own. I want to spend less and achieve more. To make the most of the amount of storage I have available instead of going out to purchase more as my inventory grows/changes.
Because I am not a blogger known for creating creative outfits, and because I also do better with visuals, I thought I would utilize Stylebook to manage my current clothing inventory. Previously, I had pin boards on my closet door that I would use as outfit inspiration each morning...
The concept worked well but required me to print and pin up the photos, and truthfully I started to fall behind. The same outfits stayed on the board to the point of not being useful any longer. In fact, one board fell down completely a few months ago and I didn't even miss it.
Where did those outfit ideas come from? Bloggers. And where did I find those ideas and store many of them? Pinterest.
As much as I fight it at times, technology can make our lives easier and is much more instant than the process of printing, cutting and pinning. After my sorting session, I had reduced my clothing inventory to only key pieces that I truly enjoyed. Now it was time to digitally catalog each of those special pieces.
Wowza! This was not a quick process. Fairly easy, but it did take a few different time slotted sessions to get everything added in. And for those with walk-in closets and rows of clothing, this may not be the best solution for you.
Using a combination of Google Images, Online Shopping Sites and the "Shop" feature in the application, I loaded in an image of each of the items of clothing that I decided to keep (or images that closely resemble my clothing items).
Once each item of clothing is saved, you can take things a step further and create outfit combinations with each of the clothing images. Those combinations can also be saved within specific outfit categories, such as "day", "evening", "formal", etc...
If you are at all like me, you like someone else to tell you how to dress. I typically will utilize Pinterest to search for specific outfit combinations based on the item I would like to wear. For example, if I would like to wear a coral skirt, I will search for "Coral Skirt" on Pinterest.
I will then scroll through the images until I find outfits I can make with the items I own (or outfits that look similar or can be used as inspiration). I save each of those items to my inspiration files in Stylebook.
 |
| LOVE YOUR STYLE HI SUGARPLUM! |
And that is as much as I have personally done with the app. I have saved quite the variety of outfit ideas based on the clothing that I already owned, and finding at least three ways to wear each piece. Now, each morning I am able to flip through the categories in my Inspiration file and based on what my day holds, I can easily plan my attire. And because the application is on my iPad, I can do this from bed the evening before or right away each morning. Heck, I can even plan an entire week's worth of outfits in a jiff!
I also loved that many of the clothing items left in my closet really reflected my personality and my favorite colors (the same ones I use in my decor, printables and day-to-day life). That was a VERY good sign.
P.S. Major props to the fashion bloggers putting together outfits effortlessly each day. Even laying out pieces to photograph is not as easy as one would think!
A few more notes about my Stylebook experience:
- I can easily sync and share my items between my iPhone & iPad, however, I wish it was automatic based on my profile and not something that I have to do manually.
- This app will prevent me from purchasing duplicate items and help me become much more intentional about my clothing shopping.
- Once I got over the major time suck of the initial setup, maintaining the app is easy breezy. If I purchase a new piece of clothing, I just have to track it down on the clothing's website and save it to my Stylebook app right away.
- I have been utilizing the app for a couple weeks now and it definitely has helped me make better use out of the items I am storing in my closet. I am actually excited to pull together outfits each day because it is easy and I know I won't be wearing the same things week after week. No more clothing ruts!
- One of the biggest wins for me is that although my closet is organized (even by clothing type and color), I can gaze at everything hanging there and nothing jumps out at me. Looking at a full closet becomes visually overwhelming to me. This app allows me to see my inventory right with the push of a button and also provides me with a variety of compatible outfits at any time, from anywhere.
- Stylebook offers a calendar that allows you to schedule your specific outfits out in advance. I haven't done that yet, but I did want to mention that for any of you long term outfit planners.
- Stylebook also offers the ability to photograph your clothing, I opted to utilize stock images for a cleaner look.
Overall, the app is pretty user friendly, however, I did run into some questions along the way and realized I was making things a bit harder than necessary. I found this website extremely helpful when it came to troubleshooting my questions
Anyone else a fan of the Stylebook app? Or any other apps that help you manage your wardrobe? I would also love to know where y'all find your clothing inspiration.
Our Favorite Tools for Everyday, Crafts & DIY
With the number of questions and inquiries we have received regarding our favorite DIY tools over the years, it is crazy that it has taken me this long to compile a post on that exact subject.
We are a mixed bag of big projects (knocking down walls, installing floors, building storage and furniture....) and smaller, crafty DIYs (drawer organizers, decorative boxes, labels, memo boards....). Why we opt to DIY really varies from project to project; sometimes it allows us to create something bigger and better on a tighter budget, and other times it allows us to create something custom to exactly fit our style and needs.
Our tool arsenal has grown over the years, however, there are a few specific items that we find ourselves reaching for time and time again. Bryan and I sat down and came up with our top, "couldn't DIY without" products for everyday, crafting and DIY. We thought about the things we use most frequently, as well as the items we would purchase first if we had to start from scratch all over again.
For everyday repairs, installs and home maintenance, these are the items we keep in a nearby drawer and that we use more than any other tools:
When it comes to my daily organizing antics, here are the ten items that keep me excited and motivated to tackle any size project (in no particular order):
I utilize a paper slicer for cutting paper of all sizes, typically 12" x 12" sheets of scrapbooking paper. I also reach for my paper slicer when working with rolls of vinyl, making labels and cutting liner for smaller drawers and dividers. The slicer offers quicker, straighter cuts than I ever would be able to make myself with scissors.
There aren't very many organizing projects that happen without the help of my Silhouette. What I love most is that it has the ability to make vinyl labels, which look professional and seamless on just about any drawer, bin or jar. It also offers a print and cut feature which is fantastic for sticker labels. The die cutting tool also has the ability to be paired with a variety of specialty papers to create projects out of gold foil, glitter and even iron-on fabric. In my opinion, the Silhouette is one of the most versatile craft tools around.
I surprised myself with this one, but I do love my iron for a variety of small projects. Because I don't always get along with my sewing machine, an iron comes to the rescue with a slew of "no sew" options. I have done iron-on labels, new sew pouches and fabric covered boxes all with the help of this standard household tool.
Although the obvious use for these brushes is painting (which I love), I also reach for them for projects that include gold leafing, gilding, and decoupage.
I am able to get my daily color lovin' fix by using fine tip markers for writing notes, making labels and filling out my daily calendar, planner and to-do lists.
Hot glue is great for working with rope, upholstery trim, labels, and just about any other small fabric or paper craft. I reach for my glue gun before I reach for the bigger tools, and typically am surprised about the amount of hold is provides.
My laminator basically acts as an insurance policy for my projects, especially when kiddos are involved. Most often I laminate labels to ensure they last for the long haul, but I also find myself laminating checklists (allowing them to be reused), as well as smaller drawer liners and the covers to my spiral-bound planners and notebooks.
I generally use my staple gun for upholstery projects (playroom benches, dining chairs, headboards, stools, etc...), but it can also act as a fastening tool for small woodworking projects.
If you love to spray paint, you will love having a small paint sprayer. This spray gun gives you the ability to turn any color paint into a spray paint, and it covers smoother than any brush or roller. Sprayers also provide consistent coverage and allow for you to get into awkward spaces easier than with typical painting tools.
After I finally broke down and purchased an over-sized cutting mat and rotary tool, I questioned why I waited so long. It was life changing, especially for a girl obsessed with lining drawers and bookcases. I actually have two of the rotary cutting tools; one designated for fabrics and the other for paper projects. Talk about cutting like butta! Pair them with a yard stick and you will have the most beautiful and straight cuts for all of your crafty projects. #gamechanger
Now that you have my top ten, I am turning the mic over to Bryan to find out more about his top ten woodworking tools.
Our miter saw is used for the majority of our woodworking projects, generally for cutting wood at specific angles. An invaluable tool for cutting trim and moulding, it is also one of the quickest ways to make any clean wood cuts. Just getting started with DIY? A miter box is a great alternative for smaller woodworking and moulding projects.
The pedestal roller offers support and acts as an "extra set of hands" while working with longer or larger pieces of wood.
This tool provides the ability to create seamless exterior finishes by hiding the screw hardware inside of "pockets". A Kreg Jig is perfect for building boxes, cabinets and other decorative furniture in which you do not wish to see the fastening hardware as part of the end result.
A cutting guide is a carpentry tool designed for use with circular saws or routers to create accurate cuts over long distances. Although you can substitute a straight piece of wood or trim, the aluminum guide offers a sturdy, reliable and straight edge each and every time.
Rarely a day goes by where we don't reach for our cordless drill. Perfect for projects big and small, it can do everything from tightening furniture and hanging window hardware to constructing a full wall of built-ins. Sure, a screw driver can work, but your hands will be grateful for the ease and quickness this tool provides. Pair it with a "drill-flip-drive" bit and you can switch between your pre-drill and standard drill bit in one swift motion.
A circular saw offers portability and flexibility with your cutting projects. When paired with saw horses and the aluminum cutting guide we shared above, it can take the place of a standard table saw. Although we have a table saw tucked in the corner of our garage, we gravitate towards this tool due to the ease of use and the overall flexibility it provides. Blades can also be swapped to be used with wood, stone and metal.
The squeeze clamp can expand to fit both small and large projects and offers padding to protect the wood finish. The squeeze option allows you to quickly set the clamp in place, it also comes with a quick release to protect the integrity of the project when removing the clamp. The clamp itself either acts as another set of hands for cutting or drilling, or holds wood pieces in place while your glues/adhesives work their magic.
The T-bevel has a movable blade that allows you to copy any angle, from 0 to 360 degrees, and transfer it onto other surfaces such as moldings or lumber. This was a jumbo sized time saver for us while working with awkward ceiling and flooring angles.
Brad nailers utilize finishing nails, which are tiny in comparison to standard screws/nails. The small size of the nails makes this tool ideal for a magnitude of woodworking and trim projects in which you wish for the fastening hardware to be concealed (with wood putty or painter's caulk). All nailers will need to be paired with an air compressor, which provides the force to the tool. All of our trim work, crown, planks and moulding have been completed utilizing this fabulous piece of equipment.
Now watch me jig, and watch me nae nae.... No? Oh boy, my kids just hid in embarrassment... Anyway, we do like to do a little jig for this jigsaw tool, because it provides endless creative flexibility for cutting and shaping wood. Generally used for creating curved wood edges, it can also create intricate shapes and designs, even decorative typography. The small blade is the key to allowing the cutter to go places typical saws cannot reach. These blades are also interchangeable for cutting a variety of materials.
So there you have it, our absolute favorite tools and supplies. Each one of these tools make really wonderful Christmas, birthday and house warming gifts for others, or even for yourself! The majority of them are so wonderfully versatile and can be used for an endless array of projects for years to come.
Now that we have shared our favorites, we would love to know your personal DIY and craft supply loves. What items would you feel lost without? What tools do you find yourself grabbing for multiple times per week, month or year? Any other items that are game changers in your day-to-day projecting sessions?
Find my favorite painting supplies here.
* affiliate links used
Read more »
We are a mixed bag of big projects (knocking down walls, installing floors, building storage and furniture....) and smaller, crafty DIYs (drawer organizers, decorative boxes, labels, memo boards....). Why we opt to DIY really varies from project to project; sometimes it allows us to create something bigger and better on a tighter budget, and other times it allows us to create something custom to exactly fit our style and needs.
Our tool arsenal has grown over the years, however, there are a few specific items that we find ourselves reaching for time and time again. Bryan and I sat down and came up with our top, "couldn't DIY without" products for everyday, crafting and DIY. We thought about the things we use most frequently, as well as the items we would purchase first if we had to start from scratch all over again.
For everyday repairs, installs and home maintenance, these are the items we keep in a nearby drawer and that we use more than any other tools:
- Utility knife: Opening packages, slicing paper, scraping/cleaning glass
- Safety glasses: Protective eye wear
- Hammer: Quick hanging projects
- Pliers: Tightening pipes, removing shelving pegs
- Tape measure: Project planning, drawer liner installation
- Flashlight: Power outages, viewing dark corners/crevices (cabinets, behind furniture, etc...)
- Screwdriver: Removing electrical plates for painting, opening electronics, tightening furniture
- Level: Hanging projects, furniture/maintenance checks
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| utility knife | safety glasses | hammer | pliers | tape measure | flashlight | screwdriver | level |
When it comes to my daily organizing antics, here are the ten items that keep me excited and motivated to tackle any size project (in no particular order):
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| paper slicer |
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| silhouette die cutting machine |
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| iron |
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| craft brushes |
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| color pens |
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| hot glue gun |
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| laminator |
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| staple gun |
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| paint sprayer |
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| cutting mat w/rotary tool |
Now that you have my top ten, I am turning the mic over to Bryan to find out more about his top ten woodworking tools.
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| miter saw |
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| pedestal roller |
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| kreg jig |
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| aluminum cutting guide |
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| cordless drill |
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| circular saw |
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| quick clamp |
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| sliding t-bevel |
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| brad nailer |
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| jigsaw |
So there you have it, our absolute favorite tools and supplies. Each one of these tools make really wonderful Christmas, birthday and house warming gifts for others, or even for yourself! The majority of them are so wonderfully versatile and can be used for an endless array of projects for years to come.
Now that we have shared our favorites, we would love to know your personal DIY and craft supply loves. What items would you feel lost without? What tools do you find yourself grabbing for multiple times per week, month or year? Any other items that are game changers in your day-to-day projecting sessions?
Find my favorite painting supplies here.
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