Reality Daydream

The Dream is Free, The Hustle Sold Separately

Our Must-Have DIY Tools and Products

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We’ve been getting a lot of emails lately requesting a round-up post of our must-have DIY tools. You know… what we use, what we like. I’ve been putting off writing it for awhile, because it’s so daunting thinking about putting together a list… we use SO MANY tools and products. How do I just choose a handful?

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Nick and I sat down together and made a list of things we deem essential to our day-to-day DIY adventures. We have a LOT more items that we use fairly regularly… so if you find yourself needing a recommendation for an Oscillating Edge/Belt Spinning Sander… feel free to ask us (and we would send you straight to Ridgid!)
Collection of all the most important Must-Haves for the DIYer! {Reality Daydream}

Every DIYer is going to have a different list of must-haves… and these are ours. In no particular order.

1) Janome Harmony 2049 ~ It’s no secret that I’m a beginner behind the sewing machine (see my SIMPLE sewing tutorials here), but this little gem has made it simple and dare I say FUN! It’s easy to use and fairly self-explanatory. And it has yet to fail me! I should add that it can do lots of fancy things that I don’t dare try at this point, so I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s for beginners only. DIY Must-haves ~Janome Sewing Machine {Sawdust and Embryos}

2) Cordless Air-Strike Brad-Nailer (RYOBI) ~ This bad boy is soooooo handy. Most brad-nailers need an air compressor, but that’s such a pain when your air compressor weighs more than you do and you’ve got biz to do on the second floor of your house (like this). And I might add that it just FEEEEELS so POWERFUL! And pretty Bad-A. RYOBI Cordless Brad Nailer 3) Overhead Projector ~ This is one of my most PRIZED possessions. And I use it pretty frequently for lots of different things. This isn’t my exact overhead projector (because mine is ancient), but it’s close enough. To see the many projects we’ve used this for, click here! Overhead projector

4) Purdy Cub Brush ~ This is the BEST cutting brush for edges and trim work. The bristles are very fine which gives a professional finish, and the angle of the brush makes it easy to get in corners. These little guys are expensive as far as paint brushes go, so I’ve been known to just use cheap-o brushes too. Purdy Cub Brush

5) JET Scroll Saw ~ If you’ve been around our blog for any time at all, you know I have pretty strong feelings for my scroll saw. We’ve invested a lot of hours in our relationship, and have a lot of fun things to show for it. I just love how easy it is to use, and create beautiful and unique things. There are so many possibilities with this one! If you’re looking for a more ‘beginner scroll saw’, I recommend this one! DO NOT buy a scroll saw for less than $200 or you will be sorely disappointed.

Jet Scroll Saw via Rockler Woodworking {Reality Daydream}

6) Royal Soft-Grip Paint Brushes ~ As you know, I like to dabble in a little decorative and intricate painting… and these brushes are my fave. My Mother-in Law Diane gives me a new stash each year for Christmas, and I get really excited about it. The bristles are so soft. But not too soft. And they NEVER shed. DIY Must-Haves... Royal Soft-grip Paint Brushes {Sawdust and Embryos}

7) Compound Sliding Miter Saw (RYOBI) ~ We use this tool almost daily to slice one thing or another. It’s so easy just to chop a piece of wood smaller, or cut perfect angles for trim or crown moulding. So very useful. DIY Must-haves by Sawdust and Embryos ... Ryobi Miter Saw

8) Cordless Drill / Impact Driver Kit (RYOBI) ~ It’s funny, because my first instinct is to pull out a screw driver… but after having these little beauts at our fingertips, everything has changed! We have a massive corded drill that we would drag around if we were desperate, but the portability and power of these is unmatched! And soooo handy! I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty partial to the chartreuse color too. Ryobi Impact Driver Cordless Drill Kit... DIY Must-haves by Sawdust and Embryos}

9) Orbital Sander (Porter Cable) ~ I’m fairly confident that sanding is the most-dreaded DIY task in the entire DIY world of DIYers. And I’ll admit that hand-sanding is not only sucky, but it’s also sucktastic. After we got this Orbital Sander (that I never knew existed), I actually get a little excited when I find a project that requires sanding. You don’t have to put any pressure on it… it just does it’s thing. You just have to move it around. Maybe someday they’ll make a Roomba Robotic Orbital Sander that you can just walk away from and it will sense where the edges are and everything. Hmmmmm! Porter and Cable Orbital Sander... DIY Must-haves by Sawdust and Embryos}

10) Kreg Pocket Hole Jig ~ Nick is no stranger to the Kreg Jig. He’s a pocket-hole-drilling FOOL! I’ve only recently become familiar with it, and learned how simple it is and how it makes joints so strong without looking shawty. How do people even come up with these things? GENIUS. We use the Kreg Jig on basically anything that has more than one piece of wood. DIY Must-haves... Kreg Pocket Hole Jig {Sawdust and Embryos}

11) Heavy Duty Upholstery Staple Gun ~ I’ve had this staple gun since my college days in design school… and it’s still going strong YEARS later (we won’t say how many years). We use it for our various upholstery endeavors, as well as just here and there for random things. Heavy Duty Upholstery Staple Gun

12) Paint Sprayer (Wagner Flexio 590) ~ This paint sprayer is amazing andit gets the job done quick and simple! Also, it’s easy to clean, which is super important to us… as often as we use this puppy. Works great for large AND small projects! Here is a post where we go into more detail about this paint sprayer.

Wagner Flexio Paint Gun {Reality Daydream}

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Phew! That wasn’t so bad! We know how fortunate we are in the tool department, so when we’re writing posts we try to tell you when you can substitute another tool… or omit a step altogether. Feel free to pin this image for future reference!

Collection of all the most important Must-Haves for the DIYer! {Reality Daydream}

If you have any questions about certain tools, or our feelings about certain brands, feel free to ask! We don’t know everything, but we’re happy to share what knowledge we do have.

Sawdust & Embryos

*this post contains affiliate links

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Comments

  1. 24

    These are very essential DIY Tools. As a DIY worker, I badly needed these tools for various DIY projects. Thanks for your awesome article about DIY tools. Please keep sharing your thoughts with us.

    Reply
  2. 25

    Very essential DIY tools. We should keep the collection of these tools for various DIY projects. Thanks for sharing these tools with us.

    Your blog is very helpful I often visit your site and got very good info. Please keep sharing.

    Reply
  4. 27

    Power tools are really very much helpful when any homeowner wanna to renovate his or her house, garden or any other woodworking related tasks. But if any newbie took the basic tools for use then I think a proper guideline must be followed. so here you do this.Thanks for sharing this article.

    Reply
  6. 29

    I am coveting your tools! You should try one of these: I think you’ll like Newest 1000 lumens Full Color 130″ Portable 800x480p LED Projector Video System HDMI Interface For Home Theater Cinema Video Games TV Movie (GM60). Add it to your wishlist!

    http://www.wish.com/c/5594a2bb7d7457406ba2f557
    This one is $134 but there are cheaper ones. What I like is that you can create an outdoor theatre anywhere with a white sheet! And anything you can bring up on a screen will project on a wall.

    Ps: I want to be your apprentice!!!! (And I babysit. ?)

    Reply
  8. 34

    Beth, I love all your suggestions! But I didn’t see a suggestion for a table saw. What would you suggest?

    Reply
  10. 36

    Thanks for the roundup. Until now I have been reading DIY blogs just for aesthetic pleasure, but recently I have been wanting to do DIY myself too. Once I finish school and actually own a house. So this roundup is useful. What I really want is to apprentice with a DIY blogger for a bit, because right now I feel too intimidated to do anything more than spray paint furniture

    Reply
  13. 42

    This is great, thank you! I’m finding it soooo hard to be patient in accumulating these tools. Next up: the scrumptious Kreg jig. It shall be mine soon enough 🙂

    ps- I’m fairly new to your site and, holy cats, you have so much awesome stuff! Very talented. You’re inspiring me to take on bigger projects!

    Reply
  14. 44

    I pinned this to my board, made especially for my husband (Michael’s Man Cave). I’m adding these to my list of gifts to give my husband and/or brothers, ( or crafty sister).

    Reply

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Attention: Almost any do-it-yourself project involves risk of some sort. Your tools, materials, and skills will vary, as will the conditions at your project site. Reality Daydream has made every effort to be complete and accurate in the instructions of the plans on this website. Reality Daydream will not assume any responsibility or liability for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your project or in the use of the item you create. Always follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions in the use of tools, check and follow your local building codes, and observe all commonly accepted safety precautions.