10 Reasons to Learn How to Use Power Tools
Can I tell you a little secret? I’m on a mission to empower women to learn to use power tools. And I have been pretty much as long as I discovered my own love for honest-to-goodness DIY and building. And I love showing others how much easier it is than they always thought! But why bother? Here are 10 reasons to learn how to use power tools!
To save so much money it’s ridiculous: That’s always the biggest reason to DIY, right? People do things themselves so they don’t have to pay someone else a lot of money to do it for them. But seriously, do you know just how much money you can save? Take this beautiful farmhouse table that I built for example. A reader recently told me that she was quoted $4,000 for a table just like this with two benches. Do you know how much I paid to build this table myself (which I did in one weekend, btw?) $100! Um, I don’t know about you but that’s a savings of $3900! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve built and DIY’ed so many things that cost me just a tiny fraction of the price of having a professional do it.
To work on your own schedule: DIY doesn’t necessarily save you a lot of time, per se, but in a way it does. It saves you time in that you don’t have to spend time waiting and waiting for someone else to do it for you. And sometimes if that ‘someone’ is a relative, that project doesn’t always take priority and you don’t end up having anything done for months, sometimes longer! Doing your own projects yourself means you can get it done on your own time frame.
To be your own handyman: It’s so nice to be able to do little things like hanging curtain rods and blinds and switching out light fixtures yourself. I can’t even imagine having to hire that stuff out all the time, just picturing dollar bills with wings just flying away from me. Learn to use power tools and be your own handyman!
To do whatever you want to your house: This is one of my favorite things. I have a vision for a room, and even if that vision contains dramatic build-ins or wall treatments, I know that I can do it myself. I know that I don’t have to have a huge budget for that space because I can do the expensive part for way less. Like this guest room makeover–tons of wainscoting and trim work. Makes a huge difference in the space and the cost of supplies was around $100.
To learn an incredibly useful skill: Need to hang some shelves? Need to build that giant piece of IKEA furniture? No problem. You can totally do it now, by yourself! No more relying on other people to do little things for you, you know how to do it on your own.
To make things that are so impressive people will think you’re freakin’ amazing: I admit I love it when people visit my home and my husband shows them the things I’ve done (I feel dumb bragging about myself haha!) and they are so impressed. It’s just so gratifying to have the validation for all your hard work and effort.
To prove to yourself that you have no fear: Learning to use power tools has made me feel next to invincible at times. Wielding tools that could literally cut your limbs off and learning to control them to make beautiful things, that’s just a power that is amazing. And it’s a skill that makes you feel strong and fearless. Yes, I still make mistakes, but I learn from them every time. And every time I get a little bit better.
To stop relying on other people: This goes along with the ‘working on your own schedule’ thing but it’s great to know that if something needs to be done, you can just do it. You don’t have to worry about anyone else cutting the wood for you or shooting the nails because you are afraid to to do it. You just giterdun.
To create function, organization, and purpose in your house: I’ve become a little obsessed with organizing my house the last two years. Especially because I’m not naturally that organized so becoming organized is so incredibly refreshing. I build shelves. Lots of shelves. Then I can find cute bins and baskets and put all my crap in there. With cute labels, of course. And then my house goes from being messy and cluttered to functional, organized, and just really beautiful and peaceful. For example, this tool closet I customized has made a world of difference with my DIY projects–since everything has a place and is easily found!
To make a gorgeous home that you absolutely love: My biggest goal of learning to use power tools was to make a gorgeous home that I love, love, love. And I’m on my way! With each little project, I get one step closer. For example, last year I took my builder-grade blah fireplace and built a gorgeous custom mantel that is now the focal point in my home. And now I don’t look at the fireplace and cringe, I look at it and get this warm, fuzzy feeling of love and happiness. Because it’s beautiful and because I did that. I made it that way.
Power tools have changed my life. And I seriously want them to change yours if they haven’t already! If you’re feeling overwhelmed and scared, please check out my brand-new ebook A Girl’s Guide to Power Tools! Today is the official launch day and I’m so excited!
What’s inside:
- Why you should learn to use power tools
- What obstacles that are stopping you from trying power tools and how to overcome them
- Detailed diagrams and explanations of the power tools I used the most
- How to use each power tool
- Shopping tips for purchasing power tools
So…want to learn how to use power tools? Start with A Girl’s Guide to Power Tools!
The first is the Jigsaw the smallest of the power saws which is great for working with light materials such as MDF or cutting through thin pieces of wood. They need to cut with the grain as they typically do not have sufficient power to work against the grain.
Hey Heidi, such an informative article you had shared. All the information you had perfectly given here. By reading this, I got clear about all the power tools.those are very essential and also beneficial. Your tips will help me a lot to buy and use those materials correctly.thanks for sharing this.keep posting this type of helpful articles. 🙂
Great work, Yes power tools important our dealy life.