I love a good DIY project and keep a few things on hand so I am ready for any project that comes my way! You don’t need all these items before you start any project, but gather them over time.
Chalk Paint and Wood Stain
There are a wide variety of chalk paints and wood stains to choose from. My favorite chalk paint that I have used is Waverly from Walmart, but I haven’t had a bad experience with any chalk paints yet. If you want to chalk paint furniture, I would suggest using a specialty paint like Annie Sloan, Fusion or Dixie Bell.
Along with chalk paint, you will want to have at least one sealer. Commonly, for chalk paint you want to use wax, but you can use almost any type depending on the project.
It is very convenient to keep one small can of wood stain in your craft stash. You need very little wood stain to cover a lot of wood, so you can buy a very small can. Once you choose your favorite color stain, you can use it over and over again in your home for a cohesive look.
Black and White Rustoleum Spray Paint
Spray paint is so useful for reviving items and quickly covering with an even coat of paint. I always have at least one can of flat black and white just in case I need them. I used the Rustoleum High Heat black spray paint to cover the brass pieces on my fireplace and it worked amazingly.
Rustoleum Spray Paint Handle
If you’ve ever had to spray paint something, you will understand why this handle is so nice. You just squeeze the trigger instead of pushing the nozzle on the can. It is so much cleaner and easier to dispense. I won’t spray paint without this.
High Quality Paintbrushes, and Dollar Store Foam Brushes
My high quality paintbrushes are from Michaels, so you don’t have to get too fancy. Any synthetic brush that you can easily wash is great for most DIY projects.
I also keep foam brushes from Dollar Tree on hand for projects where I just want to throw away the brush afterwards. Foam brushes are great for applying top coats and sealers because they give a very smooth finish.
Surebonder Cordless Hot Glue Gun with Gorilla Glue Hot Glue
Surebonder makes the best glue guns on the market. If you don’t want a cordless one (why?), then they have plenty of corded options. This is the one I purchased, and I love it.
I also love the Gorilla Glue Hot Glue because it holds so much stronger than regular hot glue.
Twine
I’m honestly amazed at how often I reach for twine in my house. Twine is available at the Dollar Tree, and unless you are using it for decorating there is no reason to pay more.
Screwdriver & Screws, Hammer & Nails
You should have these items in your home anyways, but having basic home tools is often handy when doing DIY projects. Having other basic home supplies like WD-40, a wrench, and an extension cord also are useful.
Putty Scraper and Exact-o Knife
These items could be included under the above category of “basic house supplies”. A putty scraper is great for scraping anything off; for example if you use too much hot glue and need to scrape it away. An exact-o knife is useful for projects where regular scissors are just too bulky.
Power Tools: Impact Drill, Circular Saw, Random Orbital Sander
You can get a kit of these tools by Ryobi at Home Depot for a great price around any major holiday. I recommend Ryobi because you can get the cordless versions and they are very beginner friendly.
If you aren’t sure you like DIY and don’t want to buy a big kit, just buy tools one at a time based on the projects you are doing. This is the way my dad built up his arsenal of tools – he would find a house project that needs whatever tool he wanted so he had a legit reason to buy it.
Sewing Machine – or Needle and Thread
A sewing machine comes in handy more times that I would have expected. Even when I don’t want to bother with the sewing machine, having a few options for thread color and needle size have been very useful.
Honorary Mention: Pom Pom Maker, Yarn and Embroidery Floss
I love my pom pom maker from Amazon, but it is definitely not required. Making pom-poms and tassels to add to projects just adds to the fun.
With all of these items, I like being able to see a project online and just get started with it. Taking away the barrier of waiting to get supplies makes it so much easier to follow my creative whims.