The self-sufficient girl

Must-have tools for DIYs

2012-05-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

If you really want to succeed at DIYs, you have to become familiar with the tools and other equipment that are most common and that you'll probably be using frequently.

I won't just be concentrating on things that require tools, but it's not like I need to explain what scissors and glue are, right?? Wait...I don't, do I?? I guess if you need me to, feel free to msg me and I'll do my best to catch up what you've missed while living under a rock.

So let's start with actual tools. I'll put in the ones I normally use when I do things, even if I don't use them every single time. They're still good to have. You could always buy a started set, as they contain the basics. Mine is pink (which I love!!) and the money (or at least a part of) went to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It's the Apollo Precision Tools 39-Piece General Set, which can be bought at Canadian Tire if you're in Canada, or on here on Amazon if you're in the US. There is a 135-piece set, which is so desperately want and will buy one day soon!! Amazon tells me there is also an Apollo craft set with a glue gun...I will also have to buy that one.

Anyways, so tools.

HAMMER: The hammer should be one you already know. It's used to force an object into something -- a nail into a wall, a piece into something tight.

SCREWDRIVER: This one is fairly self-explanatory: drives screws or bolts into something. Screwdrivers sometimes have detachable tips, or bits, so that you can change them depending on the type of screwdriver. If yours doesn't have this, make you sure you have at least one for each of the three common types: flathead, the Phillips (cross), and the Robertson (square). There are others, but those are usually included in a multi-tip. My suggestion would be to get one of those. You never know when you'll need a different tip, and having to stop in the middle of building would be terrible!!

Use a magnetic screwdriver. The screws will stay attached to the tip, and you won't have to look for dropped pieces.

PLIERS: These are used to hold things firmly, such as if you're putting in any nuts and bolts or need to put in a washer or something on the other end of the screw. According to Wikipedia, there are many different types, although the one pictured is usually enough to get the work done.

HEX/ALLEN KEY: This key is used to turn bolts and screws that have a hex socket. Works essentially like a screwdriver, however, they can be bought as a set with different sized heads. If you buy Ikea furniture, each item comes with one of these, as they are used extensively in their products.

X-ACTO KNIFE: I wasn't sure to include this one or not, but it came in my pretty pink tool set, and it's useful for a lot of crafts, so I decided to include it. It's basically a utility knife with a Number 2 retractable blade. X-Acto is actually a brand, so feel free to buy a different brand of knife.

TAPE MEASURE: Pretty self-explanatory, this helps you measure. It normally has inches and centimeters, so you're set no matter where you are. They normally also include a stopper so that you can measure up (like to the ceiling) and so that it won't retract the second you let go, which helps as it gives you time to look at it.

Two others I consider important but aren't in my toolkit (and so don't match my pretty pictures) are the level and the wrench. The level helps you make sure whatever you're putting up is straight and not tilted, and can be bought in a regular, water-based tool (the bubble tells you when you're level) or as a laser. The wrench is used to provide grip and apply torque to objects such as nuts and bolts and keep them from turning.

So there you have it, the basic tools you need to get buy. Honestly, everyone should have these -- and more!! -- around the house. So if you don't, go out and get some!!

Don't forget to get some nails, as well as different-sized screws and anchors for them!! It's always a good idea to have some around.

Power tools are also important, but not always necessary. I'll get to those on a separate post. For now, making sure you have basic tools is your homework!!

Oh, the plans I have!!

2012-05-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

I have a few projects I'm planning to tackle in the next few weeks. Most of them are small and are more decorative than big, furniture creations or redos. Most are from blogs or sites I've seen elsewhere, or interesting pictures I've seen on Pinterest that I'm either gonna find the original post or try and do it all myself.

So what are these plans, you ask?? Well, I have sooo many.

The first one I plan to tackle is this DIY string heart I've found online at Green Wedding Shoes. It's pretty simple, and can be done with a huge variety of pictures. I'm torn between the heart or maybe a star. Maybe both??

I'm also thinking of seeing if maybe I can write a few happy words or maybe a short poem using this technique and put it up. I'm hoping to do that next week, so you'll see that up soon.

Another thing I want to get in my room, which is even simpler, is this necklace holder. I'm currently using something that's meant to hold cutlery, and while it does its job, it suffered an unfixable break when I moved back home. So I found this picture on Pinterest, which appears to come from a site called The Frisky, which apparently they got from a site called A Full Measure of Happiness. It's basically a towel holder and some shower curtain hooks, and each necklace is put on each hook. It's pretty ingenious!! I'm excited for this one. I hate it when necklaces get all twisty together. HATE IT. Hopefully this will work out nicely and I can sort them all out. And then I'll just have to find something for all my bracelets!!

The big one I want to make is a fabric headboard for my bed. I have a fairly boring Ikea bed, and while it serves its purpose, it's boring. So I really, really, really want to make a headboard. Really. I'm hoping to make the one pictured here, which I found on Pinterest, and came from Better Homes and Gardens.

I'm not sure if I can stress just how much I want to make a headboard. I love the one pictured here, mainly because I want to make it so if I want to change it, I can. Also, currently my bed is under a window, but it may not be that way forever (since I plan to move before the end of the year). So if I make this one, I can hopefully make the headboard a little taller once I move and it's against a wall somewhere. I also want to add a bookshelf headboard around it once the window isn't in the way. But I won't get into that for a while!!

I also really want to make my own duvet cover and maybe pillowcases or throw pillows. I'm also hoping to organize my closet, which is currently a cluttered mess. I'm thinking of making pretty boxes to sort everything that's on the closet shelf. I also want to organize all my writing and other papers I've got laying around. I'll come up with something for that.

Of course, I'd also love to organize the kitchen. I want to make a nice shelf to organize all my cookbooks and some sort of box or filing system for all the random recipes I have. I want to come up with some sort of system, kinda like a master index, so that I can look up in one book and find out exactly which book or file I can find the recipe in.

So those are the plans for now. I'm also new at making my own stuff, so I'm learning as I go. I'm not a stranger to tools or anything, but I wouldn't say I'm a pro. So hopefully we can learn together!!

Welcome!!

2012-04-30T00:01:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my new blog!!

I love blogging. You could say it's one of my greatest passions, writing blogs. I'm still searching for that one topic that I'll just love write about. Currently, I have two that I update: Suz's Brain Mush, which is about the everyday happenings in my life, and Since You Asked..., which is my opinion on mainly pop culture-related topics, but I talk about anything else I want to as well.

One of the things I've been hoping to do, since I'm currently at home all day, is to redo my room. And since I have a low (as in, barely any) budget and I love being able to say I made something, I decided that means that my redo should be done mostly by me. I want to make or do everything I can myself instead of going out and paying more to buy a piece done by someone else. I do plan to move (I'm at my mom's for now), so nothing I'm making will be permanent -- it'll all be stuff I can take apart or move easily.

Of course, I'm new at this DIY stuff, so I'm sure I'll fail miserably at a few things, and fuck up fantastically at others. Some I'll have to scrap and some will be awesome. Also, I will probably be doing things I can find online, or maybe from ideas on Pinterest or other pictures I've seen, at least at first, until I'm comfortable coming up with my own.

I will do my best to link to other blogs or sites when I can, and I'll also try and find the original source for any pictures I use. I'll put up a lost later of projects I hope to tackle this summer, as well as maybe a description of my room.

Of course, I'll also be trying to organize my life, so I may include things that help you organize on here, even if they aren't strictly DIYs. At least, not the way people think of DIY. I think that as long as you're doing it -- making it, writing it, cooking it, organizing it, sorting it, or painting it -- it's a DIY. So you may see all of those here. Cookies are good when you do them yourself too, you know!!

So I do hope you enjoy my attempts at prettying and organizing my life!!