Power tools for the crafty girl

I haven’t always been super comfortable with power tools. In fact I didn’t use a miter saw with confidence till I was in my 30’s {which is crazy because I grew up with a grandma who most definitely knew her way around lots of heavy duty power tools that she had for her own crafty business}! My husband would do all the cutting because I was so afraid I was going to have a freak accident and cut my entire body in half…I know it sounds completely ridiculous but it was a very real fear that I had.

The problem was, other than my way over thought fear, was that my husband used to work out of town a lot and obviously couldn’t cut anything while he was gone. Our handmade online business was picking up major steam so, eventually I did get over my fear and I’m so glad I did because I was missing out on so much. Being able to cut anything to any size at any time has been a game changer for me and our family’s business.

Instead of going with the same brand of tools my husband has I chose a more budget friendly, less intimidating brand, RYOBI. I couldn’t be happier with this decision.

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So what power tools does a crafter need?

Here are the basic power tools I started out with

Miter Saw

I really LOVE this saw! If you plan on cutting anything wider than 7” then you absolutely need a 12” SLIDING miter saw. This saw also has a laser on it making it really easy to line up your cuts. My husband’s miter does not have a sliding arm and I can not tell you enough what a pain in the butt it was to have to flip all the boards that were over 7” because the blade wasn’t wide enough to cut through the entire width of the board.

CORDLESS SANDER

Another must have is a sander. I have used both the corder and the cordless and I prefer the cordless by far. Granted to have to keep batteries charged but you also aren’t confined to sanding near a power outlet. There are lots of times when I just need to sand a quick spot where I’ve made a mistake or I just need a quick distressing and it’s just so much easier to not have to mess with a cord.

CORDLESS DRILL

This is your basic drill but it is mighty. I use this almost daily and it has yet to disappoint me.

• BRAD NAILER

If you plan on using a nail and hammer to attach anything then you might as well save yourself some time and energy and pick up one of these. I use this tool a lot in my business. Actually, more than I thought I would. You can adjust the depth of which the nails shoot in and change up the size of brads you use.

• REPLACEMENT BATTERIES

  Replacement batteries are a must. I have 3 that I rotate and I really need more. Although they are a little pricey you’ll be glad you have at least 2. My husband had to convince me to get additional batteries because he knew how annoyed I’d be the first time I had to wait for the only battery I had to recharge. He was right lol! So thankful I have more than one battery.

So those are the basics. As you get more comfortable using these power tools you’ll probably want to add even more to your list like a scroll saw or this trim router.

I hope this list helps you to decide which power tools is the best fit for you.