My Favorite Small, Handy DIY Tools I Can't Live Without!
February 26, 2026
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My Ten Favorite Inexpensive and Handy DIY Tools
I've had blast working on a bunch of DIY projects over the past couple of
months! As I've worked, I've noticed how I tend to reach for the same small
tools over and over.
Because I find these so helpful, I gathered a list of my top ten handheld
tools that I couldn't DIY without!
Not only are these super handy to have around, but I'm pretty sure all of them
are $20 and under. Some of them I've purchased in multiples because I love
them so much.
These are my go-to's for cutting and installing molding, building and
painting. and even simple jobs like hanging artwork around the house.
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1. Handheld trim cutter
I've talked about this one before, but it's worth another mention! These
handheld miter shears
make it quick work of cutting both wood and crafty projects:
They made quick work of cutting wine corks for
our wine cork dart board wall.
Because you don't have to run to and from a miter saw, this makes for
much quicker and easier cutting for DIY projects.
The blade easily snaps into different angles and is perfect for cutting
small wood trim, shoe molding, plastic and also "foam" polystyrene trim like
the cove molding I used on my office walls:
These are a must have if you do small, detailed trim or wall treatments.
Plus, they're just handy to have around the house!
2. Nail gripper
These
nail grippers
make super quick work of removing nails from both wood and drywall!
I've always used a pry bar or side cutters, but a nail gripper works SO much
better and doesn't cause damage on drywall or wood.
You just grab the nail or screw with the gripper and rock it out of the
wood:
The sharp edges also allow you to cut the nail right at the surface. I can't
even believe how much faster projects go when I can quickly grab with these
and pull them out!
3. Mini detail sanders
I LOVE these tiny sanders! They have become my go-to while working on DIY
projects.
The
detail sander kit
comes with 70 sandpaper strips (in seven different grit textures) and two
handles:
Not only are these great when working on detailed molding or small spots,
but are also ideal for sanding down wood filler.
It's so much easier to get a good grip with the handle, and the
smaller size makes it easy to tackle a bunch of spots in seconds:
The sanding strips securely stick to the handles with a Velcro-like material
and are easy to change out. The tiny strips last forever -- I've used these
a ton and have only worn out a couple of them.
4. FrogTape painter's tape
FrogTape is hand's down
the BEST painter's tape
-- I will fight anybody on this. 😂
OK that's a little dramatic, but I can't recommend this product enough. I've
used many painter's tape options over the years and this one is the best
performing by far.
Not only is it the best for crisp, clean paint lines:
But I love that they have varying widths available. I prefer a slightly
thicker width at least 1.5 inches wide -- this way if I drag my brush out of
the way a little too much, the tape is still covering any mess:
I use their two main versions often. The green tape is for regular paint
jobs, and the delicate yellow tape is GREAT on newly painted surfaces and
wallpaper.
5. Three piece detail brush kit
Speaking of painting, I found this brush trio last year and now I use them
constantly! I love the three different sizes:
The tapered shape makes them SO great for smaller areas like trim and
furniture painting.
I love the little one for getting into crevices where I've caulked between
trim. The two bigger sizes are fantastic for cutting in on walls and
painting door and window molding as well.
The rubber handles are comfortable and super easy to clean!
6. Light up level
This awesome tool is a recent find and I already can't imagine not having
it!
The
light up level changes colors
to indicate if it is not level (red), almost level (yellow) and perfectly
level (green).
This tool is useful even if you're not a big DIYer! It's particularly
helpful when hanging art and photos too:
But if you do work on projects around the house, this makes building and
installing SO much quicker!
It was so helpful while installing the vertical shiplap on our pantry
wall:
If you've ever used a level, you know how much time it can take to check
that tiny little bubble -- especially if you're doing repetitive work like
installing trim or molding.
Recently, I was trying to use our old level on a dark wall, and it took
forever to find the bubble every. single. time.
With this, I just have to glance at it, and can move on quickly. Over the
span of a big DIY project it saves a ton of time!
7. Metal speed square
This tool is so helpful, I have two of them! I keep one in the house and one
in the garage.
A speed square
makes quick work of marking perfectly straight or angled cut lines:
It's especially helpful for very precise cuts on the miter saw. I can mark
my measurements with a tape measure, and then mark a straight (or angled)
line where I need to cut.
A lot of miter saws have a light guide that projects a cut line onto the
wood, but I find it hard to see and it doesn't always give me the precise
guide that I need.
This one is made of heavy duty metal that will withstand many drops onto a
concrete garage floor. :)
8. Caulk finger/tube cover
One of my readers and her husband developed this useful DIY product, and now
I can't imagine not having them!
These
Turbo Caulk smoothing finger covers
have two helpful functions. For the first, you put it on your finger and run
along a freshly caulked line:
The cover not only protects your fingertips and nails, but allows for a
super smooth glide over the caulk. It's easy to wipe off the excess onto a
paper towel.
The second use has already saved me numerous tubes of caulk -- the little
sleeve fits over your caulk tip and keeps it sealed better than any other
method I've used:
Before, I would tape up the cut end of the tube in between projects. It
worked OK...but sometimes if I didn't use enough, the top of the tube would
dry out. Plus was just a pain to tape it up every time.
These little blue covers keep the caulk good as new! I love this
product!
These little sleeves are also very easy to clean.
9. A teeny tiny pry bar
My Dad gave me
this mini pry bar
years ago, and it's become one of my favorite handheld tools since!
It's great for all kinds of DIY projects, when you don't need a big, heavy
duty pry bar:
The smaller reveal/size allows it to be tapped behind trim without damaging
the wood or wall.
I reach for this little tool all the time while puttering around the house
and fixing things here and there. It removes nails in trim and drywall as
well.
10. Flat scraper and/or razor blade
These are probably my top two small tools -- I use them a LOT. Both are
super inexpensive and have lasted through a lot of wear and tear.
A
flat scraper tool like this one
is useful for so many DIY projects! Just in the past few weeks I've used it
to remove shiplap from a wall, removing baseboards and
pulling very sticky peel and stick tile off of
drywall:
The flat edge makes it so easy to get behind trim without damaging drywall.
Plus it's great for removing sticky residue or paint on almost any
surface.
I also like to use a scraper to knock down any dry wood filler or spackle before sanding.
A
sharp razor blade
is a HUGE help if you're planning to remove or replace any trim in your
home. Scoring with a razor is a must before removing woodwork that
has been caulked:
If you don't do this first, the caulk will pull away the top layer of your
drywall as you remove the trim.
I like a razor that is easily retractable -- I recommend closing the razor
back into the holder after every single use. I've learned to do this after
grabbing for it and thinking it was closed up!
Both of these tools are also great for removing dried caulk or paint with
ease.
These are the ten tools I grab and use every time I start a DIY project!
They are so handy and make quick work of tedious jobs.
Here's a list of my ten favorite tools again for you're reference:
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