Gift Guide Ideas: Tools That Any DIYer Will Love
Looking for some gift ideas that the DIYer in your life will love? This gift guide has some great tools that will make their DIY projects easier.
Now that we have a gardener’s gift guide and stocking stuffers for DIYers, it’s time to get to the good stuff.
Tools!
It never fails to amaze me how many new tools and gadgets I find every year that make DIY projects so much easier. And if you know me, you know I am all about getting the right gadget for the job!
This year I found a whole bunch of new DIYer tools that will definitely make my life easier. Some I have already bought for myself, and others are on my wish list 🙂
In any case, I’m sure any of them will make great gifts for the DIYer in your life, too.
Keep reading to see my gift ideas for tools that any DIYer will love.
Portable Paint Pail
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It took me many years of painting before I discovered portable paint pails*.
And now that I’ve tried them, I can’t believe I’ve never used one before.
They are so easy to take with you.
And although you can get disposable liners for them, I don’t think they’re necessary for latex paint.
The pail rinses right out with water when you’re done.
HomeRight Spray Painter
If you’re looking to save some time painting, this paint sprayer* is the best one I have ever used. And I’ve used a lot of them!
This little guy plugs in, so no air compressor is required.
And it did a great job of painting my bedroom shelves.
It’s even easy to clean. I LOVE it!
HomeRight Spray Shelter
Speaking of spray painting, one of the big problems I have always had is where to do it.
If it’s nice outside, I usually try to spray paint outdoors…and end up with bugs or bits of leaves getting stuck in the paint.
If it’s cold outside, I’m usually trying to do it in the garage…and the paint gets everywhere!
I finally bought one of these spray shelters*. It is one of the best things ever!
It keeps the spray paint contained within the shelter, preventing it from going where I don’t want it.
And it has a handy roll-down mesh front so if you were painting outdoors, you can keep the bugs out.
Then it folds right down like a tent, for easy storage.
Note that it does not come with the bottom sheet, so you do need to put some plastic down on the floor to protect it. And of course, when spraying indoors, you definitely need a mask or a vent fan.
There is also a smaller portable paint booth*.
This one is small enough to sit on a work bench and is perfect for spray painting smaller items.
Cordless Circular Saw
Another one of my absolute favorite tools is my cordless circular saw*.
There is something about not having to hunt for a plug and an extension cord that is long enough…it just makes building seem like less of a hassle.
The great thing about this one is that it works on the same battery as all the rest of the Ryobi tools. So if you already have a bunch of Ryobi products, you can buy the tool on its own, which saves a lot of money!
Note: The battery operated saws are not as powerful as electric ones. So for cutting thick pieces of wood like 4×4’s, I still use the corded version. But for pretty much everything else, this is my go to tool.
Circular Saw Guide
Once you have a circular saw, the next tool of choice is this circular saw guide*.
I tried one of these at Haven (a DIY bloggers conference) a couple of summers ago, and immediately had to get one!
Place it on a piece of plywood where you want to cut, fit your saw onto the track, and it will make sure that your cut is straight.
It’s over 4 feet long so it’s perfect for making cross cuts that you would normally need a table saw to do.
Rip Cut Guide
From the same line of tools as the circular saw guide, this rip cut guide* is another handy tool.
It helps you make long straight cuts along the length of a board. And these cuts can be up to 2 feet from the edge.
A great way to get those long cuts to be straight if you don’t have a table saw.
Cross Cut Guide
One last accessory for the circular saw, this cross cut guide makes sure that cuts across a board are being made at a 90 degree angle.
With the flat edge on one side, it fits perfectly up to the side of the board, making sure your cut is going straight across.
Or you can turn it around and use it to make perfect 45 degree angle cuts.
Cordless Miter Saw
Of course, another way to make square cuts on narrower boards is to use a miter saw.
Now a regular sized miter saw probably costs more than most people want to spend for a gift.
But I own this small cordless miter saw* and I use it all the time.
The benefit of having a small one is that it’s light enough to carry wherever you need it.
So when I’m cutting moldings or other smaller pieces of wood, I just take this handy dandy little miter saw with me and cut them on the spot.
Definitely easier than schlepping back and forth to the garage to use the electric miter saw.
Obviously, with the smaller size, this isn’t suitable for cutting wide or large pieces of board…I think 2×4’s are the largest I’ve done with it. But it is perfect for all of those smaller jobs.
And once it again, this is part of the Ryobi tool family. So one battery fits all!
Push Block Gripper
If your DIYer has a table saw at home, this accessory is a must-have.
I got to try these push block grippers* out at a wood-working class and they are definitely an improvement over the little push sticks that usually come with the table saw.
It lets you push pieces of wood through the table saw (or pretty much any other table-based tool) while keeping your hands well out of the way.
And you can adjust the height and width or it to suit the needs of the job at hand.
I threw my table saw push stick away after getting a couple of these!
Dust Extractor
Speaking of that wood working class I took, another thing I fell in love with at that class was the dust extractor they had.
Simply hook the vacuum tube up to the dust port on your cutting or sanding tools and it will prevent all of that sawdust from flying up in the air.
It’s so good that I have even done sanding in the house with it!
The wheels make it really easy to move around, and if you are using electric tools it has an “Auto” plug. Meaning you plug your tool into the outlet on the machine and it will turn on and off automatically as use turn your tool on and off.
It comes in many different sizes depending on what you want to use it for…I bought the midsize unit, which has worked out really well for all of my DIY projects.
It is a bit of a splurge, but worth every penny in my mind!
Pocket Hole Jig
This pocket hole jig* is another tool I tried for the first time in that wood working class I took (it was worth the price of admission just for the tools we got to use!)
If you’ve ever wondered how to join boards together (like table legs or shelves) without being able to see the joins, this tool is how.
It isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks (you can see it in use when I built my fabric storage ladder.
Corner Clamp
Another way to join boards is to screw or nail them together from side to end. The only problem with this method is that it’s very difficult to make sure they stay square, which is where this corner clamp* comes in handy.
It’s adjustable to fit boards of different thickness, and holds everything tight while you attach them together.
Cordess Tire Inflater
The last tool on this year’s list is a cordless tire inflater*. Another one of the Ryobi cordless tool line that uses the same battery, this one is pretty self explanatory.
It blows up tires…as well as balloons, bicycle tires, footballs, air mattresses, and pretty much every other kind of thing you need to blow up.
It even comes with an on board tool tip storage place so that you don’t lose all of the different ends. So much more convenient than hooking up the air compressor or getting out the manual air pump!
Other gift guides you might like
Have comments or questions on our list of gift ideas for the DIYer? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on November 13, 2017 but was updated with new content on April 14, 2024.
Although I do not knw how to use most of these wonderful tools, still, I love them and wish I knew how to use them. Yes, these are wonderful gift giving ideas. Thank you. Someone just might be getting at least one of these tools.
Thanks, Ivory! These are all pretty useful tools! I’m sure whoever is your gift list will be very happy with them 🙂