Don’t you want to experience that great feeling of satisfaction you achieve from creating something with your own two hands?  If you’ve ever wondered how to build a gizmo or a doohickey, then you’ve come to the right place.  We’re going to give you lots of ideas, plus supply some basic know-how on getting started.

First, remember what the great American inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, said at one point during his trial-and-error career:  “I have not failed.  I have just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.”  You need to take out your sense of cheerful perseverance and keep it well polished!

Next, pinpoint what types of things you want to build and why.  No matter what you build, however, remember this—it’s all art.  If you’re designing it and figuring out a way to put it together, it’s art.  Whether you want to know how to build a picnic bench, or if you’re figuring out how to make a canopy over your daughter’s bed, your own creativity is what’s up.

Put together a supply of tools for starters.  You don’t have to go out and buy the most expensive brands available.  It’s best when you start out to just find a cheap model of each tool.  Go to a dollar store!  As you progress in your crafting, you’ll decide which ones are worth a bigger chunk of your budget.

• For starters, you need two tape measures.  One should be up to 50 feet or maybe 15 meters, a retractable tape that’ll fit in your pocket or purse.  The second one can be shorter and softer, more like a seamstress’s measuring tape.
• Get a hammer.  The size should depend upon your hand strength and size.  Heft it in the store to make sure it fits you.
• Screwdrivers come in basic flat head and Phillips head designs.  We recommend a small electric screwdriver with interchangeable tips—with both tip designs in several sizes.
• You must have a needle-nose pliers, and wire-cutting pliers will also come in handy.
• Buy a level so that whether you’re hanging a picture or working a piece of furniture, you can find out if you’re doing it straight on.
• Pick up an assortment of nails, screws, and tacks.
• You’ll need masking tape, blue painter’s tape, and duct tape.  Teflon tape will seal plumbing.  Foam tape provides gasketing, sealing, backing, and leveling.  Electrical tape wraps wires.  You can buy cold weather adhesive tape.  There are brightly colored vinyl tapes that’ll seal and decorate all at once.
• Glue guns are cheap, and you won’t believe the uses.  Whether you’re piecing back together a broken knickknack, or holding a candle wick in place while you pour the wax, this is a household necessity.
• Staple guns put things in their places quickly and easily.
• Assemble a collection of twine and thin crafting wires.
• Find a set of small paint brushes.  You’ll be surprised what you might use them for besides painting.
• Don’t just buy a toolbox.  Pick out a tool belt for yourself!  You’ll be more organized, and people will put more faith in your ability.  Plus, you’ll look cute in it.

So what grabs your fancy? The sky’s the limit. Look around your home at items you’re not using much these days.  Would you use them again if you refinished them?  Maybe you can repurpose them—make one thing into an entirely new thing.  If there’s nothing in your basement, stop by a few flea markets for something to get your hands on.

Whether you want to know how to build a cabinet in your bathroom, assemble some old industrial tubes into shelves, or convert an old kitchen bin into an eye-catching DVD storage unit, you can do it.  If you want to build an outdoor barbecue pit, you can do it.  Maybe you’re thinking of adding a garden swing or you just need to repair some drywall.  We have all the tips you need to teach you how to build anything—and everything!

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