DIY decorating projects can give you a sense of accomplishment, give your apartment personalized flair, and save you money. To avoid having to make multiple supply runs every time you start a new project, try stocking up your closet with some of these essentials.
Safety equipment
Whenever you’re working with tools in your apartment, it’s important to protect your eyes, lungs, and fingers from harm. A nice pair of safety goggles and work gloves can shield your eyes and hands from damage, and a disposable dust mask can keep you from inhaling hazardous substances.
Wrenches, drills, screwdrivers, pliers
At least one or more of these toolkit essentials is required for most DIY projects. Have one of each on-hand so you can loosen nuts and screws, make proper holes, and assemble furniture with relative ease.
Hammer
A hammer is a no-brainer DIY essential for any project that involves nails. Even if you won’t be driving in nails as part of your next apartment decor project, a hammer may come in handy as a multi-purpose tool, like a caulk plunger, blade straightener, or even doing some initial demo work.
Sponges
For DIY projects involving sanding or drilling, a large sponge is a must for an easy and thorough wipe-down. Sponges of various shapes and sizes also come in handy for a range of painting and other DIY decor projects.
Paintbrushes and painter’s tape
Paintbrushes are necessary for everything from touching up furniture to painting walls. Keep a set of different-sized brushes at the ready. A roll of painters’ tape will help you keep paint where you want it when working on projects for your apartment, and also could help create some cool designs.
Sandpaper
Sandpaper is helpful to have on-hand when working with furniture, wood, or other surfaces that need smoothing or finishing. Keep a variety of fine-grit and course-grit sandpapers in your arsenal of DIY essentials to keep your crafts extra smooth. Remember to always use the coarse-grit papers first!
Bucket
Living in an apartment, you shouldn’t have to worry about making plumbing repairs yourself. Still, a bucket can go a long way toward prevent water damage while you’re waiting for maintenance to arrive and repair your plumbing leak. A bucket may also come in handy for bleaching, dyeing, storage needs, and is just generally great to have around for any sort of mess that might come your way.
With the materials required to carry out a DIY project on-hand, you’re more likely to tackle the project without delay. You’re also more likely to go through with DIY decor projects you consider if you don’t have to run too many errands. Acquire any essentials you don’t already have, and enjoy the benefits of being prepared to tackle most home improvement projects without asking for help.
What materials do you find yourself using in DIY apartment decor projects? Write about any not on our list in the comments.
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View All Posts by Jason Ernst