I have always liked making things with my hands. You could say that I’m a true DIY-er and so my garage is full of hand tools and power tools that I use when I am working with wood or fixing things around the house. Some of these tools have migrated to my craft room over the years and now have a permanent home inside the house. Keep in mind that these tools are from hardware stores and not craft stores.

Some of my favorite, can’t-live-without hand tools are:
- Needle nose pliers. These are great for twisting wire and grabbing things that are too big for your tweezers . These cost under $10.
- Small wire cutters. I use these all the time to cut wire and to sometime trim small wooden dowels. This also costs under $10.

- Small hammer. Sometimes you just have to hit it to make it fit. You can find a good light hammer for under $10.
- 25′ tape measure. When you need to take a measurement longer than a yard and in a straight line, a tape measure is your best friend. You can find these for about $8.
- Small level. Is it straight? My eyes never get it right, but the level doesn’t lie.
- Large puddy knife. I use this to scrape clean my Cricut mats when I need to re-stick them. I also use it as a spatula to help move diaper cakes to where I want them.
- A small cordless screwdriver. Although not exactly a hand tool, this small re-chargeable screw gun saves me a trip to the garage to get my drill with the screwdriver attachment. This cost about $25.

- Temperature gun. Ever want to know how hot your iron is? You won’t with one of these. There are a lot of good choices for under $20.
Let me know in the comments which hand tools you use most.