Friday Favorites: Best DIY Materials and Tools

June 19, 2015 by Ruthie 8 Comments

*This entry contains affiliate links.  However, all of these resources are my own recommendations and products I love!  To read my privacy policy click here.*

PROJECT TOOLS

HomeRight Super Finish Max Sprayer

Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer (Water Based)

Shur-Line Store and Pour Paint Can Lid

HomeRight Medium Spray Shelter

HomeRight PaintStick EZ-Twist

Wooster 1.5 inch Angled Brush

4" Roller

Purdy 4" Roller Replacements 3/8" Nap

Java Gel Stain

Staple Gun

RYOBI Orbital Sander

RYOBI Drill/Driver

RYOBI Miter Saw

RYOBI Table Saw

Ryobi Battery & Charger Combo

Listed below are products and resources that I absolutely love!!

Paint – Sherwin Williams

This is by far my favorite paint ever!  Yes, Valspar, Behr, and Benjamin Moore are all great paints but I don’t feel like they compare to Sherwin Williams.  I am not even being paid to say this! 🙂  We decided to go with Sherwin Williams paint when my husband and I decided to paint our home because my husband gets a discount on it from work.  He works for a home builder.  Needless to say, I’m glad we did because it is QUALITY paint!  We’ve painted almost every room in our home with this and rarely does it need a second coat.  As long as you liberally apply the first coat of paint it will cover beautifully and it looks great too!  No stroke marks or roller marks!  I have also used this for my larger pieces of furniture and it makes it look like it wasn’t painted but rather the original finish.  It drys so smooth and beautiful!  I seriously can’t say enough about Sherwin Williams.  They can match ANY color – and they usually can match perfectly!  I typically use Pro Classic Latex Paint for both walls and furniture.  

Electric Sander – BLACK+DECKER BDEQS300 1/4-Sheet Orbital Sander

I will say it out loud…lay it all out on the table…I HATE sanding!  I will say my Black + Decker sander though takes a lot of the hard work out of it.  You can’t obviously use this on smaller surface areas but on most pieces of furniture, you can definitely use it!  I love it and would love to even think about upgrading and getting one with a dust collector.  Do they work?  Do they eliminate much of the mess?  Does anyone have one?  Please let me know in the comments! 🙂

Stain – Java Gel Stain

I know I’m not the only one to rave about the gel stain.  It’s so EASY and doesn’t require a ton of work!  No sanding between coats, no brush marks, easy to apply, recoat within 6 hours.  So much easier than normal stain!

Primer – Rust-Oleum Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 White Water-Based Interior/Exterior Primer Sealer

This is a great primer (and let’s be honest, I also try to not prime when I don’t have to) because it has pretty great coverage.  I also really like how it adheres nicely to laminate furniture which comes in very handy if I  redo a piece of IKEA furniture!  It’s fairly inexpensive and does a great job!  Works on all surfaces so it’s great to have on hand when starting any project!

Spray Paint – Valspar Paint & Primer in One

So I know I swear by Sherwin Williams and if they had spray paint I would more than likely use it…but they don’t!  I buy this at Lowe’s and it always works great!  I also love that it has paint and primer in one!  That takes away the step of priming!  (Love that!)  Any project that I can eliminate a step makes me one happy mama!  It covers really nicely and usually don’t need more than 2 coats!

Paint Brushes – Purdy

My husband use to paint professionally while working his way through college so he’s a little picky when it comes to paint brushes.  I have learned why.  A good quality brush can make a job just that much easier!  You do need to take care of them and clean them afterward but if you do they last a long time- he has had his brushes going on 15 years!  I pretty much only use latex based paints so the clean up isn’t terrible!

Mini Roller – Mini Roller Frame for 4-Inch and 6-Inch Rollers with 16-Inch Handle

I love using a mini roller for the top of tables or furniture with flat surfaces.  It gives a smooth look and does not leave brush marks.  You won’t see any roller marks either especially if you are using Sherwin Williams paint! 🙂

Mini Roller Replacements – Purdy 4-Inch x 3/8-Inch Nap Wire Mini Roller Replacements

These are exactly what they say…the replacements for your mini roller.  🙂

Frog Tape

Frog Tape is pretty much the bomb!  It works so much better than any other painters tape I’ve tried!  It sticks really well to surfaces and if applied correctly your paint will not bleed!  I will never go back to normal painters tape after using this!

Mod Podge

I mean what is a good project without some mod podge!?  Only kidding but you can do some pretty amazing things with this little bottle of love!  You can adhere to paper, fabric, photos and who knows what else you can think up!  It’s pretty great crafting and DIY tool!

I hope you find this list informative and please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding these products! I stand by them and love them! They’re great products and tools to help you with a project whether you are experienced or a beginner!  Now go grab them and get to work!  And show me what you create!  Have a great weekend everyone!