Ladies, the next time your man asks if you want to go to Harbor Freight (or any other hardware/tool store) you should say, "Why, yes, honey! I would love to!" He may soon realize that no store is safe from your shopping prowess. Just make sure you take some nose plugs with you.
If you haven't ventured into the hardware store to find items you can use in your craft room then you're missing out. Harbor Freight has a reputation for being cheap. And they are. And sometimes you get what you pay for. However, sometimes you find some gems. General rule of thumb: if it needs to be precise, buy it elsewhere.
Before we begin, these are in no particular order or organized in any way. I also have no idea how prices compare to other stores.
The self gripping hangers are great if you need a spot to hang things but don't have the room or layout for a tension rod or bar. Those bad boys can be hooked on the edge of a desk or shelf. Black Velcro. That's pretty straight forward. The 18" magnetic strip is pretty useful. Paint it another color if you wish and use it as a way to secure your scissors while being able to grab them quickly. Also useful in the kitchen to store knives. Attach it to the front of your sewing desk to catch all of the pins that inevitably fall onto the floor. Stretch wrap - if you have a shop and need to wrap something for shipping.
The plastic spreaders and applicator set are great for working with vinyl. They're much larger than those little Silhouette or Cricut tools and a lot cheaper. The magnetic bowl is great for keeping pins & needles in one spot. No need to worry if you accidentally tip the bowl over because they're not spilling out. It also comes in a 6" size. The suction cup is great if you work with glass or acrylic and don't want your finger prints or the oil from your fingers on the project.
These are great to keep around for the times you need to take apart a section of your machine to clean, grease, or get that thread out. The two sets on the left have normal sized screw bits to use. Also great for keeping in your toolbox or junk drawer.
If you machine embroider, you need some clamps in your life. These are great for the hard to hoop and bulky items. Roll the bulk away from the embroidery area and secure them in place with the clamp.
The uses are really endless with these. Squeeze bottles come in handy for so many reasons. As do divided storage containers and craft paper. If I have a multi-sized pattern and I don't want to limit myself to just one size, I'll trace the pattern onto craft paper. It's slightly sturdier than pattern paper, but not by much. Paper cutter. I feel like every house needs one.
If you work with dyes or chemicals (like etching cream), get your gloves from HF. They have a huge selection of various types, thicknesses and sizes. Needle nose pliers. Who doesn't need these in their life? If you buy costume jewelry then you definitely need them. Sure, the handles aren't pink or turquoise, but they're $2. Wrap the handles in washi tape or something.
We recently bought two of the LED lights and think they're great. The little heads pivot so you can move the light to whatever direction you need it to be. It's also mountable so you can hang it under a shelf, in a closet, or move it around in your shop. Outlet - because two is never enough and sometimes power strips get in the way. You can never have too many tape measures AND you can almost always get one of these for FREE. That's right. Free tape measure. We have like 10 and still manage to lose them when we need them. Microfiber cleaning cloths. No explanation needed. The micro torch. I love that thing. You can use it for cooking, wood burning, lighting candles. Anything, really. We saw the exact same one (plus an attachment) at Lowe's for $30.
One last note about Harbor Freight: look for coupons. There is always, always, a 20% off one item coupon and generally a couple of freebies. Their main freebies are the tape measure and a little LED flashlight. Recently the 18" magnetic strip and 4" magnetic bowl were freebies.
That's it for this time, folks. What are your favorite hardware store hacks? Do you have other suggestions on how to use the items I've highlighted? I'd love to hear your ideas!
XOXO
If you haven't ventured into the hardware store to find items you can use in your craft room then you're missing out. Harbor Freight has a reputation for being cheap. And they are. And sometimes you get what you pay for. However, sometimes you find some gems. General rule of thumb: if it needs to be precise, buy it elsewhere.
Before we begin, these are in no particular order or organized in any way. I also have no idea how prices compare to other stores.
Pictured below: self gripping hangers, black Velcro, 18" magnetic bar, stretch wrap.
The self gripping hangers are great if you need a spot to hang things but don't have the room or layout for a tension rod or bar. Those bad boys can be hooked on the edge of a desk or shelf. Black Velcro. That's pretty straight forward. The 18" magnetic strip is pretty useful. Paint it another color if you wish and use it as a way to secure your scissors while being able to grab them quickly. Also useful in the kitchen to store knives. Attach it to the front of your sewing desk to catch all of the pins that inevitably fall onto the floor. Stretch wrap - if you have a shop and need to wrap something for shipping.
Pictured: Suction cup, plastic spreaders, magnetic bowl, applicator set
The plastic spreaders and applicator set are great for working with vinyl. They're much larger than those little Silhouette or Cricut tools and a lot cheaper. The magnetic bowl is great for keeping pins & needles in one spot. No need to worry if you accidentally tip the bowl over because they're not spilling out. It also comes in a 6" size. The suction cup is great if you work with glass or acrylic and don't want your finger prints or the oil from your fingers on the project.
Pictured: various (precision) screwdriver sets
These are great to keep around for the times you need to take apart a section of your machine to clean, grease, or get that thread out. The two sets on the left have normal sized screw bits to use. Also great for keeping in your toolbox or junk drawer.
Pictured: various clamps
Pictured: plastic squeeze bottles, plastic divided organizer container, paper cutter & craft paper
The uses are really endless with these. Squeeze bottles come in handy for so many reasons. As do divided storage containers and craft paper. If I have a multi-sized pattern and I don't want to limit myself to just one size, I'll trace the pattern onto craft paper. It's slightly sturdier than pattern paper, but not by much. Paper cutter. I feel like every house needs one.
Pictured: magnetic disks, rulers, magnets, hobby knife set, magnetic clips & hooks, pick set
Again, magnets are so versatile. I recently bought the 2" round magnet to glue to the bottom of a cute bowl to keep my pins all safe and easily accessible when I'm working. How cute would an antique saucer be for a pin holder? Have a random heirloom saucer with no teacup? Glue a magnet to the bottom and stick it in your craft room. My HF didn't have true yard sticks, but they have 40" and 48" rulers. Who doesn't need more rulers in their life? The hobby knife set is a nice replacement for exacto knives. I have to admit that I didn't realize there were so many blade options out there. The little pick & hook set is a great addition to the silhouette and cricut tools. Not to mention embroidery and sewing work. I know I've needed to grab a thread to pull out and my seam ripper was too big and clumsy.
Pictured: vinyl & nitrile gloves, needle nose pliers.
If you work with dyes or chemicals (like etching cream), get your gloves from HF. They have a huge selection of various types, thicknesses and sizes. Needle nose pliers. Who doesn't need these in their life? If you buy costume jewelry then you definitely need them. Sure, the handles aren't pink or turquoise, but they're $2. Wrap the handles in washi tape or something.
Pictured: mountable, adjustable LED light, outlet, tape measure, micro torch & microfiber cloths
We recently bought two of the LED lights and think they're great. The little heads pivot so you can move the light to whatever direction you need it to be. It's also mountable so you can hang it under a shelf, in a closet, or move it around in your shop. Outlet - because two is never enough and sometimes power strips get in the way. You can never have too many tape measures AND you can almost always get one of these for FREE. That's right. Free tape measure. We have like 10 and still manage to lose them when we need them. Microfiber cleaning cloths. No explanation needed. The micro torch. I love that thing. You can use it for cooking, wood burning, lighting candles. Anything, really. We saw the exact same one (plus an attachment) at Lowe's for $30.
Pictured: grommet pliers, long gloves, foam mat, stubby hammer & leather punch
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Great alternative to the grommet pliers you find at the fabric store for $15. Long rubber gloves: unclogging toilets & drains. No, that's not a craft, but it needs to be done from time to time. I mostly just thought these were funny, but I'm sure some crafter would find them useful. Dying large batches of fabric or wool by hand? I'm not a fan of the color of the foam mat, but how easy would it be to spray some adhesive on there and cover it with canvas or a more durable fabric? I have used my leather punch so many times. Mostly for adding holes to my belts. I purposely buy them too large so I can loop and knot the end. It's a style thing, yo. This stubby hammer is perfect for keeping in your toolbox/junk drawer/craft room. It's so small it fits about anywhere.
One last note about Harbor Freight: look for coupons. There is always, always, a 20% off one item coupon and generally a couple of freebies. Their main freebies are the tape measure and a little LED flashlight. Recently the 18" magnetic strip and 4" magnetic bowl were freebies.
That's it for this time, folks. What are your favorite hardware store hacks? Do you have other suggestions on how to use the items I've highlighted? I'd love to hear your ideas!
XOXO
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