Tools for Moms Everywhere the 2021 Mothers Day Gift Guide

Mom does not want another flower vase or more candles
this year
- unless she indicated otherwise – she wants
some new tools!

A few weeks ago, I spoke to a woman who shared
a
frustration with me. She expressed to her grown children that she wanted to do some projects around the house. Despite dropping hints that she wanted a cordless power drill for the holidays, they got her another scarf.
Months later, she was still waiting for them to help her build a tool kit.

I run the ToolGuyd tool blog, where we have tool news, reviews, buying guides, and more. It is my goal to help everyone from hobbyists and
DIYers, to Pros learn more about
the
tools that could help make their work easier, quicker, and better.

There are two reasons to buy tools – to meet your current project needs, or to meet near-future needs that you might not be able to anticipate in advance.
If
who you are Mother’s Day shopping for
knows what kinds of tools she wants, that’s great – buy her a Home Depot gift card, and make sure she has some free times to peruse the aisles at her leisure.

If
you’re a
Mom
(or not), or shopping for someone
doesn’t know what
they
need or want, that’s where this gift guide comes in. I hope you enjoy my suggestions, and
if you’re shopping for yourself,
please let me know if you have any questions!
I can be reached via email or on Instagram.

I have set up a landing page on
ToolGuyd
where you will be able to see more gift
guides and DIY tool kit recommendations. Many of these also make for great Father’s Day gift ideas as well.

Cribs, bookcases, Power Wheels, balance bikes - there are going to be so many things you’ll have to assemble, and some of those things will require screwdriver sizes or styles you might not already have.

The hex bits of the Husky Ratcheting Screwdriver set are useful for assembling furniture, the square drive and
Torx
bits are useful for when you need to repair something with wood screws (I prefer SPAX brand available at Home Depot), and the Phillips and slotted bits are useful all-around

Beyond the convenient assortment of bits, you get the ratcheting screwdriver handle which makes for faster and easier work. On top of all that, there’s built-in storage in the handle, so you can load it up with the bits you use most and take just the screwdriver to where the work is.

New moms have a lot on their plates, and on top of all that, there
will be many cardboard
boxes to open.
Sure, you could grab scissors or a knife from the kitchen, but don’t. A good utility knifewill make things easier, and also safer.
I’m told that this model isn’t as intimidating as most other types of utility knives. It’s a very well-used tool in our home, and one I can thoroughly recommend.

Tip: Also consider purchasing special rounded-tip knife blades. They’re a little bit safer, and they lower the chance that you’ll cut whatever is in the box you’re opening.

You’ll need good screwdrivers and Husky has never let me down. This set features diamond-coated tips for better grip. Even if you have a multi-bit
or ratcheting
screwdriver for convenience, the thin shafts on these screwdrivers will fit into recesses better, such as when changing batteries in kids’ toys.
You will also appreciate the color-coded handles, magnetized
tips.

Despite all the efforts at “frustration-free packaging” in recent years, the truth is far from it. Clothes come with tags that will inevitable poke and scratch you if they’re not removed all the way, and let’s not talk about the zip ties, strings, and plastic ties that need to be cleanly and carefully removed when unboxing new toys.

Mini flush cutters are the answer. When shopping at your local Home Depot store, you can find these Klein cuttersin the electrical tools
section,
or other excellent brands in the main hand tool aisle with the pliers and diagonal cutters.

Caring for a small child often means that you’ll be down on the floor with them. For bath time, at the least, your knees will love this thick and cushioned kneeling pad. Once you try it out, you will inevitably find more uses for it working around the home.

Whether we’re talking about wood screws, beads, washers,
building toy accessories, or any other small items and accessories,
a good parts
organizer makes it easy to find what you need in a jiffy. The Husky Parts Organizer allows for some customization and the two latches secure contents for transport.
If you need something with crystal-clear construction. Husky also makes a clear waterproof organizer.

Adding a router to your kit will open so many more doors when it comes to the creative and functional features and touches you can add to your project.
With different router bits, you can create grooves, shape edges, or make specialty cuts. There’s often no substitute as to what you can do with a router.

The sander speeds up your
finishing
work
and helps you reserve elbow grease for something else.
If you’re painting, staining, or sealing a larger wood project, sanding between coats is made quicker and easier with a finish sander.
You can buy these tools separately, but this Ridgid Router and Sander Bundleoffers unbeatable pricing.

Safety Tip: Don’t forget to pick up personal protective gear – safety glasses, hearing protection, and a respirator (disposable is okay).
When buying new power tools, their user manuals will remind you as to what you need.

Husky hand tools are one of the reasons I regularly shop at Home Depot for my own tools and supplies.
Sometimes I find new innovations and tools with neat features, other times I’m picking up some more basics.

If you’re a hobbyist, crafter, or tinkerer, you could surely benefit from a good pair of long nose pliers. These Husky 6” pliersare a comfortable size – the Goldilocks of long nose pliers in my opinion, and with
grippy
jaws, a comfortable handle grip, and wire cutters.
I recently recommended these to someone who was trying to manipulate sharp stiff wire by hand.
It’s also worth mentioning that Husky backs their tools with a no-hassle lifetime warranty.

Oh, there are so many things you can do with a good rotary tool. Home Depot has a lot of offerings at different price points, not to mention a very wide selection of attachments and accessories, and I think this 3000 series kit is a good starting point.

This kit gives you the compact and comfortable 3000-series
Dremel
rotary tool, which has a variable speed dial and EZ Twist nose cap for quicker tool changes, and it comes with 1 cutting attachment and 25 accessories.

This is more of a “buy it for myself” type of tool, as I doubt anyone has ever said “thank you dear for the clamps,” but I’ve heard so many stories where “more clamps” is the best solution to a problem.
Not only do clamps make it easier to work a wide range of projects, they also improve your precision, not to mention your safety.

Which person do you think is going to make a more precise cut, the one who is cross-cutting a block of wood they’re holding in their hand, or the one who has the wood clamped to the end of a table?
If you’re not ready to buy clamps, visit your Home Depot and see what types of
work holding
options they have. Or, do as I did, and start with a couple of Husky squeeze clamps or c-clamps – there will be a time when you’re glad you have ‘em.

To get the best strength when mounting something to the wall, it’s best to drill through drywall and into a wood stud. Some products require this. The
StudBuddy
is an inexpensive and simple way to locate studs behind drywall, and they work by magnetically sensing the drywall screws that attach your wall panels to the wood framing underneath.

As a bonus, should you upgrade to a more sophisticated stud sensor in the future, the
StudFinder
can still be a good way to
double check, and to also locate drywall screws so that you could avoid them.

Husky’s 15-in-1 painter’s toolmight not seem like a glamorous gift, but it will help you take your painting project to the next level. Features include a scraper, crack opener, paint can opener, roller cleaner, and more.

In a recent conversation, an aspiring
DIYer
lamented that the only tool she had was a large and too-heavy hammer.
There are times when heavier hammers are needed, but for smaller nailing tasks, such as adding back panels to a project where a more delicate touch is needed, or picture hanging products, that’s where this 12
oz
hammer shines.
16oz is a good general purpose size, but this
Estwing
12
oz
is a great alternative for lighter duty tasks. It’s less fatiguing, and that usually means more controllable.

You can order hammers online – and I often do – but head to your Home Depot store and give this hammer a quick swing. Pick up a 16oz hammer or two and feel the difference.
Don’t look at the difference in pricing. Maybe it’s different for you, but for me I opted to spend just a little more money for a lot more hammer. Now I have both and while I use them for different things, this is the one I would recommend to anyone looking for a lighter nail hammer option.

When you’re ready to start marking and cutting wood boards, you’ll appreciate the build quality and easily visible markings of thisMilwaukee Tool 7” rafter square.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what all the holes and markings are for. Place the heel against the edge of a board, and you can draw perfectly perpendicular or 45° lines. Place a pencil in one of the
sawtooth
grooves and you can move it with the square to make a straight line parallel to the edge.

This Husky work tableis a beauty. You have some decisions to make - choose your size (46”, 52” 62” lengths), color (white or black), and whether you want drawers or not.

The work table has an adjustable height mechanism, and it comes with both leveling feet and casters in case your usage needs change over time.

With a 300
lb.
weight capacity and sturdy framing, you can use this as a workbench, computer desk, crafting spot, or anything
you want.

I typically don’t like ordering things like this online, but Husky’s exceptionally well-protected packaging ensured mine (thank you Home Depot!) arrived in perfect condition.

Office scissors are no match for plastic clamshell packaging. Well, plastic clamshell packaging is no match for these scissors. (Although to be fair, sometimes I still need a knife for the most stubborn of plastic product vaults.)
I used to keep tin snips around for general purpose cutting tasks, but not anymore thanks to these Milwaukee scissors.

You know, we had heavy duty
all-metal scissors in the household junk drawer when I was
growing up, and we used those scissors for everything. These Milwaukee scissors are the ones my kids
will
reminisce about in 20+ years.

If you don’t buy this hammer on the spot, be sure to seek it out the next time you’re at
The
Home Depot.
Dead blow hammers are the answer to so many frustrations. Something’s stuck? Give it a whack. Installing wire or metal shelving? Give it a whack.
Does a wood board need coercing?

A dead blow hammer is specially designed with a shifting weight inside the head, and this serves to absorb shock and recoil. It’s an experience you need to try for yourself.

Why this hammer? I was sorting through the recent selections at my local
The
Home Depot store and was amazed at this dead blow’s size. Most dead blows are a bit weighty, and even if they deaden the recoil quite a bit, they can be heavy and tiring to use.
Instead, this one felt lighter and more compact.

If you pick up different rubber or non-marring mallets, you’ll see what I like about this – it’s a comfortable size that’s easy to swing, but still substantial enough to pack a usefully
punchful
wallop.

Sure, you don’t
need
a dead blow hammer, go ahead and use a steel-faced hammer if you want to put some dents in whatever you’re adjusting. On top of all its anti-recoil benefits, this Husky has a soft face to help prevent marring struck surfaces

Most
DIYers’ first power tool is a cordless drill. You need this for drilling holes and driving fasteners to repeatable depths. Even though a drill can drive fasteners, and impact driver can handle larger or longer fasteners, and it not only works faster, it’ll be a little easier on your wrist.

Ryobi’s 18V system has so many different options to consider as you grow as a
DIYer, and this One+ HP brushless combo is their best cordless drill and impact combo to date. If you’re coming from an older setup, you’ll love the small size and high power to weight ratio of these new models.

Tip: whether you’re buying this for yourself or others, it’s also a good idea to buy a drill bit assortment and separate impact-rated screwdriver bit assortment. Or, if you can’t justify a screwdriver bit assortment, buy a pack or two of impact-rated bits – Phillips #2
is
always good to have, and you can always pick up more sizes in the future.

Safety Tip: Impact drivers can be loud. You should wear safety glasses when using all tools, but you’ll also want hearing protection when using an impact driver.

Allen keys, or hex keys, can be a hassle to use. Do you avoid knockdown furniture and any kinds of assembly tasks because of past experiences with teeny tiny straight-end hex keys? Are you kids still using training wheels because
you can’t find the right hex tool to remove them?

This set of Husky ball-end hex keys gives you a 13 SAE (inch) and 13 metric tools to fit a variety of hex socket fasteners you might come across. And, you also get a well-organized case.

The ball end means you can engage with a fastener at a slight angle, and so they’re more forgiving if you can’t approach a fastener perfectly straight on.

The tools are made from alloy steel for strength and wear resistance, and they feature a black oxide finish to protect against corrosion.

In using ball end hex fasteners, I twist the long end with my fingertips to quickly
spin longer fasteners, and then use the straight hex short end for final tightening or initially loosening wherever
greater torque is needed.

One word of caution
to keep in mind,
even if
helps just one person – never over-torque a fastener with the ball end of a hex key like this. I don’t know about this set, but if a ball end hex tip breaks off inside of a fastener socket, you’re not going to have an easy time getting it out.

At the very least, everyone needs a good pair of safety glasses or goggles.
A dust mask or respirator protects your lungs, and certain types of projects – such as anything involving spray painting – might require a different type of respirator. Ear plugs or earmuffs will help to protect your hearing against loud noises, and gloves can help protect your hands against cuts and abrasions, or at the least improve your grip.

Also, be sure to read user manuals, as they will often have safety tips and guidelines for proper use.
Lastly, long hair should be tied back and kept away from any spinning power tool.

To everyone else, I’m serious - Mom wants some tools. If you get Mom just one tool, make it the scissors.