It’s the dawn of summer, and your projects are calling you! You don’t need to waste time scrambling for tools. Keep these seven essentials handy, and you’ll be ready for whatever summer throws your way.

1.Your Workbench

The number one tool you’ll need to get productive in your shed is space to work. It may sound odd, (aren’t sheds for storing your things?) But having space to work lets you spring quickly from inspired to in-progress. Order a workbench you like, or custom-make one to fit your space. As you may have discovered inside the house, a clean spaced quickly gets used! Be disciplined with your workbench–keep projects there only if you are actively working on them.

2. Rags

Working on projects is messy! Keep a few rags in your shed for clearing mud off tools, rubbing in wood stain, and impromptu napkins for shed-style power-up snacking.

3. Scissors or Gardening Shears

There’s nothing worse than beginning a project in the shed, only to jog back to the house for scissors just to open the packaging. Keep a pair of scissors hanging on your pegboard. Now you can cut through plastic packaging, twine bindings, paper mock-ups, and, of course, trim a few flowers.

Need more precision cutting? Keep a box-cutter on the pegboard, too.

4. Hand or Electric Saw

Whatever your shears can’t handle, your saw can. Look for a quality saw with a tungsten tipped blade and check the edge each year to see if it needs sharpening. A well-maintained saw bite into the material easily and is less likely to slip dangerously. Remember, a sharp blade is a safe one!

5. A Well-Stocked Tool Box

This one’s a no-brainer. A solid tool box is a portable solution center to most your day-to-day projects. Purchase a kit you like that has good organization and room to add.

A few good tools remember tape measure, large and small screwdrivers, an Allen wrench, screws and nails of assorted sizes, pliers, and a hammer.

6. Flashlight

When you inevitably drop a nail, screw or ball bearing and it rolls away, a flashlight can be your best friend. Get a LED one for their endurance. If it has a strap, you can organize it on your pegboard.  

7. Power Supply

Our last item on the list can be the hardest to set up, but it’s worth it. Power changes your shed from a dark building to hold your tools, to a workhorse of productivity. It also keeps you from running trip-hazard extension cords from your house to the shed. Look for our separate blog post on installing power in your shed.