The DIY Advice I Wish Someone Had Given Me Before I Picked Up a Drill

Kelsey Berry
Oct 13
3 min read

Updated: Oct 14

When I picked up a drill for the first time, I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew I was tired of waiting for someone else to fix things. That one moment of frustration turned into a full-blown personality shift — and now I’m out here building cabinets like it’s a competitive sport.

a woman using a brad nailer to install wall molding

But here’s the truth: DIY looks cute on Instagram, but behind every “after” photo is a series of mildly disastrous “befores.” Holes patched three times. A trip (or six) to the hardware store. The existential moment when your shelf tilts left no matter what you do.

So if you’re just starting out, or even if you’ve been doing this for a while, here’s the advice I wish someone had given me before I ever squeezed a trigger on a drill.

1. You Don’t Need Every Tool — You Need the Right Ones

There’s this idea that you need a garage full of gadgets to DIY anything. False. You just need the basics:

A drill (cordless, because outlets never exist where you need them)
A level (for your sanity)
A stud finder (to avoid heartbreak)
A versatile saw (either a circular saw or miter saw)
A nail gun (I mean it isn't 100% necessary but pretty dang helpful)
An electric sander (sanding is the worst but it is so important)

You can do a lot with that combo. Build your confidence before you build your tool collection.

2. Measuring Is a Suggestion (and That’s Okay)

If you’re anything like me, you’ll measure once, feel confident, cut once, realize it’s wrong, measure again, and somehow make it work. That’s DIY.

Perfection isn’t the goal — progress is. You’ll make mistakes, patch them, and get better. And one day, you’ll be the person people text when they’re scared to hang a shelf.

Remember when I had to add all of that spackle to every single shelf in the library because the entire thing was crooked? Same.

shelves in a home library that are being constructed

3. Templates Are a Beginner’s Secret Weapon

I don’t rely on fancy laser levels or digital measuring tools — I rely on cardboard boxes (or poster board) and painter’s tape. I trace, test, and eyeball until it feels right. It’s not professional, but it’s practical. Here is a quick tutorial from when I did my staircase!

If it helps you get it done, it’s the right way. Don’t let pros online convince you that there’s only one correct method. The only “wrong” way is not starting.

4. Confidence Is a Muscle You Build (Not Buy)

The first time you drill into drywall, it’s terrifying. The fifth time, you’re like, “Let’s open this wall up and see what happens.”

DIY is half skill, half mindset. You’ll mess up — that’s guaranteed. But every time you fix something, you build trust in yourself. And that’s what makes you unstoppable.

5. The Mess Is Part of the Magic

You’re going to make a mess. You’ll find dust in your eyelashes, paint in your hair, and rogue nails in your laundry room. It’s part of the experience.

When you walk into a space you built, even a little piece of it, you see more than paint and wood — you see proof that you figured it out. You learned. You grew. You made your home yours.