By Blueberry Beeton, Shelter Staff—You know that piece of trim that needs to be replaced, or the door that sticks in the kitchen, or the light fixture you want to replace? You can do it yourself and many other much bigger projects with the right tools!

My Mom always said, "A woman may not have the strength to bash a beam into place, but she’ll find a way to get it there one way or another." Having the right tools and a creative mentality are key to making that happen. A few years ago I gave a tool talk to an audience of women at a library in Damariscotta—the enthusiasm and standing ovation made me want to offer a similar class at Shelter. A couple of months ago I read an article in one of my FAVORITE magazines about tool selection and it was such a disappointment. It didn’t feature any of the really cool tools available. I like to buy great tools like I buy great shoes, dresses or cooking tools. So this new class is my version of that article in real life. This workshop will be a comfortable space to learn about tools, get your feet on the ground, and an opportunity to bring your questions and have a discussion!
This is a four-hour workshop on tools that will include:

• how to assess the problem and visualize practical solutions
• what tools to look for at a hardware store and how to evaluate them
• know the basic tools you should have in your toolbox regardless of where you fall in the spectrum of house building, renovating, maintaining, and woodworking in general
• hand tools and power tools and what to look for—which brands are ergonomically friendly to a woman’s frame and which brands are touting the best battery life
• and more!

Having a base level of knowledge about tools enables you to make confident decisions about where to spend a little extra money and when you can get a base model that will do exactly what you need. I can’t promise that you’ll never have to deal with a condescending salesman at the hardware store again, but I can promise that you will have confidence to speak clearly and accurately about a tool when you do have to deal with him.

It doesn’t matter whether you're hanging a picture on the wall or building the wall yourself. There are a few select items that will make these projects manageable. We'll have on hand a selection of Shelter's favorite tools for you to handle and try and I’ll show you my absolute favorite essentials that you won’t necessarily find at the big box stores.

Coffee, tea and snacks will be provided. Shelter reserves the right to cancel this class if it does meet a minimum of 10 students.

Basic Tools Workshop for Women
Saturday February 4, 2012
9:00-1:00 pm
Tuition: $45/person