I have to admit I derive a certain amount of pleasure from using things for purposes they weren’t intended. I get the same dopamine rush as when I’m able to repurpose a sauce or pickle jar instead of recycling it. So it should come as no surprise that I’ve managed to collect several things in my crafting toolbox (pun intended) that aren’t actually marketed to crafters. In this article I’m focusing on the things you can get on a Lowe’s run.
(Note: most of these could probably be picked up at any hardware store, but I can’t make any assurances since I don’t have a tendency to shop anywhere else. There is an affiliate link on this page, and you can view my affiliate policy here. I don’t link to any products I don’t support and/or use. The Lowe’s link(s) are NOT affiliate.)
Digital Calipers: a handy way to measure gauge
I’ll start with a somewhat niche tool. My husband is a machinist (even if that’s not his job right now) and he’s the reason I know digital calipers exist. He’s also the reason I’ve started using calipers to measure my gauge. I like using them because they give you more precise measurements than looking next to a ruler. The biggest con to them is that their tips can pretty easily mess up your yarn because they’re sharp. Though if you’re following the “rules” and making a test swatch this shouldn’t matter as much.
Calipers are pretty sensitive tools. Bouncing them around or jostling them a ton can knock them out of calibration. If you end up doing so, you can recalibrate it yourself but it takes time. For sure you should keep them in their box anytime you’re not using them. And store them flat if you can.
The calipers I have are these. (NOT an affiliate link)
Measuring tape: easiest way to track progress
If you’re out on a Lowe’s run you’ll have plenty of these to choose among. I like using a typical carpenter’s measuring tape (or whatever the proper terminology is) to measure my projects. I’ve used fabric measuring tapes and I still do when I’m measuring around something. But when I’m measuring how long my project is I don’t like the flexibility of the fabric ones. Instead, I like my measuring tape since it doesn’t flex as much. Being less flexible, it’s also useful if you want to measure lengths of yarn.
A side benefit of the tape measure is that it’s a lot harder to lose than my sewing ones. The one I use most has a clip on it. I like to clip it to my bag so I can keep it from getting buried with less chances of it getting left and/or lost.
Mini bucket: a nice hook holder
Lowe’s has been trying to create viral products in order to bring more people in. One of those products is their mini Lowe’s bucket. This is a tiny replica of their 5 gallon and 2 gallon buckets. They’ve recently come out with these buckets with lids. They’re relatively inexpensive, too, so it’s very tempting to pick one up every Lowe’s run.
This little bucket is just the right height for me to store my hooks and still be able to see the colors of the handles. My favorite hooks are the Clover Amour hooks (Amazon affiliate link) so all the sizes are different colors. I do store them upside down so I can see the colors even clearer. It doesn’t bother me to do so since the bucket is plastic. I still don’t store my steel hooks upside down. I don’t want to damage the covers or the tips of the hooks since they’re so much thinner.
There’s enough room for my yarn needle case, my craft scissors (with the cover my husband made me), and any loose DPNs. It also has a handle that can be used to divide the contents, hook on something, or just look nice. I can’t really use the handle to carry the bucket around. The handle is blocked by the stuff inside the bucket when it’s straight up. My preference is to put the handle out of the way on the side.
2 Gallon Bucket: good for yarn storage
This is just the right height to put a skein of Red Heart super Saver in with it reaching right at the top edge of the bucket. Since it’s shorter than a normal 5 gallon bucket it’s harder to loose balls of yarn in the bottom of it. The biggest complaint I have with it is Lowe’s doesn’t have a matching blue lid for them. The only lid for them is white. I like having a lid because it keeps dust and junk out, protects it from spills, allows the bucket to be stacked, or things to be stored on top of the bucket.
I get tempted to pick up more of these on any Lowe’s run because my Lowe’s stacks these and the 5 gallon buckets at the end of a lot of the aisles. It can be hard to tell the difference between the two sizes if you’re really not paying attention, so be sure to check the tag just in case.
Mini Toolbox: trendy way to store craft tools
These Kobalt mini toolboxes came out several years ago. If I remember right it was for the holiday shopping season. Since then they’ve come out with several more colors and a 3 drawer bottom toolbox in some of the colors. I’m particularly excited they came out with teal and lavender colored ones!
The toolboxes are pretty handy for sorting a wide variety of stuff. On the smaller set of drawers the top flips open. It doesn’t hold itself open, though. The drawers are various sizes. The top one has one small drawer and one big one while the bottom one has two small drawers and one big one.
I learned the hard way that you need to be careful to not overfill the drawer. You can get it stuck or knock stuff behind the drawer. That’s annoying because you have to work to get it out. I have one of these that I use to store office supplies in and I accidentally ripped up the cover to one of my small notebooks. I had put too much in the drawer and the notebook got ripped when I tried to close the drawer above it.
Since the toolboxes are metal you can attach magnets to it. I like that I can put my magnetic “pincushion” on the lid of the top one. I have a timer that I use to keep me from working on my projects too long that I store on the side of my toolbox.
The drawers don’t have liners in them. Small round things roll around in the drawer easily. So when I don’t want stuff rolling around I put a basic rubber liner in the drawer to keep things from moving around too much.
Neck Light: good for seeing in the dark
To help you better look for this, the neck light is listed perplexingly as a head lamp on the Lowe’s website. The one currently for sale is also a bit different than the one I have, so the features may be different. On mine, each side of the light can be on or off independent of the other. You can also change the angles of the lights to a degree. Each light’s brightness can be changed by pressing and holding the button on the side of the light.
I prefer using a neck light to a head lamp because I can hold my head a lot less awkwardly. My work is more visible with a neck light than a head lamp. I’m also free to look up without blinding someone like I would with a head lamp.
Paint Chips and Paint Collection Booklets: cheap way to try out colors
This is a completely free item that I take advantage of pretty well every time we make a Lowe’s run. I like picking out various paint chips of colors I’m drawn to. The paint chips are easy to mix and match to see if a particular color scheme might work. Then you can just find yarn that’s similar in color. You could probably also get paint chips that match the colors of your favorite yarns.
If you look up each paint color on Valspar’s website it’ll show you coordinating colors with that color. I’m sure other paint brands probably do this, too. Those recommendations and the paint collection booklets can be a good place to start if you have trouble making your own color palettes. The booklets will have groups of colors that work well together. At my Lowe’s the individual paint colors featured in the booklets are right next to them if you want to have the individual colors to mix and match like I mentioned before.
Storage bins: it’s not hoarding if it’s contained, right?
I have several plastic storage bins of various sizes that I use to store my yarn. I like being able to sort things by type, especially my stash. When I finish a project any leftover yarn gets sorted into the bins of matching yarn lines or material types if it can’t fit in the cabinets I have. I don’t want to go into a ton of detail of the sizes and types of bins I have because I think it merits a post of its own. On my last Lowe’s run I picked up some boxes that were on clearance.
As part of my random attempt to use less plastic, I’ve been using collapsible cloth bins. I like them for storing things like motifs from blankets. It’s nice to get it out and use it store the finished motifs and then fold it back up once I’m done with the project. Or it will be when that ever happens.
What else can I get on a Lowe’s run?
Every time I head to Lowe’s I’m always on the lookout to how I can use something for crafting. Have you managed to find new uses for hardware finds?
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