When I dreamed of being creative but didn’t have the confidence to try it yet, I would watch my favorite mentors as they grew and became top DIY Masters.  The Shanty Sisters inspired me.  They were two darling ladies with serious building skills, and I was mesmerized.   Shanty2Chic has now inspired thousands of women to learn how to build through their tutorials.

One of the tools they always talk about is The Kreg Jig.  I had never heard of it until they introduced me and I was intimidated.  I watched them use it and I was amazed and confused.  First off, this is what they look like:

Kreg Jig K5 Master System

Kreg Jig K4 Master System

Here is the description of the Kreg Jig with step by step instructions here:

“Kreg Joineryâ„¢ is an incredibly fast, strong, and simple way of joining wood. It essentially involves drilling a hole at an angle into one workpiece, and then joining it to a second workpiece with self-tapping screws. While it may seem simple, the technique is revolutionary because when you’re done assembling, there’s no need to leave your joint clamped up for hours, glue is completely optional, and – since you’re only machining one workpiece – there are no frustrating alignment problems to deal with.”

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So after YEARS of wanting one, Mr. Farmboy got me one as a Christmas gift.  He headed to my favorite store – Yes, The Home Depot – and picked it up.  You can grab one here and search for Kreg Jig.  When I opened it up I was so excited, yet just didn’t dare use it.  I was terrified.  So there is sat, for MONTHS.

One day I kept looking at the box and was bound and determined to figure it out.  I googled how the Shanty Sisters used it and was surprised to read that they too were intimidated by it at first.  So I made my first attempt at it, and it did push my brain cells to a deeper place than they had been in awhile.  I mean I was used to making snacks, cleaning messes and writing cute notes for lunch pales (which is still the best job ever, just saying), so my mind was convinced it could not learn something new.

I found two tutorials that helped me.  (And for this post I figured “why reinvent the wheel and make one, because these two Master DIY’ers did it already and knocked it out of the park?!”)

I have the Kreg Jig K4 Master System.  Pretty Handy Girl has a great tutorial here on this system.  It gave me the confidence I needed, and she is very inspiring and creative! Brittany is a leader in master building and is a great mentor to me.  This is the image you will see in searching for this post by Pretty Handy Girl:

The Shanty Sisters use the Kreg Jig K5 Master System.  This tutorial is a perfect place to start if you have this model.  Almost every build they create uses the Kreg Jig.  Now that I have learned how to use it I can see why, it’s amazing!  This is the image you will see in searching for the post by Shanty2Chic:

Now, I am using my Kreg Jig to make such fun things.  I am so grateful I took the plunge and learned how to use it.  YOU CAN TO!  You will be amazed at how easy it is.  Just follow along with these Master Builders and you too will feel empowered.   Once you get your hands dirty with it you will be so proud!

Check out some fun projects I have made since I learned to use my Kreg Jig:

DIY FARMHOUSE BENCH

DIY Bathtowel Rack

DIY PLANK BATH SHELF

DIY CHIPPY CORBELS

Good luck and let us know how it turns out after you study the tutorials!

Love,

Kelly