It’s Power Tool Challenge day! Today I’m going to talk about how to use a Kreg Jig.

Each month some of us bloggers get together and share projects with you to help encourage you to use power tools to do projects of your own. We understand what it is to be intimidated by power tools. At one time we all were newbies at this, but we kept on at it, and got better with each project we successfully completed.

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Are all projects perfect? NO, they are not. Are all projects easy? NO, they are not. The goal is to keep trying and learn from our own mistakes.

Today, I want to share with you one of my all-time favorite tools. After I got my first Kreg Jig Pocket Hole System I found a new fondness for building “the box”. If you think about it, most projects build from scratch—begin with a four sided box.  Using Kreg Jigs and their pocket hole screws will change the way you build.

I know a lot of people buy them, and put them away and never use them because they are intimidated by this simple tool. It’s not difficult to use, but it can be challenging to use it RIGHT!

I would say that I use one of my THREE Kreg Jigs on 99% of all of my projects. It’s not just for building—it also makes repairing furniture easy.

Easy Cabinet Door Coat Rack Shelf

On these easy cabinet door shelves, using a Kreg Jig is the perfect solution for a great joint.  Many times I have to concentrate really hard to make sure I get the hole drilled in the right place.  Once while making this type of project, I mistakenly drilled the hole into the shelf instead of the cabinet door.  When using this connection for a shelf board, I know that it is going to be very sturdy especially if I use my favorite Gorilla Wood Glue.

If you want to start easy, this would be a great “beginner Kreg Jig project” for you.

DIY Indoor or Outdoor Coffee Table

By using Kreg Jig pocket holes on this indoor/outdoor coffee table, there are no visible screws or nails of any kind. It’s really one of my favorite projects lately. Mostly because it didn’t cost me any money—I used scrap wood leftover from my diy picket fence.

You can see here that I don’t really mark exactly where the hole needs to go, I just quickly draw a line so I know on which side of the board to drill the pocket holes.

YES! there are lots of pocket holes, but they are not seen while the coffee table is in use.  You can see that I buy my screws by a box of 1000 at a time—that’s how many screws I use.

Not bad for FREE, eh?

As I said above, many projects begin with a box. I like to make window cabinets—large ones, small ones, wall cabinets and even floor cabinets.

 Tall Window Box

Starting from the top to the bottom, pocket hole screws are the meat of this tall window project.

• sides secured to the top
• all shelves secured to the sides
• bottom shelf secured to front facing
• front facing is completely built using Kreg Jig pocket holes and screws.

The only thing that doesn’t have pocket holes in this build is the window! It’s a moving part.

How to Use a Kreg Jig

For a long, long time, I only used my Kreg Jig Jr, now called the Kreg R3, I secured it with my Irwin quick clamp. It’s very handy, portable and is rather inexpensive at about $40.

Using a Kreg Jig K4

Then I finally decided to invest in the Kreg Jig K4 pocket hole system. Sometimes if I don’t have many boards to do, I don’t even clamp the Kreg Jig to my work surface. Even so, the K4 really is a lot faster if you have many holes to drill.

A Mini Kreg Jig Kit repairs furniture

I used the Mini Kreg Jig Kit to repair this old rocking chair IN PLACE. Then I clamped the jig in the corner, drilled the hole and secured with screws without disturbing the existing joint.

I also used it on this toy box made from a crib to reinforce the front legs.

 Kreg Micro Drill System

I think I told you above that I have THREE Kreg Jigs, I think I actually have four when I include this Micro Drill System.  It’s that black insert that you see in the K4. The guide (and bit) drill smaller holes which come in handy for some smaller projects.

I used it to make easy rustic frame 3 ways.  The joints were small boards and I needed smaller pocket holes as well as smaller pocket hole screws.

I truly hope I haven’t intimidated you with all these projects. I think every DIY woodworker should have at least 1 or 2 Kreg jigs in the tool cabinet.

Do you have one still in the box? If so, I challenge you to get it out very soon and build a simple project, or at least put together a box of some sort.

If you need still more inspiration, check out the full library of my Kreg Jig Projects.

I’m here if you ever have any questions about using this fabulous tool, just shoot me an email or leave a comment on this post.

Now, are you ready to check out these great projects from my friends?

Family Sign by My Love To Create

Adirondack FireBowl Table by Interior Frugalista

Headboard Bench by Domestically Speaking

DIY Wall Sign by Designs By Studio C

Easy Bird Feeder by Virginia Sweet Pea

Headboard Bench by Designed Decor

DIY Small Pet Bed by H2OBungalow

How To Use A Kreg Jig by My Repurposed Life

I hope you pick up some power tools today and do some DIY!

gail

disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. Although I have received a few Kreg products at blog conferences and such, I have bought way more than they have given me.