Has your home improvement activity been limited to choosing the bathroom tile or stenciling some ivy on the walls of your kitchen? Come on -- don't resign yourself to the "girly" tasks! You don't need to wear your goods on the outside in order to use a table saw, nailgun or a welder. Yeah, they're heavy, noisy, and maybe a bit imposing. But for everything from routers to roofing, with a little training (along with a little moxie and common sense), gals can make their homes their castles. And there's nothing quite like accomplishing a project in your home that not only looks great, but makes you feel great, too.

Get your game plan
It's hard to shop when you don't know what you want or need. So look through home & garden magazines and catalogs, browse the web, and keep track of anything that inspires you. Start a file or even a shoebox to store pictures of appealing designs and use them when starting projects. Don't limit yourself to getting inspiration only from other home projects. Use art, decor, the outdoors or even clothing to glean ideas.

You can do it on your own: Girl's guide to home improvement | Sheknows.com