Sims Tools I heartily recommend.

I am not even remotely talented enough to create beautiful heads/faces, skins, or objects using the programs available out there.
However, there are a couple of neat tools you can download from the actual Sims/Maxis website. The ones I use most are: The Sims Make-a-Date tool, The Sims File Cop, Art Studio, and Home Crafter.
Here is a brief explanation of each:

The Sims Make-A-Date

The Sims (Hot Date) Make-A-Date tool is for Hot Date owners that wish to add some new townies to their downtown area. The thing I like about this tool is, I have downloaded many different skins and heads and can create my own unique town's folk, as opposed to some of the goofy characters the original game has roaming downtown. I've even got Elizabeth Taylor Townie roaming around. She's just as glamourous in the game as she is in real life. It's a very easy tool and lots of fun, I think.

The Sims File Cop

This utility will go through your data files for The Sims and clean up any damaged or incomplete files. So after you download that new skin, just have the File Cop check things out for you! If you are worried about objects, skins, heads or anything else you may download from all the wonderful Sims sites out there, this little tool can scan through everything. I've had the game, in recent years, crash, due to bad/damaged/incomplete downloaded files. This one is a must, if you download a lot of neat, new stuff into your game, like I do.

Art Studio!

You can now create new wall paintings out of your favorite bitmaps and jpegs, then have your Sims actually buy them and hang them on their walls! I've created some really neat paintings for my Sims through the years. I find classic art work, like Monet, Matisse, Van Gogh, etc., then create paintings for my Sims with the bmps and jpgs I find. Also, if I am needing a particular theme for the walls or color, I just go find something to match it online, then create the appropriate art work. It's an easy program, too...just like the others.

HomeCrafter

Create your own Wallpaper & Floor patterns for your Sims' homes, then preview them in HomeCrafter. Once you name it, price it, and approve it on the walls in HomeCrafter, you can immediately install it into your Sims game and your new wallpaper and floor will show up in the build section. This one is priceless, as I love going to online wallpaper stores, choose patterns I like, then size them for HomeCrafter. I've made some really neat wallpaper, that I'd actually put up against any out there. I am not talented in many of the programs, but some of my wall and floor stuff has turned out pretty cool, if I do say so myself! (*I will post a few of my Sims' homes interiors, to share some of the wall and floors I have created one day soon.)

You will find all of the above tools @: http://thesims.ea.com/us/getcool/makecool.html. Have Fun!