Tools for New Paper Crafters

Are you a new paper crafter? 

     Hi crafty friends! If you're here checking out my blog it's because you're a paper enthusiast like me. Today's discussion is for those who are new to the world of paper crafting and are curious about what basic supplies every paper crafter needs in their arsenal to make beautiful pieces they'll love and want to share. Here are my top five supplies or supply groups, that have made all the difference in my creations.

    The staples of my craft room are scissors, glues and adhesives, paper, and ink. If you're going to make cards, art journals, collages, or create happy mail you'll need these basic items to get started. Stamps are also another important staple in the craft room, but we'll leave that for another post. 

1. Cut 

•  You'll need a large pair of scissors to make bigger cuts for things like taking images out of a magazine. You'll also need a smaller pair for fussy cutting or doing detailed cuts in tight spaces. My favorite brand of cutting tools is Fiskars. I like these scissors because they have a lifetime warranty and are strong enough to cut through all sorts of material like heavy card stock, plastics, fabric, and even fine wire without getting dull. If you cut through an item that has adhesive on it, the blades are easy to clean and the adhesive or process of cleaning it off doesn't affect their sharp edge. I once ruined an expensive pair of scissors by getting wet glue on them and then attempting to scrub it off with soap and water. A lesson learned I suppose. While Fiskars has a lifetime warranty on their scissors, I haven't had to cash it in and I've had mine for several years. They still work very well. 
• Another priceless tool you'll want is a paper trimmer. These are important for cutting straight lines efficiently. My favorite is the cut and scoreboard by We Are Memory Keepers. I've had mine for years and it's still going strong. It also comes with a bone folder and a handy spot to store it. The board folds in half for space-saving storage and the blades are replaceable.  

2. Glue and Adhesive

• The dollar tree has got to be my favorite place to grab the glue and dimensional foam tape on a budget. You can find Aleen's Craft glue, precision tip glue bottles, foam tape, and even mod podge at the dollar store at any given time.

• On the more expensive side, I really LOVE to use Bearly Art Glue. It's been hard to restock through the pandemic and can be a bit cost-prohibitive for those of us on a budget. Tombow's mono multi-liquid glue is also one of my favorites. I like both of these adhesives because a little bit goes a long way. You will save the product because of the fine tip and there is very little to no wrinkling when adhering your paper pieces together.
• TIP: I've found using regular school glue works almost just as well as a brand name glue as long as it's put into a bottle with a precision tip! You'll have to try it for yourself and let me know. 
  
  
  
  
  
  

3. Paper

•  Paper may be one of my favorite aspects of paper crafting. There are so many variations and varieties, textures, and weights. If you're going to be a paper crafter building your stash of paper will become a favorite hobby in its own right. 
  
• Find paper you can use in your surroundings. It may be an old magazine you can harvest images and phrases from, security envelopes that have been sent to you in junk mail, tissue paper from a recent gift you've received, or packing paper gathered from an amazon shipping box. I use all of these items and more in my crafting. Gather things like wax paper, parchment paper, tin foil, food packaging, paper grocery bags, old books, newsprint, old playing cards, regular copy paper, and sewing patterns and why not try making some homemade paper of your own while you're at it? There will be so many resources for you to utilize once you begin to seek them out. 
  
  

  

  Fussy cut magazine images

• When it comes to purchasing paper there are a few basics that you'll need in your artistic endeavors. I like to hit craft stores like Michaels and JoAnn's when there are good paper sales going on to buy things like white card stock for stamping and coloring images and sentiments. Having a selection of colored card stock is also handy if you plan to do die-cutting and paper piecing. Buying value pads of patterned paper is a good idea as you can utilize that paper in many different projects and before you know it, you'll have a good supply to draw from when you're looking for a certain color pallet or aesthetic. Specialty papers like vellum, glitter, and metallics can be purchased in single sheets at stores like Hobby Lobby or Craft Warehouse. Purchasing a single sheet at a time, or just a few sheets at a time, will save you money and space and you won't have to shell out the cash for a whole stack of specialty papers and you won't have to find the space in your craft room to store it. 

4. Ink 

•  Just as there are many kinds of paper, there are equally as many types of ink. Ink generally falls into three categories, though I know there are more out there. The most popular types of ink are dye, pigment, and chalk. There are also specialty inks like watermarks, oxides, and hybrids that carry the properties of both dye and pigment-based inks. 
  

• Here are my favorite inks and why. VersaFine by Tsukineko are water-based pigment inks. They come in many different colors. Being pigment ink, they don't instantly dry but instead stay wet and therefore workable for a longer period of time than dye ink. This way you're able to stamp first then cut or stamp multiple images before applying an embossing powder and heat embossing. Another reason this ink is my favorite is that I've found the best detail and clearest images are achieved with it. This is important when it comes to stamping sentiments or stamping intricate, detailed images. If not heat embossing versa inks you're able to heat set the ink to dry it and move on without worry of smudging it. 

  

  stamped image using memento ink
  and colored with alcohol markers

• My second pick for ink is Memento, also by Tsukineko. This ink makes the list because of the ability to use alcohol markers to color in stamped images and not have the stamped image smear. Versafine ink, if not set with an embossing powder, will smear when used in combination with alcohol markers. 
  
• Finally I must mention Tim Holtz Distressed inks and oxides. Distress inks are my go-to for aging techniques. The opaque nature of these oxides and their unique water-reactive properties make them some of the most versatile and fun products to use. More on this later. 

Okay, Friends. Thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you've gained some helpful knowledge and are inspired to get out there and create! ( Oh, and I've not been paid to mention any products at all in this posting. Every product or brand name I mention, I've purchased, used, and am able to give you my two cents' worth, independently, without any persuasion one way or the other.😉 )