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MY 10 MUST HAVE CRAFT TOOLS AND

SUPPLIES
JANUARY 23, 2016 BY FLAVIA ANDREWS
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Hi, everyone! It’s been a while since I last shared with you some crafty ideas. With all the
organizing craze I have been through lately, I have had very little time to craft and, I miss it
deeply. I still craft daily to fill Etsy orders, but I miss other types of crafts and
writing tutorials on the blog.
This past couple of weeks I have been trying hard to keep up with my home office/studio
organization. A regular day in my life consists of printing, cutting, punching, gluing, etc. to
fill those Etsy orders, and my desk is in constant disarray.
As I was sorting and cleaning – and making room for my new Silhouette Cameo, yay!- I
thought I would share with you my 10 must have craft tools and supplies. Whether you’re
beginning to build your paper crafts arsenal or you’re experienced in the field, I suggest
you check this awesome list.
Please notice, all products listed below are affiliate links. I make a small commission if you
purchase a product through any of my links, but the product won’t cost you more. Thanks
for your support! For more info, please read my Affiliate Disclosure.
1. SCISSORS AND PAPER TRIMMER

If you want to get serious crafting, you need more than one pair of scissors. Three or four
pairs ought to do it. These are my favorites; they are all stainless steel, so they have been
holding up for years.
 8 Inch Straight Scissors: perfect for cutting out big shapes and for long straight cuts.
 5 Inch Microtip Scissors: ideal for cutting intricate details. I use them to clean off
edges of miniature die cuts.
 8 Inch Pinking Shears: ideal to cut a zigzag pattern on fabric and ribbon, to
minimize fraying.
To make precise and long (or short) cuts, I use a paper trimmer. This tool was really helpful
when I made my Amy Butler- inspired tile coasters and my Christmas chalkboard art
coasters.
 Find a similar paper trimmer here: 12 Inch Long Guillotine Paper Trimmer.
2. CHALK MARKERS
Ever since I had to design my husband’s daughter rustic chic wedding in 2014, I have been
on a chalkboard art kick. I actually made all of her chalkboards free hand, with actual dusty
white chalk. But I have been developing my chalkboard-art-making system and now chalk
markers are my favorite. For many uses!
These are my favorite:
 Broad Point Tip Bistro Marker: perfect for big size projects. Is not only great
for chalkboards, but also for light boards (think project boards for school!), even
windows and windshields. Is water based and easily erasable with a damp cloth. This
is not a permanent marker, so you can wipe off mistakes.
 Fine 3 mm Chalk Markers: these are ideal for small writing. Use it on dark paper,
organizing labels, wine glasses, toy bins, etc.
3. PAPER PUNCHES
The nature of my Etsy business demands a lot of punching, a lot! So I have armed myself
with 25+ types of paper punchers, all different shapes, and sizes. I will list the shapes you
can start with to build your paper puncher stash.
 2.25 Inch Round: ideal for the backing of cupcake toppers and tags. Layer with 2-
inch circles on top (read next).
 2 Inch Round: I use this to punch out 2-inch circles used on favor tags and cupcake
toppers. You can use it for anything, really.
 1.5 Inch Round: ideal to layer on top of a 2 inch round scallop (read next) and make
small tags.
 2 Inch Round with Scalloped Edge: great for the outer edge of small tags.
 3 Inch Circle Lever Punch: this is the biggest circle punch I own. I use it for banners
and centerpieces.
See here and here, a variety of products I offer in my Etsy shop and you can have an idea
on how I put these punches to good use!
Hole punchers fall into this category, too.
They are perfect for making holes on tags and banners. These are the ones I use the most:
 1/4 Inch Circle Hand Punch: for banners, to string ribbons up to 1/4 inch wide
 1/8 Inch Circle Hand Punch: for tags, to string ribbon up to 1/8 inch wide
 1/4 Inch Heart Hand Punch: for decorative purposes
 1/4 Inch Rectangle Hand Punch: for decorative purposes, sometimes for threading
fine ribbon
4. STICKER MAKER
Oh, how I wish I would have had one of these when I was a little girl!. What kid does not
love stickers, right? There’s just something about them.
Do you know you can make your own sticky backing for almost anything? No fuss, no
mess!
Side note: I took a picture of my Xyron 150 (above) but it did not have a refill inside. Oops,
time to re-order!
 Xyron 150 “X” Create-a-Sticker: the one pictured above, ideal to make small
stickers, up to 1.5″ wide. Your kids (and you) will get a kick out of this nifty mini
machine. Find refills for Xyron 150 here.
 Xyron XRN510 Creative Station: makes stickers up to 5 inches wide. Refills are 18
feet long, so you can feed a long (up to 5 Inches wide) piece of paper. Find refills for
Xyron XRN510 here.
 Xyron Creatopia: this is the mother of the sticker maker machines by Xyron. You
can make stickers up to 12 inches wide and the refills are 40 feet long. This machine
also uses cartridges for cutting, laminating and embossing. There is a similar
machine here which is flexible since you can use 5-inch and 9-inch refill cartridges.
5. CRAFT KNIFE (X-ACTO)
This is a no-brainer. A craft knife is useful for making small, precise cuts. Just be
mindful where you store it. I hide it so well (from my son) that sometimes I can’t find it.
 Fiskars Craft Knife: I like the ergonomic shape and soft grip of this one. I have one
(a little too shabby to photograph), it’s time to replace it. I purchased the one shown
in the picture above at Michaels.
 Another option is the X-acto Z Series, craft knife with a cap.
Your craft knife works best when used with a cutting mat (explained below).
6. CIRCLE CUTTER AND CUTTING MAT

The round paper punchers explained above (see item 3) will help you punch out up to 3-
inch circles. For cutting out bigger circles, you need a circle cutter. A cutting mat makes
cutting easier, without damaging your desk or any other surface.
 Simple Circle Cutter: with this tool (pictured above) you can cut circles from 1 inch
to 5 1/2 inch in diameter in 1/16 inch increments.
 Large Circle Cutter: with this tool, you can cut circles from 4 inches to 12 inches in
diameter at 1/8 inch increments.
 Self-Healing Mat: this mat is amazing. Self-healing because the mat’s material
closes after each cut. I use it to protect my desk and the cutting guides are really
helpful.
Imagine all the layers you can do by cutting circles of all different sizes!
7. WASHI TAPE, RIBBONS AND TWINE.

Which crafter doesn’t love washi tape? I have to say, I have yet to incorporate more washi
tape in my life. There are so many types, designs, and colors. I mark special dates and
events on my planner and to-do list. And it is great for labeling cables and their matching
electronic device.
If you are obsessed with color, labeling, organizing and crafting, you are my best friend!
Go ahead, go nuts with all these:
 Japanese Washi Masking Tape

 Colorful Washi Masking Tape
 Mudder Washi Masking Tape
 Rainbow Candy Color Washi Tape
I use this Cropper Hopper Wire Ribbon Carousel to hold my collection of washi tape and
ribbon. I don’t have much room left!!
Don’t ask me to show you my ribbon stash because that is a whole new post. And I will
make sure to link back here when I publish it. I have more ribbon that you can imagine. I
am not even going to list any here since I honestly buy it for cheap at Michaels, Jo-Anne’s,
even Walmart.
I use ribbons for tags, banners, scrapbooks, decorate jars, etc. I tie anything that crosses my
path with a piece of ribbon or twine.
8. MOD PODGE AND FOAM BRUSHES
I did not know what Mod Podge was until a few years ago (*blush*). In my defense, I was
fairly new to the arts and crafts market in the USA. If -like me- you have heard about Mod
Podge, but are not sure what it is and how to use it, here is the scoop.
Mod Podge is a decoupage medium. In other words, is an all-in-one glue, sealer, and
finish. You can use it to glue together pieces of paper, or fabric and you can also use it to
glaze it on top of your finalized project to add a finished look. You can see how I used Mod
Podge to glaze my tile coasters, glaze this fabulous back to school photo prop and make
these vintage wedding books.
Mod Podge comes in a variety of finishes and can be applied with foam brushes or with my
favorite: foam rollers
9. SCORING BOARD AND ENVELOPE TOOL

A scoring board is a magnificent tool to make crisp folding lines on your paper or
cardstock. With a scoring board, you can make cards, envelopes, gift boxes, or simple
folding lines on a piece of paper.
 Scoring Board and Envelope Tool: I have only used this one from Martha Stewart
Crafts and the lines are flawless. I handmade 70 wedding invitations with this tool.
Not a single mishap or mistake… Except for the times when I was too tired to see the
right measurement.
10. HOT GLUE GUN AND GLUE STICKS

Last but not least: the essential hot glue gun. Yes, I had to list it even if it makes you say:
duh!. Give me a glue gun and I can fix anything. Well, sorta.
The truth of the matter is, a hot glue gun is the one tool that you must have in your craft
room. Use it to adhere fabric, paper, plastic, wood, etc. The beauty of the hot glue gun is
that is easy to apply, clean, and dries quickly.
Something you need to know about glue guns is that there are three types: low temperature,
high temperature, and dual (multi-temp) temperature.
 Low Temp Mini Glue Gun: use this gun for delicate materials such as floral, paper,
fabrics or foam.
 High Temp Mini Glue Gun: use this gun for small craft projects or home repairs
that involve wood, metal or cardboard.
 Hybrid Multi-Temp Cordless Gun: this is my glue gun of choice. It is dual temp, so
I can use it with any type of glue sticks and I love the fact that is cordless and has a
stable base. I can either keep it plugged in when I am working in my studio, or turn
the battery switch on and bring the glue gun to any project around the hous

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You are here:

Home / DIY / Crafts / My 10 Must Have Craft Tools and Supplies

MY 10 MUST HAVE CRAFT TOOLS AND

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information,

1. SCISSORS AND PAPER TRIMMER

These are my favorite:

Hole punchers fall into this category, too.

 Another option is the X-acto Z Series, craft knife with a cap.

6. CIRCLE CUTTER AND CUTTING MAT

7. WASHI TAPE, RIBBONS AND TWINE.

 Japanese Washi Masking Tape

9. SCORING BOARD AND ENVELOPE TOOL

10. HOT GLUE GUN AND GLUE STICKS

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