8 Essential Craft Tools
The
Screw
Punch
I’m putting a screw punch as number one as I use mine constantly! A Screw Punch allows you to punch a hole anywhere in your material (vs. a regular hole punch that sits close to the edge). Mine is the Martha Stewart brand, it easily cuts through thick cardstock, leather, and more. It also comes with three different sizes of holes.
The
Guillotine
Cutter
A guillotine cutter is something I didn’t know I needed until I bought one just before my wedding to help with all my diys for the big day. Now I reach for it close to daily! A guillotine cutter is the fastest way for you to get a clean straight cut, every time.
The Craft Knife
And
The Self Healing Cutting Mat
A basic craft knife
can be used to cut free hand shapes as well as straight lines along a ruler. Mine is used daily.
Needed with both a craft knife and a screw punch is a self healing cutting mat. They give a sturdy grip to your material as you cut it and ensure that future cuts will continue to be smooth. Without a self healing mat, future cuts can get caught in ridges made from previous cuts. I love my Fiskars mat!
The Metal, Cork Backed Ruler
This is such a basic item, but so necessary! Use the ruler to guide your craft knife along a straight line. Measure for accuracy before folding, cutting, and literally every other job you can think of.
The Glue Gun
I reach for my glue gun when I need to adhere almost any craft materials together. It is both fast and strong.
The
Multipurpose
Craft
Scissors
Nothing is more frustrating going to make a cut of your material, whether ribbon, paper, etc. and finding the cut dull, edges ripped, all because your scissors are terrible! Invest in a great pair of scissors and you’ll make your future crafting all the more joyful.
The Paint Brush Roll
Another must have is a good selection of different brush sizes. Wide brushes to cover a lot of ground quickly, smaller brushes for finer details. I use paint brushes not only for painting but also for applying glue, gilding, glitter, embossing powder, and more.
5 Fun-To-Have Craft Tools
The
Embossing
Heat
Tool
I really only use my heat gun for embossing powder, but I love this technique for paper crafts! I’ve used it on multiple wedding invitation designs as well.
The Cricut Cutting Machine
The crafts you can make with a Cricut Maker or Explore are truly endless. Cricut takes crafting to another level! Though you don’t need any design software knowledge to use a Cricut, I love that I can use my skills as a graphic designer and design crafts in the software (Adobe Illustrator) that I’m oh so passionate about. The easy to use, free software provided by Cricut allows anyone of any skill level to excel.
The Color Canon Pro 100 Printer
This is definitely one of my more expensive purchases, but I’m so glad I got it! I did hours of research on what printer would be the best for crafting. The fact that the Canon Pixma Pro 100 easily handles thick watercolor paper makes so many jobs possible. The quality of prints is also so beautiful.
The Bone Folder
Named “Bone” as they used to be made of bone, and are now made with a hard plastic,bone folders allow you to get a perfect fold. Use a bone folder to run along the edge of a ruler to make a score, then fold and glide firmly the paper down. Guarantees a perfect fold with no creases!
The Gilded Stork Scissors
I debated putting this one in the essential list! A pair of gold stork scissors is such a pretty touch to your tool box. Perfect for cutting ribbons and threads. These are just a delight to hold and use!
