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Our Favorite Crafting Tools for Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking

ByHannah
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Every crafter needs their tools, but sometimes the process of finding the tool, understanding how to use it, and making sure it’s a quality product is more work than it’s worth.

We know that jumping into crafting can feel like a big, well, jump for a lot of people. And if you aren’t well acquainted with crafting supplies, materials, techniques, or products, starting any project, even a simple one, can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve collected some of our most used tools and how we use them so you can feel confident starting your next project. 

The Take Your Pick Tool

You may have never heard of a tool like this, regardless of how much experience you have as a crafter. But this handy little tool can help you in a few ways—the sticky tip (at the top of the image below) makes it easy to precisely grab the tiny items you need. The tiny spatula tip (at the bottom of the image below) is perfect for prying up glue dots and self-adhesive embellishments, and is generally a lifesaver that keeps your hands or fingernails from getting too sticky. The Take Your Pick Tool might not sound particularly flashy for a tool, but when you have a tiny punch out of a star you need to place very delicately, this tool is a game changer.

The Take Your Pick Tool might not sound particularly flashy for a tool, but when you have a tiny punch out of a star you need to place very delicately, this tool is a game changer.

It also has multiple crafter tips for the other end. One tip is for precision cutting, a double-ended pick tip for piercing pieces from intricate die cuts, and a rotary perforating tip for cutting perforating patterns. 

One tip is for precision cutting, a double-ended pick tip for piercing pieces from intricate die cuts, and a rotary perforating tip for cutting perforating patterns.

The last tip you can use with this tool is the Take Your Pick Brush Tip. This tip is a small brush that you run over die cuts. It helps punch out the small details in more elaborate dies, ensuring the paper doesn’t rip.  This tool packs a punch with so many features that make crafting that much easier! 

This tip is a small brush that you run over die cuts. It helps punch out the small details in more elaborate dies, ensuring the paper doesn’t rip. This tool packs a punch with so many features that make crafting that much easier!

Masking Paper

Masking paper has several uses that make crafting even easier, with even better results! Masking paper is a lightly sticky paper that can be used to create layered scenes. It’s designed to be easily removed from your card or project without ripping the paper.

Masking paper has several uses that make crafting even easier, with even better results! Masking paper is a lightly sticky paper that can be used to create layered scenes.

You can also use Masking Paper to protect the image layer underneath. For example, if you wanted to replicate the jungle scene in the card pictured above, with leaves behind the zebra, stamp your focal image first, stamp again on masking paper and cut as precisely as you can around the zebra, add it to your page on top of your original stamped image, and then add the leaves and blend the background/sky color. Take off your masking paper and boom! Layered stamping.

Heat Tool

It’s tempting to use a hair dryer when embossing, but hair dryers can’t get hot enough to successfully emboss anything, and they have too much airflow, which would scatter the embossing powder before it has a chance to heat it. (Please don’t use a hair dryer!) Our Heat Tool is the perfect solution for high-quality, long-lasting embossing. 

It’s tempting to use a hair dryer when embossing, but hair dryers can’t get hot enough to successfully emboss anything, and they have too much airflow, which would scatter the embossing powder before it has a chance to heat it.

It has two heat settings: low for drying ink and high for heat setting power. Many crafters use it for heat embossing, but many use the lower setting to speed up the ink-drying process so they don’t have to wait for the ink to dry before they start the next step. It’s small and sleek—and much easier to store and use than a bulky and ineffective hair dryer! 

Bone Folder

This small but mighty tool is one of the unsung heroes of crafting. Get that clean, crisp fold, even with sturdy paper (like cardstock) by using the Bone Folder. But you can also use it to create texture on the page—score, burnish, or distress your paper with this tool. A bone folder is superior to plastic versions because it doesn’t drag or snag on the paper, and is a tool that crafters usually exclaim, “I can’t believe I didn’t get this earlier!” after completing their first project using this tool. 

This small but mighty tool is one of the unsung heroes of crafting. Get that clean, crisp fold, even with sturdy paper (like cardstock) by using the Bone Folder.

Paper Snips Scissors

These scissors should come with a warning label: “Do not use these scissors unless you want all scissors to be ruined for you.” Most people fall hard for the Paper Snips Scissors—they are sharp, pointed-tipped, and precise and even come with a protective cover. These are a crafting must-have for every level of crafter. 

Most people fall hard for the Paper Snips Scissors—they are sharp, pointed-tipped, and precise and even come with a protective cover. These are a crafting must-have for every level of crafter.

Paper Trimmer

The Paper Snips Scissors are wonderful for detail, precision, and smaller projects, but without the Paper Trimmer, you might end up with uneven edges and a sore hand at the end of your project. The Paper Trimmer comes with both a cutting blade and a scoring blade, as well as an extendable ruler for larger projects. Its extra-wide base with imperial and metric measurements is perfect for all sizes of projects. No matter what project you are working on, the Paper Trimmer will make it easier, more precise, and more fun!

The Paper Trimmer comes with both a cutting blade and a scoring blade, as well as an extendable ruler for larger projects. Its extra-wide base with imperial and metric measurements is perfect for all sizes of projects.

Grid Paper

We wish more beginner crafters knew about the benefits of Grid Paper! This is perfect for keeping messes like glue, markers, and adhesives off your surfaces so that you can craft anywhere. It’s often used to practice stamping and is a great spot to “stamp off” excess ink. The grid lines help align projects and take measurements (and record them!), and can also be a place to plan your project. 

This is perfect for keeping messes like glue, markers, and adhesives off your surfaces so that you can craft anywhere.

Stampin’ Pierce Mat

We created the Stampin’ Pierce Mat because we had personal experience damaging our countertops and tables while crafting. We learned the hard way the importance of protecting your surfaces, especially when using the Take Your Pick Tool and its sharp attachments. Try the Stampin’ Pierce Mat to save you the headache of dealing with scratches, holes, and dents in your tables and countertops. 

Stamping tip! Some crafters use the mat underneath the cardstock when stamping for a clearer image, because the squishy foam helps create a good stamp impression. If you’re having issues with fine lines showing up when you stamp an image, this is a great crafting hack to try!

We learned the hard way the importance of protecting your surfaces, especially when using the Take Your Pick Tool and its sharp attachments. Try the Stampin' Pierce Mat to save you the headache of dealing with scratches, holes, and dents in your tables and countertops.

Need Help Using Any of These Tools?

Well, you came to the right place. We have a host of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators and a huge community full of supportive advice and ideas. We love paper crafts for the fun and joy of creation, but the heart of Stampin’ Up! is the community that has grown and developed for years. The great news is that you can join this community, even if you’ve never crafted! 

There are so many enthusiastic, supportive, and creative people in the Stampin’ Up! community – connect with a demonstrator today! We create high-quality, easy-to-use products so you can craft, and we hope you craft so you can find more joy and connection in your life. We can’t wait to see what you create!