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Top 10 Crafting Supplies: Everything You Need to Start Making DIY Cards

ByHannah
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This list of our top 10 DIY card-making supplies will give you the perfect base to craft any card project, be it basic or intricate.

For decades, paper crafting has brought joy to people across the world. It’s an experience like no other–where you can transform basic elements like paper, stamps, and ink into miniature works of art.

There’s no limit to your creativity when you’ve got the right tools and supplies for success. We know it may be intimidating to find the right supplies when you’re starting out! This list of our top 10 DIY card-making supplies will give you the perfect base to craft any card project, be it basic or intricate. 

Understanding DIY Card-Making Supplies

Getting a new tool is always fun, but if you’re overwhelmed with where to start, these basic tools for making handmade cards are everything you need to start your first project today. In fact, you might be pleasantly surprised with how basic your crafting supplies can be. After all, you’ve been using many of them since you were a child! 

Beginners are often hesitant to invest in quality tools. However, a common mistake beginner crafters make is buying low-quality (dare we say cheap) paper crafting tools online. Even the most experienced crafters were probably guilty of making this mistake when they first started. 

When it comes to preserving memories that last and creating professional-looking art, the quality of your tools matters. You want clean-cut lines, glue that preserves and lasts, and acid-free, lignin-free paper that won’t yellow or damage easily. Remember, you’re creating a handmade card for someone they can treasure, and you want everything on your card to last a very long time.

When it comes to preserving memories that last and creating professional-looking art, the quality of your tools matters. You want clean-cut lines, glue that preserves and lasts, and acid-free, lignin-free paper that won’t yellow or damage easily.

The Essential DIY Card Supplies List

While our catalog alone is filled with various crafting tools, we’ve narrowed that list to a carefully curated list of the top 10 essential DIY card-making supplies. These basic tools are everything you need to get started on your first project today. 

1. Precision Cutting Tools

DIY Cards begin with an idea that transforms into a creative work of art. Your most essential crafting basics, like a sturdy pair of scissors, will make your crafting experience more enjoyable. Select scissors that cut cleanly and effortlessly, even in small areas. We love the Paper Snips Scissors for exactly this reason. Equipped with comfort grips and precision-ground stainless steel tips, these babies will cut cleanly all the way to the end of the blade. Paper Snips Scissors are the absolutely best tool for detailed paper crafting work–no handmade card can take shape without them!

DIY Cards begin with an idea that transforms into a creative work of art. Your most essential crafting basics, like a sturdy pair of scissors, will make your crafting experience more enjoyable. Select scissors that cut cleanly and effortlessly, even in small areas. We love the Paper Snips Scissors for exactly this reason.

2. DIY Card Adhesives That Last

Good glue will bring your project together and keep it together. But don’t just settle for any old glue. Our Multipurpose Liquid Glue is a crafter’s must-have supply essential. With dual-tipped functionality, you can easily glue up narrow and broad pieces of your project in one continuous swipe. Multipurpose Liquid Glue has a strong bond, dries clear, and is acid-free, so your projects won’t break down over time or turn yellow.

Our Multipurpose Liquid Glue is a crafter’s must-have supply essential. With dual-tipped functionality, you can easily glue up narrow and broad pieces of your project in one continuous swipe. Multipurpose Liquid Glue has a strong bond, dries clear, and is acid-free, so your projects won’t break down over time or turn yellow.

3. Creating Dimension

Creating dimension is a fundamental element of beautifully crafted art. Adding dimension to a handcrafted card means adding elements that lift off the page to create depth. At Stampin’ Up!, we understand how important dimension elements are to your finished project. We especially love our Stampin’ Dimensionals™–specially designed foam hexagons for adhering those special embellishments that make your art truly one-of-a-kind. 

Creating dimension is a fundamental element of beautifully crafted art. Adding dimension to a handcrafted card means adding elements that lift off the page to create depth.
At Stampin’ Up!, we understand how important dimension elements are to your finished project. We especially love our Stampin’ Dimensionals™–specially designed foam hexagons for adhering those special embellishments that make your art truly one-of-a-kind.

These double-sided adhesive foam hexagons bond instantly and are great for heavier embellishments. Just peel and stick! Want that balloon to magically seem to be floating off of your one-year-old’s first birthday party invitations? Dimensionals will do the trick.

4. Color Your Creations

You might think that using rubber stamps may limit your creativity. After all, how creative can you get when using an image already designed for you? Stamps can infuse your project with tons of creativity! But what is a stamp without ink? Build your basic color kit by using our Classic Stampin’ Spots® Assortment. Filled with great colors like Basic Gray, Real Red, and Shaded Spruce, these colors will form a great foundation for building your crafting toolbox. 

Build your basic color kit by using our Classic Stampin’ Spots® Assortment. Filled with great colors like Basic Gray, Real Red, and Shaded Spruce, these colors will form a great foundation for building your crafting toolbox.

To add even more dimension, after stamping, you can easily color different parts of the stamped image with colored pencils.​ 

5. Stamping Made Simple

If you’ve worked hard on a project, you don’t want to ruin it at the last minute with a crooked stamped image. That’s why we love our Clear Block for Stamps. It may seem like a bold claim, but we don’t mince words when we say that clear blocks have revolutionized the accuracy and ease of stamping. Our high-quality, reusable acrylic blocks are grooved for easy gripping and clear so you can see right where you’re stamping. Total game-changer! Forget about crossing your fingers and hoping to get it right–with our clear stamp blocks, your stamps will be perfectly placed every time.

Our high-quality, reusable acrylic blocks are grooved for easy gripping and clear so you can see right where you're stamping. Total game-changer! Forget about crossing your fingers and hoping to get it right–with our clear stamp blocks, your stamps will be perfectly placed every time.

6. Sentiments for Every Occasion

Looking for that just right phrase to express exactly how you feel? Our sentiment stamps give you the words for all those happy heart feelings. 

Sentiment stamps are an assortment of phrases that can be used as a background on cards, used individually, or clustered in groups–the choice is yours! Our sentiment stamps are known for creating images with excellent detail. Plus, the different sizes of sentiments give you lots of options for fitting them onto your cards and tags. 

Sentiment stamps are an assortment of phrases that can be used as a background on cards, used individually, or clustered in groups–the choice is yours! Our sentiment stamps are known for creating images with excellent detail.

Use our Saying Hey Stamp Set for that perfect introduction for that special person in your life. Or try our Simple Said Stamp Set to send love, support, and thanks to those you cherish. Whether you want to say Thinking of You, Hello, or Thanks, this set is perfect for you. 

7. Shape Your Memories

Craft punches are very popular with paper crafters, and for good reason. Craft punches are great because you can use them as many times as you want, they last for a long time, come in many designs, and the punched shape can echo the embellishments and shapes of your design. Plus, you can customize the punched shape even more by adding details. 

Craft punches are very popular with paper crafters, and for good reason. Craft punches are great because you can use them as many times as you want, they last for a long time, come in many designs, and the punched shape can echo the embellishments and shapes of your design.

Start with the Modern Oval Punch, or add it to your existing collection. You can’t go wrong with this classic shape. You can also take advantage of the negative space (the piece left over after you punch out your oval) to frame a sentiment or image of your choice when card making or scrapbooking. 

Craft punches are really fun, and you may find yourself in the enviable position of having to organize your growing supply. We recommend stacking them on a shelf, storing them in shallow drawers, or trying an over-the-door shoe organizer for easy access. 

8. Starting with a Blank Canvas

We always recommend starting any project with our Basic White Note Cards & Envelopes. Made from thick, acid and lignin-free cardstock, our basic white note cards and envelopes are great for any DIY card project. They’re simply the best. Along with our other paper crafting essentials like solid adhesive, precision cut scissors, and embellishments like stamps and craft punches, the basic white note cards and envelopes provide a solid base that will stand the test of time. 

We always recommend starting any project with our Basic White Note Cards & Envelopes. Made from thick, acid and lignin-free cardstock, our basic white note cards and envelopes are great for any DIY card project.

9. Clean and Simple

No crafting essential supply list would be complete without the Simply Shammy. This stamp cleaning, chemical-free cleaning cloth makes stamp cleaning effortless. All you need is water (and a little elbow grease–but just a little!) because this thick shammy easily cleans ink from narrow grooves. This shammy is truly magical–no lint, no mess! This shammy easily cleans your stamps in record time using just water and cloth. Plus, the ink on the shammy won’t transfer to your fingers or other stamps. It’s a win-win.

This stamp cleaning, chemical-free cleaning cloth makes stamp cleaning effortless. All you need is water (and a little elbow grease–but just a little!) because this thick shammy easily cleans ink from narrow grooves. This shammy is truly magical–no lint, no mess!

10. Your Crafting Companion

We firmly believe that crafting should be a shared experience. So don’t be afraid to ask for advice and resources from an expert product demonstrator. These crafting experts can show you how to use or sample a product. Stampin’ Up! demonstrators are avid crafters and can share tips and tricks to make your crafting experience more enjoyable and successful. Consider them a mentor who can help you gain the skills and knowledge you need in a personalized setting. Want more help and crafting advice? Find a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator today!

These crafting experts can show you how to use or sample a product. Stampin’ Up! demonstrators are avid crafters and can share tips and tricks to make your crafting experience more enjoyable and successful.

Ready to Start DIY Card Making?

Hopefully, this list of our “top 10” crafting supplies will help make it easier for you to start gathering your DIY card making tools so that you can begin to enjoy the paper crafting activity that has been delighting the Stampin’ Up! community for decades.

We love a handcrafted card—both the creative process of making one and the joy of receiving one. If you’d like to get more help choosing your craft supplies or would like to join our crafting community, reach out to a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator today!