Maybe it’s because of a New Year’s resolution. Or maybe it’s because you just wanted to try something new. Whatever the reason, I’m always excited when I meet someone who’s new to stamping. There are so many great ways to be creative, but I also know that it can feel intimidating, making it hard to know where to start. So I thought I’d share what I think are the top 5 things every beginner crafter needs!
First up is a good paper trimmer. YOu’ll want something that can cut cardstock and patterned paper up to 12″ x 12″. And you’ll also want something that you can get replacement blades for. Eventually the blades do get a little dull and you end up with fussy edges. I really like Stampin’ Up!s new paper trimmer because it’s relatively compacet and has an arm that extends for the bigger sheets. Anotehr reason I like this trimmer is because I can cut OR score my cardstock and patterned paper.
Next is a couple of different kinds of adhesive. There are ALOT of different kinds of adhesive out there, but when you’re starting out you probably only need one or two. So to start I would recomment a tape runner, like Stampin’ Up!s Stampin’ SEAL, and Stampin’ Dimensionals. Stampin’ SEAL will cover most of your needs for your projects and it’s nice and strong. Plus you don’t end up with blobs like you can with liquid glue. And the Dimensionals are fun to pop things up and add more layers to your projects. As you get more into paper crafting you can add in other adhesives like Mini Glue Dots or Tear & Tape Adhesive.
Every crafter also needs a good pair of scissors of course! This is a tool that you’ll use a lot so you want to make sure it’s a good pair! You’ll use it for simple cutting/trimming, for fussy cutting images and cutting twine, ribbon, etc. The paper snips from Stampin’ Up! are great for all of these and they’re not too big so they easily fit into your craft bag. And the cover will make sure the sharp blades don’t poke any holes in anything. If you end up using a lot of ribbon for your projects, you may want to get a separate pair of scissors for that. Stampin’ Up! used to have a pair of craft scissors that I use for mine. but you can easily find a pair at a local craft store.
Number 4 is one tool that I always have with me… my Bone Folder. This really helps get a nice crisp fold which comes in handy especially when you’re doing a fun fold! It also works great if you need to reposition your cardstock or patterned paper. As long as you catch it quickly.
And last, but definitely not least is the Take Your Pick Tool. This is a tool that I didn’t know I needed until I had it. And now I can’t imagine crafting without it. The putty end is great for picking up sequins and gems. I also use this end when I need help positioning my stamped image in my punches. It comes with two different sized scoring ends. As well as a paper piercing and spatula tip. Either one of these works great for picking up adhesive-backed gems and the paper piercing end is ideal if you ever need help getting that paper off the back of the Glue Dots and Dimensionals. There’s a brush tip to help get all those little bits out of your dies. And if all that wasn’t enough there’s a craft knife tool and a perforating disc tool. I’m sure there’s ones that I’m forgetting, but you get the idea!
So these are my suggestions for the 5 things that every beginner crafter needs. I hope you find this helpful!
If you’d like more stamping tips and project ideas, sign up for my weekly newsletter here.
And if you’d like to grab any of the tools I talked about here you can do that in my online shop.