In preparation for my TweetChat with Bing on Wednesday, October 12th (3PM ET), they asked me what my 5 “must-have” tools would be. I decided to take this request very literally- tools only- but even still, it’s hard to narrow it to only five. After all, folks who do paper crafting need different tools than, say, folks who upcycle furniture! However, here are 5 tools that every crafter should have… plus few extras. : )
- HOT GLUE GUN. No matter what kind of crafts you do, you need a hot glue gun. My favorite is the AdTech hybrid cordless– you can use it with the cord or with rechargable batteries for on-the-go crafting! Plus, it’s the only glue gun and sticks that are “string-free.” No glue-y spiderwebs!
- NON-STICK SCISSORS. Great for cutting adhesive velcro, duct tape, cutting apart rubber stamps- you need some nice teflon-coated scissors. I really like the Westcott brand 5″ non-stick. Keep them handy- you’ll use them a lot!
- WIRE CUTTERS. Please don’t ruin your nice scissors cutting wire! Keep a good pair of wire snips handy for floral wires, chenille stems, small dowels, and wire jewelry making. I’ve heard great things about Knipex cutters, but any set that offer a beveled cut will work.
- CRAFT BLADE AND CUTTING MAT. Trust me, you need a nice, sharp blade- I like the Elmers’ Designer X-Acto blade (it has a nice, contoured handle) for cutting stencils, paper, cardboard and foamcore. And to protect your work table & keep your blad nice, you’ll want the Martha Stewart Craft Mat (it has great grid lines on one side, and you can use both sides for cutting. Double-duty.)
- BONE FOLDER. Traditionally, it’s used for paper folding, but you can also use it to hold items in place while gluing, making score lines, burnishing, even scraping. A simple one will do, but the Martha Stewart one is quite nice.
So…that’s the top five. But I really couldn’t stop there…. so here are 5 more that I use almost every time I craft!
6. HEAT TOOL. Essential for curing liquid polymer clay, stripping paint, and melting embossing powders and wax.
7. NON-STICK WORK SURFACE I like either the craft mat that you get with the Hot Glue Gun Helpers (and it’s heat-resistant, too) or the craft mat from Tattered Angels. Keeps your work surface safe and clean up of glue, mists, and paints a breeze.
8. MINI WATER MISTER. I use it for keeping acrylic paints moist while painting, arty journaling techniques, and making my own colored misting sprays. I buy them by the 1/2 dozen, and even keep one in my Travel Craft Kit.
9. CRAFT IRON. Better than a full-size iron, you can use it to apply transfers, encaustic wax techniques, ironing out wrinkly ribbons! And I use it to fuse hot-fix fibers, apply fusible webbing and interfacing, and for releasing color from fabrics. (I found a great-and inexpensive one at ConsumerCrafts.com).
10. MANUAL DIE-CUTTING EMBOSSING MACHINE. Ok, this is a BIG craft tool- but for the money- here for under $60– you get a machine that has a small footprint and can both cut and emboss. Great for paper crafting, but you can also cut fabric, plastic, metals and more. I have a Cuttlebug, and it accepts almost all of the dies and folders on the market. It really changed the way I craft!
I also love my rotary cutter, rulers and mat, fabric scissors, Cricut E2, Martha Stewart Paper Trimmer, Martha Stewart ScoreBoard, pistol-grip Dremel, pasta machine for polymer clay, crimping pliers, round nose pliers…whew! I could go on for days!
Feel free to share what YOUR favorite crafting TOOL is and why. (We’ll keep consumable items- like glues, paints, etc, for another day!) Who knows….maybe you’ll inspire me to try some new tools!
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1)My 1/2″ pure squirrel tinter brush that I use for emulsioning wooden craft items. 2)My Dremel with flexible extension. 3)My tile nippers (side cutting type and wheeled Leponnitt type) which I use for cutting mosaic tile, china plates and stained glass. 4)Simple tweezers for careful positioning. 5)Dental tools – great for mixing small amounts of grout andgetting grout into (and out of)tiny spaces, amongst other uses. 6)Sponges for applying paint. 7)Temperature controlled soldering iron 8)Round nosed pliers. 9)Jig saw for cutting wood/MDF bases. 10)Hand drill – no power necessary.
Add in a mini table vise (about 2″ long & 1″ high), sponge paint daubers that I make to suit different applications, and that I also use for applying Mod Podge and glosses, and my ever-present strong, very thin wire for unstopping applicator nozzles. I think that came from a floral display.
Oh My! Now I remember why I have a part time job at my favorite craft store. You just added to my want list. Thanks!!