Favorite Craft Supplies and Tools

I often get questions about the creative supplies and tools I use to make my art and DIY projects.  While I have a pile of found and saved items in a corner waiting to be transformed, and will use whatever is handy to complete my projects, I do have some favorite craft supplies and tools I reach for first.  I’m happy to share my tried and tested list in hopes you’ll find them helpful in your own creative projects!

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Basic Crafting and DIY Supplies for Most Projects:

Glue— If your project is meant to last, invest in good glue.  Spending hours on a special project is wasted time if the embellishments are falling off in a few weeks. Beacon Adhesives are my go-to choices for attaching things to other things.  They have a glue for nearly everything.  My most used glues are:

• Zip Dry Paper Glue
• Fabri-Tac (great for more than just fabric!)
• Tombow tape runner for the rare occasions I need a dry adhesive

Scissors— I probably have 20 pairs of scissors (not an exaggeration) I’ve collected over the years of working in the creative industry.  If I had to choose 3 pairs to be stranded on a crafty deserted island with, they would be:

• Westcott Titanium Non-Stick for sticky projects
• 3″ micro-tip for precision cuts
• Tonic Serrated Snips for chipboard and heavier materials

Paper Trimmer— I use a Tonic 12″ guillotine-style trimmer.  It’s been going strong for 9 years and makes even the thinnest cuts with precision.

Adhesive Remover–This little square gizmo is inexpensive and can save a project from disaster.  Despite it’s humble appearance, this square is fantastic at removing adhesive that has seeped or strung, or has been placed in the wrong spot by a stray thumb.

Acrylic Paint Brushes

Favorite Craft Supplies for Specialty Projects:

Acrylic Paint-– I love to paint my projects.  For great coverage and colors, I use Americana Acrylics.  They have a good variety of indoor and outdoor options, as well as finishes.

Brushes— Having nice quality brushes will save a lot of frustration and repainting.   Brushes with stray bristles poking out in every direction do not make for a happy crafter.  No need to break the bank, however a moderate splurge in this area is worth it.  This is one of the supplies where I don’t have a brand preference.  I prefer softer, flexible, bristle brushes to the sponge variety though, because the sponge brushes soak up a lot of paint that gets wasted.

Crop-a-dile Punch–This single hole punch will go through nearly anything.  I’ve used it on felt, paper, wood, acetate, baked clay, and lots of other materials.  I have both the regular and the big version, but the regular gets more use.  I don’t even bother putting it away any more.

Electric Cutting Machine–I use a Cricut Explore Air to cut out my own designs for paper and DIY projects, as well as cut stencils for my art.  It also cuts a mean science fair project title 🙂  Everything I’ve tested has been cut beautifully.

Ultra-White Card Stock–I love a smooth, thick, bright cardstock for printables and stamping. While I always have a stack of the cheap stuff around for testing, I love Neenah Paper for all my finished work.

Favorite Supplies for Coloring and Lettering

Thanks for stopping by and checking out some of my favorite craft supplies. Leave a comment and let me know what your favorites are. Enjoy your crafty projects and try some new things today!

Until next time:
Carla