Best Craft Supplies and Tools for General Crafting

I often get questions about the creative supplies and tools I use to make my art and other craft projects. My favorites are those I consider the best craft supplies in their category and use most often.

I’ve been crafting for a long (loooong!) time. After over a decade in the craft industry, I have had the opportunity to test a ton of supplies.

I’m happy to share my tried and tested craft supply list in hopes you’ll find them helpful in your own creative projects!

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If you’re into adult coloring or hand lettering, be sure to check out my favorite Supplies for Coloring and Lettering. I’ve listed some of my favorite pens and pencils you’ll love to use too.

Best Paper Craft Supplies:

While I have a variety of different paper crafting supplies, these are the ones I use in nearly every project. Using high-quality tools and materials for my crafting saves me time (and money!) from having to remake a project.

Messing around trying to make scissors work or pieces stick is frustrating and takes all the fun out of crafting. Below are the ones I reach for over and over.

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 for attaching paper to paper fast.

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) that I’ve collected over my 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 11 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.

Art and Craft Materials for General Crafting:

You can use these craft supplies and tools for a wide variety of crafts. The only limit is your imagination! These are the most versatile tools and materials in my craft space.

Acrylic Paint-– I love to paint my projects.  For amazing coverage and colors on any painted crafts, 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 that can be used for most paint types.

Just say NO to sponge brushes! They 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 bite 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 machine to cut out my own designs for paper and vinyl 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.

Thanks for stopping by to find the best craft materials for your projects. 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