Craft Forum

I thought it would be a good idea for people to add what they think is essential to begin crafting with, as everyone has different ideas.

    Also perhaps you bought something which didnt do the right job for what you wanted it for & found an alternative!!

I will edit this post with your ideas

I’ll start it off:-

A good sized cutting mat
A good cutting knife,with replaceable blades,as it makes it more cost effective
I use a stanley knife for cutting large areas and a small knife which is like a pen,great to hold & being left handed easy to use.
A guilotine or paper cutter/trimmer, for nice square squares & rectangle retangles
A small pair of quality scissor for intricate areas
And a large pair for cutting nice straight edges on papers etc.
And also I live for my decal edge scissors!! A God send for a wonky edge!!

Good adhesive - especially for scrapbooking and photo albums acid free products from craft brands, which cannot damage the photos over time
- Dry adhesive like double-sided tape, a refillable glue roller or a glue stick for more papers
- PVA glue, which is cheaper, for use on card, embellishments, etc.
I’d add to the first list various glues: a glue stick for basic paper sticking
PVA glue with a fine nozzle for embelishments
double sided sticky tape or a glue runner
silicone glue or foam pads for a 3D effect.

And another essential item for measuring cards and mats or help when cutting with a craft knife:

A ruler (preferably made out of metal)

my score board. I use it to obviously score the fold in the card, but it also has a use for drawing borders or frames around the card.

a range of media ie Paints, markers, watercolours, pastel etc

Double sided sticky tape
3d foam pads
A good light or good lighting!!!

I think if you were going to be rubber stamping
Definately Stazon, it is more expensive than the others, but it does ‘staz on’ you can use it on acetate, material, paper,card,wood and it is completely permanant.

I actually gave up on the PVA glue with the fine applicator, I spent too much time poking a needle into it to try and get the glue to flow, now I use either a Pritt stick of glue dots. My addition to the list would be glitter glue, I find it can really liven up a slightly dull card and make it that bit more special looking.

Anyone yet mention a bone folder? I find mine invaluable for getting neat creases.

And if you are a scrapbooker, then acid free silicon glue is essential.

3D foam pads,
DST (double sided sticky tape)
My sticky dots
Non slip ruler
And a good eraser, a putty eraser is great, if a bit expensive - but it doesn’t leave any marks.

scissors- I like my tweezer scissors for decoupage, and my soft grip scissors for general cutting.

I think that the computer and the internet is a really useful craft tool for beginners to experts, useful for chatting on craft forums, useful for ordering all your goodies that hopefully are delivered when hubby is out. Really useful for inspiration, and great for downloading papers and other great templates etc

And I’ll edit this one too, with your ideas, thankyou.xxNicola.

I will do items for knitting

Knitting Needles
Knitting Bag
Yarn(of course)
Tape Measure
Scissors
Glass head pins
Sewing Needles
Row Counter
Stitch Holders
Cable Needle
Row Counters
Patterns

And continuing for paper crafters:

Good adhesive - especially for scrapbooking and photo albums acid free products from craft brands, which cannot damage the photos over time
- Dry adhesive like double-sided tape, a refillable glue roller or a glue stick for more papers
- PVA glue, which is cheaper, for use on card, embellishments, etc.

I’d add to the first list various glues: a glue stick for basic paper sticking
                            PVA glue with a fine nozzle for embelishments
                            double sided sticky tape or a glue runner
                            silicone glue or foam pads for a 3D effect.

You’ll probably find other things that are good for particular jobs as you go along. I have a drawer just for glues & tapes

Same idea at the same time

Great ideas, I just update the lists when you post them so all your ideas stay at the top. Thankyou.xx

And another essential item for measuring cards and mats or help when cutting with a craft knife:

A ruler (preferably made out of metal)

Great thread Nicola.

I’m not sure if it is an essential, but I couldn’t be without my score board.  I use it to obviously score the fold in the card, but it also has a use for drawing borders or frames around the card.

I just can’t seem to fold a card precisely without it.

Jules x

Welldone, keep them coming.xx

I would say a range of media ie Paints, markers, watercolours, pastel etc

This way you can always add something different to all your projects.

This is a great thread as I had some money in my paypal account and was on ebay wondering what I should buy first.

Thanks all

Deb x

Yeah!! It was some use, I was hoping it would be, as if your like me you walk into a craft shop and completely forget what you went in there toget or what you need!!.xx

If anyone can think of anything else, I think if you were going to be rubber stamping
Definately Stazon, it is more expensive than the others, but it does ‘staz on’ you can use it on acetate, material, paper,card,wood and it is completely permanant.

I actually gave up on the PVA glue with the fine applicator, I spent too much time poking a needle into it to try and get the glue to flow, now I use either a Pritt stick of glue dots. My addition to the list would be glitter glue, I find it can really liven up a slightly dull card and make it that bit more special looking.

Anyone yet mention a bone folder?  I find mine invaluable for getting neat creases. 

And if you are a scrapbooker, then acid free silicon glue is essential.

3D foam pads,
DST (double sided sticky tape)
My sticky dots
Non slip ruler
And a good eraser, a putty eraser is great, if a bit expensive - but it doesn’t leave any marks.

scissors- I like my tweezer scissors for decoupage, and my soft grip scissors for general cutting.

Thanks Emily and Cassidi.
Cassidi, are they still called putty rubbers, do you know? As I was looking for one a while ago and what I thought was one, in the painting section wasnt called putty rubber, I think it was pliable rubber!! As I want a putty rubber, I used to live for mine, used to end upa right mess but used it right down the last nodule. xx