Craft Supplies I actually use
Do you ever..
..find yourself looking at a box of craft supplies that at the time of purchase you thought would change your crafting life but come to find out it was a one-and-done? On the flip side, have you every gotten a craft supply that has somehow became your most used tool in your crafting toolbox?
Welcome to my life.
Don't sleep on the...
Brayer tool
When I first started, I skipped the brayer. But once I got one, it has been literally my favorite. I find that it extends the life of my light-grip mats and ensures a more even cut; especially on the delicate/intricate pieces
Scraper tool
When there are a lot of little pieces cut out (that won't be kept), the scraper tool saves my nail beds and my sanity
Light grip mat
I primarily work with paper and paper crafting. I've only ever needed a light grip mat and have been quite successful with them. Mats are washable (with some simple dish soap and water!) and, therefore, reusable.
Foam adhesive strips and squares
Adding some foam adhesive really adds dimension to lots of things: cards and shadow boxes for example. I like getting the precut strips and squares for ease.
Save the pennies
Clamping tweezers
In the grand scheme of things, I can see how these are helpful. However, I've never used my pair. They just sit there. For the most part I get by with my fingers or a pair of basic tweezers. Get these if you work with a lot of fine embellishments or have a difficult time holding small pieces.
Extra weeding tool
I bought an extra weeding tool (from the Dollar Store) and I've never used it. I was convinced that I needed to have a couple in case I lost mine. Just hasn't happened..
Several extra cutting mats
Because cutting mats are washable, don't spend the money on a lot of mats. Don't get me wrong, it is very helpful to have a couple but if maintaining a strict budget outweighs convince, skip the bulk pack.
Weeding scrap catcher
While this is handy, it's not totally necessary. Tiny scraps of vinyl are annoying but can easily be collected in a ball of tape, a larger ball of vinyl, a small box, or even an old wet wipe container. Basically anything the little pieces can stick to or the weeding tool can scrape off the pieces.
Worth it after beginning stages
A couple extra cutting mats
As mentioned in the Save the Pennies, having a couple of extra mats is really convenient. Less time washing, able to faster load sheets if working on a big project, and the mats will eventually lose all stickiness even after washing. (There is some spray available to refresh the mats. As I have never had to do that, I will not make a recommendation for or against.)
Applicator powder
This is really helpful when making shaker or snow globe type cards. When stacking foam adhesive, the sides are sticky and all the fun embellishments get stuck and you no longer have the cute shaker card. Pro tip: don't buy specific "applicator powder" and use cornstarch instead. Also, you can use the powder/cornstarch on your dark vinyl to easily see the lines before weeding.
Magnifying light
I got a desk clamp USB light with a magnifying lense and it has helped so much when needing to look at the fine details in my vinyl or when aligning layers for cards.