Scrapbooking Tools and Supplies;  Scissors, Trimmers, Shape Cutters, Punches

(Why and How)

By: Liz Holloway and Cijaye DePradine 

 There are thousands of Scrapbooking Tools on the market today.  Many are available online, through independant sites and eBay. And many are available at your local craft stores or department stores.

However it is very important to note that good quality scissors, trimmers, shape cutters and punches can go a very long way and will almost always guarantee you a perfect cut!

Here are some great reasons and uses you will want to choose a variety of these tools:

Scissors – a good quality scissors is recommended. They can be used for: 

•  For cutting paper, such as trimming, small scissors for maneuvering

•  For cutting your rubber stamps (if you purchase high quality stamps from companies like Stampin'Up!

• For cutting your fabric

Heavy Duty Trimmers – if you are doing a lot of cutting, our recommendation is purchasing a heavy duty one – like fiskars.  It can cut more than one sheet at a time, and your cutting blade does not wear down.
 

Personal Trimmer - is a must. Especially for card making or matting.

Your Paper Trimmer should be light, compact and portable.  This way, you can take your personal trimmer everywhere you go. *And when you get really active with Scrapbooking - you will travel to local meetups and workshops with these tools.
 

Shape Cutters – are not necessary if you are a beginner, but when you get into intermediate and advance levels you may wish to challenge yourself by adding shapes to your pictures.

You can also use these to create shaped matts and outline photos!  It kicks up your scrapbooking look dramatically!

Punches – are always good to have on hand.  They can can speed up your Scrapbook Page composition. 

Your punches however should be good quality that can stand up to cardstock.  

They can be used to create a border for your pages - as well as your photos. 

Just remember to keep your scissors, trimmers, shape cutters, and punches sharp and clean.

To do this, periodically cut or punch several times through wax paper and several times through foil paper, then clean it with rubbing alcohol.  

The wax keeps the edges of the cutter fresh and the alcohol removes any excess stickiness, the foil keeps the edges sharp.

Happy Scrapbooking!