If cardmaking is something that interests you, but you are not sure if it’s something you will love or stick with long term, here are the items I would recommend to get started (if you’re crafty, you may already have several of these items):
- Good quality cardstock for card base
- Colored or printed cardstock for card layers (you can usually get a 6×6 paper pack on sale or use a craft store coupon to make this item very affordable)
- Paper trimmer/cutter (I prefer the guillotine paper cutters and if you don’t have one already, I would go for the larger 12 inch one)
- Bone folder
- Scoring tool (or a metal ruler and self-healing mat can work if you do not have a scoring tool/are not totally committed yet)
- Memento Tuxedo Black ink (if you plan on coloring stamped images); Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink Pad
- Beacon 3-in-1 glue (tape runners are great but can get pricey and I love that this glue is forgiving when I inevitably misalign my layers)
- Acrylic stamp block
- Sentiment stamps (word stamps, i.e., “Happy Birthday,” “Thinking of You,” “Thank you,” etc.) – I prefer clear (photopolymer) stamps because you can see where you are stamping and they take up less room than rubber and wood block stamps
- Good craft scissors
With these items, you will be able to try cardmaking without breaking the bank.
It has been awhile since I made a card without some of my special tools (since I went all in on cardmaking as my hobby), BUT I wanted to make sure you see how you can make beautiful cards with just the items listed above.
As you can see, the cards are not perfect but that’s what makes them special! I have to remind myself of this often because I always focus on the little imperfections but… do as I say, and not as I do lol. I am working on being less of a perfectionist 😉
I love making cards because it is a wonderful creative outlet that I can complete fairly quickly. I love sending them out and sharing them with friends and family, knowing that I probably put a smile on their face ? If you fall in love with cardmaking like I did, please check out my next post! Happy crafting!