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.
![Simple Thank You Card with floral background](https://craftsbykrystal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Simon-Says-Stamp-Thank-You-Flowers-No-Tools-Card-1024x725.jpg)
![Card with cartoon elephant holding balloon in trunk and celebrate sentiment](https://craftsbykrystal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Avery-Elle-Ellie-No-Tools-Card-970x1024.jpg)
![Floral gatefold card that opens in the middle and has an arrow that says "It's your day, celebrate big"](https://craftsbykrystal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/4086-2-871x1024.jpg)
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!