Must Haves for Makers
I have been crafting for over 25 years and this hobby brings me a lot of joy! It also give my family ideas when they are buying gifts for me! Today I want to share with you some of my must have items for crafters. Whether you are just starting out or maybe you have been crafting for years. I hope this list will give you something new to add to your supplies.
My #1 Must Have
Personal Cutting Machine - I have had a die cut machine of some sort for years. I started out with the Sizzix personal die cut machine. Do any of you remember the original big red machine that was heavy and awkward? Then factor in having to purchase all the die cuts you wanted to use; it took up a lot of space! After a few years I purchased the original Cricut machine. Again, I had to purchase separate (and expensive) cartridges. Sometimes I would end up purchasing cartridges for only a few cuts. I purchased a new Cricut machine that still used the cartridges but also allowed use of design space. For whatever reason I never really liked design space.
After a lot of research I moved on to the Cameo 3. I haven’t looked back! The Cameo and Silhouette Studio are very user friendly. I would love to upgrade to a Silhouette Cameo 4 someday. For the first three years I owned the machine I had a subscription that allowed me to get hundreds of svg files for cheap. With the Cameo and now with the cricut machines too; you don’t need cartridges. You purchase one file at a time which has saved me lots of money and space!
I recently added the Cricut Joy to my collection. I have used it to label a few things and for some smaller craft projects. The writable vinyl is neat and easy to use!
More Must Haves!
Self-healing mat – I have a few self-healing mats in different sizes. Depending on what type of crafting you do will help determine what size self-healing mat you should purchase. I have a large self healing cutting mat I use to cut larger pieces of fabric.
Paper Trimmer– While I do have a separate craft space in my home right now I haven’t always. Most of the flat surface space is taken up so I stick with a small paper trimmer that I can keep in a drawer. Fiskars is the brand I trust for paper cutting needs. This is the one I have on my crafting taable right now Fiskars 12inch SureCut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer.
Painters, Cardmarkers, and More
Vinyl – You can pick up vinyl from your local craft store, at an online vinyl site, ebay or on amazon. I don’t sell a lot of items with vinyl right now so I stick with a variety pack to use for fun. For heat-transfer vinyl I highly recommend Siser easyweed. Expressions Vinyl is a great site for vinyl and they have lots of information if you are just getting started.
Tombow Dual Brush Pens – Tombow brush pens have both a felt tip and a brush tip. Water-based ink is blendable, odorless, and acid-free. Pens can be used for all kinds of craft projects from card making to hand lettering. I even use these pens in my planner! It’s not a secret that I love pens and buy new and different ones all the time. If you are just starting out I would recommend investing in the Tombow dual tip pens. You can start out with a small pack or two and continue to add to your collection!
Paint Brushes – Most of the painting I do is for fun so I pick up whatever brushes I can find on sale or with a coupon. When the foam brushes are on super sale at Michael’s I grab a bunch!
Paint – I do not stick with a specific brand of paint. While I do find that there are some that cover better than others I pick up whatever colors I need and don’t pay attention to the brand. If you can catch the Home Depot BEHR sample sale (99 cents for 8oz); I would run to your local store and grab a variety of colors! We don’t have a Home Depot nearby but the last time they had the sale I was able to order online and have them shipped to my house for FREE!
Craft Tape (a lot of varieties) - I use a tape runner and photo splits on a regular basis in my cardmaking and scrapbooking. Recently I have been trying some new things to make my cards pop and picked up a package of 3D foam squares and 3D foam tape to make shaker cards.
Crafting Inspiration
Heidi Swapp Light Box – I picked up one of Heidi Swapp’s light boxes when they first came out, before the market was saturated with light boxes. I have the light boxes in regular, mini and the shelf light box. I use them in different places in my house. They give me a quick and easy way to share fun messages with my friends and family.
Storage, Storage & More Storage!
Michael’s is one of my favorite places to pick up storage items. They often have their crafting storage products and baskets 50% off. I also try and use items I have around the house or repurposing inexpensive Goodwill or yard sale finds.
Rolling Cart – I have the RÅSKOG rolling cart from Ikea but you can now find these carts EVERYWHERE! I recently bought my daughter one from Michael’s for all of her craft supplies. On sale you can pick up a cart for under $30 and they are worth every penny. I use mine to store gift wrapping supplies but the possibilities are endless for how this cart can be used. Check out my rolling cart refresh where I turn a yard sale find into a beautiful addition to my craft room! Amazon also has a great selection or rolling carts you can check out here.
What are your crafting must haves?
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