There are 6 different types of erasers you need in your craft room to quickly and easily fix all of your mistakes!
If you think that all erasers are created equal, you are totally and completely wrong. I’m not kidding. And if you’ve spent your life only using pink erasers or the end of a pencil, then today you are in for a treat! Get ready for all your mistakes to DISAPPEAR!
Ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. But a good eraser is a dream come true. And maybe a little bit of a metaphor for what we wish life was like? Unfortunately though we can’t erase our life mistakes, we can definitely eraser our writing and artwork.
Since erasers are relatively cheap, I recommend grabbing one of each of these kinds of erasers and trying them out. See which one you like best! Once you find your favorite you will become a total eraser snob.
The 6 Different Types of Erasers You NEED in Your Craft Room
- The Classic Pink Rubber Eraser
This is probably the kind of eraser that we are all most familiar with. Did you know that classic erasers are pink because they were originally made of natural rubber mixed with pumice to provide friction and that Italian pumice had a pinkish hue!
Pink rubber erasers what you get at back to school time and it’s what on the end of a pencil. They are now made of synthetic rubber but they kept the pink color because that’s what we expect. They work fine. They smell kind of weird and rubbery. They’re ok and will do the job a very good chunk of the time. If you have no other options, rubber erasers are great - White Vinyl Eraser
Once I tried a white vinyl eraser, I never went back to a pink rubber eraser. They are much smoother on the paper and much less likely to tear or wear the paper surface. I personally also think they erase pencil marks better. White vinyl erasers also work well to erase charcoal and pastels and they are beloved by many draftspeople because they really erase well! - Kneaded Eraser
If you’ve never used a kneaded eraser before, you’ll probably be a little confused. Kneaded erasers are softer than pink erasers and can literally be squeezed and kneaded into any shape with your hands. They are also made of rubber, but were first seen after the invention of the vulcanization process to cure rubber in 1839 which is what allows them to be kneadable.
The really great thing about kneaded erasers is that you can form them into any shape which allows you to be very precise or erase in small detailed areas. Kneaded erasers are very common in art studios. - Gum Erasers
Gum erasers are a latex free eraser that are most often kind of yellowish tan in color. They are most often used to eraser graphite marks from large areas. They are softer and more crumbly than pink erasers so they may not last as long, but they will be gentler on your paper. - Mechanical Eraser Pen or Refillable Eraser Pen
A refillable eraser pen is like a mechanical pencil but for erasing. The same kind of mechanism holds a thin cylinder of white vinyl eraser. As you use up the eraser, you can click to push more out. This is my all time favorite kind of eraser for most things, it’s kind of a mix of the great erasing ability of a regular white vinyl eraser mixed with the fantastic detail, fine point abilities of a kneaded eraser. I also love that it fits nicely in a pencil case and often has a little clip so you can even clip it to a notebook. - Pencil Erasers
Pencil erasers are just what they sound like. A pencil, but instead of being filled with graphite, they are filled with rubber material. They are great for detail erasing but much like the difference between regular pencils and mechanical pencils, a pencil eraser does need to be sharpened as you use up the eraser. Whether you like that will be a matter of personal preference!
Bonus Awesome Erasers and Erasing Tools
- Drafting Brush – It seems silly, but if you draw and erase a lot, this super soft brush cleans all of those eraser shavings off without smudging your work.
- Rubber Cement Eraser – Rubber cement isn’t that popular nowadays, but if you ever use it or use masking liquid for watercolor or other painting, you NEED a rubber cement eraser. This kind of eraser peels up rubber cement or masking liquid so much easier than your fingers.
- Drafting Dry Cleaning Bag – This is a small fabric bag filled with finely powdered gum eraser. It’s fantastic for cleaning up larger smudged areas.
- The Best Erasable Pens – Yes, they finally make ink pens that are TRULY erasable. If you haven’t tried them yet, what are you waiting for?
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Craft and Knitwear Designer at Little Red Window Design
Welcome to Little Red Window! I’m Cassie, a professional craft and knitwear designer working in the field for more than 10 years. I have a degree in Art History from Northwestern University and a Master's Degree in Architecture and Design from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I've designed more than 300 separate knitting patterns, hundreds of craft projects, and I love to bring joy to your crafts and knitting with well-designed, easy to understand tutorials and patterns.
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