Find out what you NEED to have in your crafting arsenal if you’re ready to start making!
I can’t tell you how many times I have told someone what I do for a living and their response is, “I am SO not crafty!” But I don’t believe it. I think that everyone can be creative. If you don’t enjoy it, that’s totally fine, but don’t let a belief that you’re “not crafty” keep you from making things. A lot of times, the act of making is even more fun and therapeutic than anything. And that’s fine! I thought today, for you all you wannabe crafters out there, I’d put together the ultimate beginner’s craft kit full of things that will make being “crafty” easy and fun. You’re definitely more likely to be successful at it if you have the right tools! Or hey, have a friend who wants to get creative, these would make some great gift ideas!
- Every crafter NEEDS a hot glue gun. You can use it for just about anything from cardboard to felt to fabric to wood. I like the smaller ones because they’re easier to handle and THIS ONE is nice because it has an actual on/off switch!
- Sometimes hot glue is too thick and messy, in that case you need some good all purpose craft glue. I use it for things like gluing plexiglass, or jewelry, anything where the glue might be visible. This quick dry formula is my FAVE!
- I know, I know…knives can be a little intimidating. But if you want to take your crafts from looking homemade to looking really great, switch from scissors to a craft knife. This one is nice and has an ergonomic handle so your hands don’t get tired. (psst! don’t forget to keep lots of extra blades on hand!)
- Sometimes a craft knife won’t work and you just need a pair of scissors. Whatever you do, don’t go grab that old pair you keep in your junk drawer. Please?! I recommend having two pairs of nice scissors one for fabric, felt and fiber (yarn etc.) and one for paper and everything else. And seriously, DO NOT use the fabric scissors on paper. Just trust me on this one…
- If you’re going to use a craft knife, then you definitely need a good ruler. You should always always use a metal ruler when you’re cutting. If you use plastic, you can nick the edge and then your cuts won’t stay clean and straight in the future. I recommend an 18″ length like this one, it’s a nice size that’s not too big and will work for most projects.
- When you’re just starting out, the paint aisle can be really really overwhelming. There are so many kinds! I recommend starting with a nice selection of acrylic craft paints. They work on most things. I’ve painted plastic, metal, cardboard, furniture and even fabric with acrylic paints.
- You’ll also need some all purpose paint brushes. I recommend nylon bristles for cost and ease of cleaning but THIS great set also comes with some foam brushes and bristle brushes that you can use for larger projects. It’s good to have a variety from about an inch wide to teeny tiny for details!
- If the tiny little paint brushes scare you (I understand) then you should definitely grab a few paint pens. They’re a much easier way to add details to your projects. Most of them are oil based and you can use them in scrapbooking, on plastic or wood, even on metal! I use mine every year on my ornaments! I always have a white one, a black one and a few metallic ones!
>a black one and a few metallic ones!
Until you evolve (devolve?) into having an entire craft room, you can keep your new craft kit in a little storage container like this, in a closet or on a shelf and then you have everything all in one place when you need it! Or use this post as a shopping list and buy someone you love a fully stocked beginner’s craft kit, they’ll love it!
Happy Crafting!
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- Gingerbread House and Gingerbread Man Knitting Patterns - December 13, 2024
- Peppermint Candy Cane Wreath Knitting Pattern - December 9, 2024
- Gingerbread Wreath Knitting Pattern - December 9, 2024
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