Essential crafting equipment for a novice

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rabble

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Sorry if this has been asked/answered somewhere.

I'm an aspiring crafter and I was after your opinion of what piece of equipment you would say is the must have of every craft set-up.

I'm not gearing up towards any particular type of craft so I'm looking for an all rounder. Glue guns are used a lot in the videos I've watched, so I'm wondering if that's a good tool to have?

Apologies for the vague question!
 
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MrsSoup

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A glue gun is a very versatile tool for sure and a good one to have. I'm not an avid crafter so hopefully Lana or one of the others can answer better. I would say a good pair of sharp scissors is always good to have on hand as well. I have found a single hole punch and string to be quite useful for a variety of things too.
 

missjane

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I find a good electric drill with changeable bits is useful and wood glue.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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I agree with several pairs of scissors. I have tiny ones that are used for snipping threads etc, a medium pair that are good for cutting patterns etc and a good pair that is just used for cutting fabric and felt etc. I keep these in my drawer and they are not to be used for any other purpose.
 

rabble

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Thanks all for getting back to me. I will invest in a glue gun (been wanting to try one, they look cool).

I didn't even consider new scissors - we have loads in the house that are in various states of blunt/covered in glue or paint/general mankiness! So I'll get some new ones and hide from family. Same for rulers and hole punch.

Again drill - never thought about that!

I'd love to try quilting, eventually, but i think I better start with small paper crafts first haha
 
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Myron's Mom

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I agree with all mentioned above! And glue guns are good for all kinds of home repair projects lol. I have a set of tiny screw drivers and tweezers that I use in crafting too.

I pick up books and magazines at thrift shops, yard sales and occasionally an auctions. You can get them for practically nothing and are a good source of ideas and instruction.
Lots of us here are “savers” too. I save all kinds of junk that I use in my little projects.
Don’t be afraid to try quilting!!!! Just start with a small project and work your way up.
 

rabble

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I agree with all mentioned above! And glue guns are good for all kinds of home repair projects lol. I have a set of tiny screw drivers and tweezers that I use in crafting too.

I pick up books and magazines at thrift shops, yard sales and occasionally an auctions. You can get them for practically nothing and are a good source of ideas and instruction.
Lots of us here are “savers” too. I save all kinds of junk that I use in my little projects.
Don’t be afraid to try quilting!!!! Just start with a small project and work your way up.

Oh man, we are savers here too - kids are very crafty and we also have a dog so cardboard especially gets used.

I'm going to have a look around second hand shops when they open up properly as I want to check them for anything I can use decor/crafts. Once i settle on what I'm doing!

I reeeeeally want to make a traditional patchwork quilt! I don't have a sewing machine so it would have to be by hand, but that I don't mind.

I'll look out for old magazines etc
 
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missjane

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If you're going to try quilting, I would say a cutting mat and rotary cutter are necessary. They just make it so much easier. My grandmother hand pieced all of her quilts...it used to be the way all were done. At first when people here started making quilts on the machine, it was considered a sacrilege!
 

DahliaDoll

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Wishing you well with your crafting endeavors! Come to the crafter's chat threads and keep in touch with us!

I have found the Fiskars scissor sharpener to be very handy. I don't use my fabric scissors to cut paper, but when I use the sharpener on my paper cutting scissors they are usually sharp enough to cut fabric. It may not be your first purchase, but definitely worth while at some point ... in my opinion.
 

rabble

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If you're going to try quilting, I would say a cutting mat and rotary cutter are necessary. They just make it so much easier. My grandmother hand pieced all of her quilts...it used to be the way all were done. At first when people here started making quilts on the machine, it was considered a sacrilege!
Lol, it's something I need to look into more as I know very little about it.
Wishing you well with your crafting endeavors! Come to the crafter's chat threads and keep in touch with us!

I have found the Fiskars scissor sharpener to be very handy. I don't use my fabric scissors to cut paper, but when I use the sharpener on my paper cutting scissors they are usually sharp enough to cut fabric. It may not be your first purchase, but definitely worth while at some point ... in my opinion.
Hi! I may be pestering you for more tips and advice in the future lol.

Ahh, scissor sharpeners make sense, rather than replacing cheaper scissors frequently. I've got a lot of research to do!
 
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AuntJamelle

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For paper crafting I would recommend a Fiskars paper trimmer - makes cutting straight lines a breeze! Before I had my Cricut I used it a TON - and I still do for simple cuts! They should be right around $20 at Walmart or Amazon - then you can get replacement blades as needed.

I would say good adhesives are something to think about too - I have a general one I love:

https://tinyurl.com/y84kzdfz

But you might prefer another! I also like to adhesive foam dots, squares or what have you for adding dimension to cards. Double sided tape is nice too - don't always buy because of the price.

From there I think it will depend on what crafting efforts you decide to tackle! Not sure if you are interested in stamping, embossing, quilling, card making, scrapbooking, etc. :) Oh so many possibilities!!!
 

rabble

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Jun 19, 2020
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Uk
For paper crafting I would recommend a Fiskars paper trimmer - makes cutting straight lines a breeze! Before I had my Cricut I used it a TON - and I still do for simple cuts! They should be right around $20 at Walmart or Amazon - then you can get replacement blades as needed.

I would say good adhesives are something to think about too - I have a general one I love:

https://tinyurl.com/y84kzdfz

But you might prefer another! I also like to adhesive foam dots, squares or what have you for adding dimension to cards. Double sided tape is nice too - don't always buy because of the price.

From there I think it will depend on what crafting efforts you decide to tackle! Not sure if you are interested in stamping, embossing, quilling, card making, scrapbooking, etc. :) Oh so many possibilities!!!


Thank you for the recommendations! Cricut is a brand I've heard of.

Glue etc is worth looking into. Again didnt think of that!

I used to scrap book in my teens, I loved it! Then life happened and I didn't have much time to do it properly. Kids being older means I can do more on my own. I used to use stamps too.
Im big into journalling. Would like to improve on calligraphy
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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I'd love to try quilting, eventually, but i think I better start with small paper crafts first haha
Many of us on here are wonderful quilters. When you are ready start on something small and if you get stuck just ask and someone will help out.
 
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Ahorsesoul

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With scissors I have two. One I use for paper and one I use only for fabric. I hid the fabric one in my sewing kits so no one can get to it.