15 Must-Have Craft Tools

I am often asked what my go to tools are when it comes to crafting, so I thought I would share with you 15 tools I cannot live without. These tools live on my desk, they come with me to the studio for shows and they are what I would recommend to anyone either starting out in the world of craft or to those of you who are looking for a comprehensive list of what you might use on a daily basis. I would love to hear what you would consider your essential items!

1. Two Red Robins Tote:
   A handy tote to keep everything I need in. The different compartments mean I can keep sections for different purposes – all my glues together, my tools together and so on.
2. Scissors:
   In a variety of sizes – for different purposes. Small scissors for dainty more detailed work, larger scissors for cutting down card quickly. Also keep a separate pair of scissors for use with any sticky elements like foam tape.
3. Glue:
   Pinflair bookbinding glue, for sticking any paper elements together in flat layers. The bookbinding glue is great as it has a strong hold and a low water content meaning it won’t warp your paper.
4. 3D Glue Gel:
   Ideal for adding height and dimension to your layers and to your decoupage. The Pinflair Glue Gel keeps it height and form when it dries, maintaining the height you have built into your design.
5. Syringe:
   To give me more control over my Pinflair Glue Gel I like to use mine in a syringe, it means I have a finer tip to distribute glue. Little tip: whenever you are finished with your glue just squeeze a little out of the syringe. This will then dry and form a plug that you can remove before you come to work with the glue again, preventing the whole syringe drying up.
6. All Stick:
   This is a really handy glue to keep in your stash. Sometimes we need extra sticking power, perhaps we are sticking heavier elements, or layers with a shiny surface. Pinflair All Stick Glue will stick a wide variety of mediums like a hot glue gun but is more portable.
7. Glue Applicators:
   Sometimes you need a tool to apply glue to really delicate areas, the glue applicators are ideal as you can get glue into the smallest of areas without it squishing over the edge of your designs. They are reusable too so a pot like this will last ages!
8. Low Tack Tape:
   An absolute must have when die cutting, low tack tape will hold your dies in place securely while you run them through your die cutting machine, without marking or damaging your card stock.
9. Finger Lift Tape:
   Perfect for sticking your mat layers together flat. Finger lift tape is tearable making it quick and easy to use.
10. Foam Tape:
    If you want a little height between your mats and layers, foam tape is your go too. I use this whenever I need an even surface height and always add a little tape to the centre of my layer too to lift it across the layer.
11. Ultra Clear Tape:
    Super strong tape, ideal for sticking card bases together when you need extra strength. Also used for sticking layers to any shiny surface, like construction acetate for example.
12. Tweezers:
    Super handy to hold the smaller elements of die cuts and to help with placement too. The reverse grip mean you don’t have to hold them closed making the process of lifting and tucking your elements far easier.
13. Load N Fold.
    Ideal to pop in my tote for whenever I need to use my stamps, the Load N Fold helps me align my stamp on my page and allows me to re stamp any areas if needed.
14. Acrylic Blocks:
    Similar to my Load N Fold but I use if I want to create more abstract backgrounds where I’m not too worried about alignment.
15. Ruler:
    While I like to use the guide lines on my cutting mat, I do often find myself reaching for a rule to check sizes and to measure where I need to trim papers etc.