Paper Craft Tools

In addition to the basic dye/pigment pad, stamps, embossing powder, and stamp cleaner supplies, you may find the following tools quite useful to making beautiful paper projects.

Tools

Paper Crafting Tools at Paper Crafts 101

Burnisher: Burnishers are usually wood with rounded metal tips. They are used with templates or stencils to raise the surface of paper, in a process called "dry embossing".
Stencils: Stencils may be metal (ideal for dry embossing) or plastic. Stencils allow you to apply a design with your inkpads using the direct-to-paper method, or using a stencil brush.
Stencil Brush: Soft bristle brush for applying pigments or paints to paper using a stencil. The soft bristles result in a gentle coloring. The stencil provides a hard edge to the image, while the color has a softer effect. This is an alternative to direct-to-paper applications of your inkpads.
Sponges: You can use a variety of sponges to apply pigments, dyes, and paints to paper to create textured background effects or for stenciling.; Dee Gruenig's Rainbow Sponges (formerly called compressed sponges) are custom made using a proprietary process and are the only sponges of their type on the market. Use them with quick-drying water-based dyes on glossy paper for bright graphic effects.; The sponge stylus in the ColorToolBox Stylus Tray by ClearSnap is ideal for stenciling, brushing or color blending on paper. This kit also comes with black firmer foam tips are used for more vigorous ink application. The Molding MagicStamp Firm Foam tips may be heated and pressed against a cool, textured surface to impress the pattern. This kit is a great tool for direct-to-paper color applications. ClearSnap has a graphics heavy page that takes time to load, but is quite cute, if you have the time to look.
3-D effects: Use foam risers or foam double-stick tape to add dimension to your projects. You can also use paper "risers" to raise a piece of paper when a card or book is opened.
X-Acto knives: Use X-Acto knives for precision cutting that may be difficult with scissors (even small craft scissors). Also look for paper cutting templates, like Lacé that help you make elaborate cut-out designs with only a little effort.
Brayers: There are 4 basic types of brayers, sponge, soft rubber, hard rubber and acrylic. Each has very different uses and each (except the hard rubber brayer) is a wonderful tool for rubber stampers. Speedball has come out with a plastic handle that works with snap in brayer rollers in each of the 4 types -- one handle, 4 brayers! The brayers you will find most useful are:

Adhesives

Be sure you have the right kind of adhesives to put your project together. Some adhesives you will want to keep on hand:

Plain tape: Good old-fashioned tape can help hold together behind-the-scenes paper.
Repositional tape: Great for temporarily holding items in place--try the double-stick repositional tape, too!
Double Stick tape: Great for sticking one piece of paper to another, without adding thickness. Double stick tape is more expensive than most glues, but there are some papers that absorb the glue before it can adhere to something else. This is where double-stick tape is really useful.
Envelope Glue: You can glue your envelope together with anything, but envelope glue is especially designed for licking that flap at a future date!
Craft glue: The indispensable all-purpose craft glue. Use it straight from the bottle or water it down a bit and brush it on something. Use it to stick things together, or hold glitter in place--a must have for all crafts!
2-way glue: Great stuff, but absorbs too quickly into some papers, so you still need another glue around. When used immediately, forms a permanent bond, adhering to both surfaces. When allowed to dry before adhering, acts as a repositional adhesive.