Before I start on my list, I want to say,
Happy New Year!
Do you have a New Years resolution?
If you do, it might be for something like “get healthier” or “eat better” or something along those lines. I get it. I’m thinking the same thing. But I’m also thinking about my mental health and what I can do to manage my depression better this year. I know for me, having a creative outlet is SO important.
I realized that crafting was about more than just making things about 6 or 7 years ago, while we were building our current home, and we were renting a duplex. Our first house sold 2 weeks after we listed it and our new house wasn’t ready yet. So we moved to the duplex believing we would be there for around 6 months (or less), and we packed accordingly. It was early spring when we moved, so we packed up all our fall/winter clothes and Christmas stuff into boxes that went to storage. Well… 13 months later, our house was finally done… sort of. We moved in anyway and the workers finished things while we were living there. I’ll spare you the details for now, but it was a disaster and by the time we finally moved in, I was a wreck. If you’ve built a house, you know… it’s stressful. And, as it turns out, living in a place where I had no creative outlet was not good for me, not at all. At our old house, I had a craft room in the basement and at our new house I had a plan to set one up too. But that year really took a toll on my mental health.
Now I really understand why I felt that way during that time. Nourishing your creativity is so good for you, and it carries over into every part of your life. Plus, creativity is something that anyone can work on and grow! Did you know there’s not actually any evidence that one person is inherently more creative than another? Plus, people who are creative on a regular basis actually are more productive in their daily lives!1 Isn’t that amazing!?!
My point is, it’s a NEW YEAR! The last couple of years have made us slow down, spend more time at home, and many of us are taking time for self care that we never paid much attention to before! Exploring your creativity is a great way to unwind and take some time for yourself. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, but here are some basic tools to help you get started!
no. 1 | Craft Knife
There are a ton of cutting tools out there that all do basically the same thing. I’ll probably get into some of those in another post, but my most important, must-have tool is a craft knife (also sometimes called an Xacto, but that’s like calling all facial tissues Kleenex). My favorite style is pictured and I find it to be the most versatile. The cushioned handle is EVERYTHING. Seriously, I know it seems like a small detail, but when you’re slicing away for more than a few minutes, the comfy handle makes a huge difference. I have other knives too, but I don’t use those nearly as often.
This set I’m suggesting from Amazon is a great deal because it comes with 2 knives that both have comfort grips, PLUS 100 replacement blades! Replacement blades are a MUST HAVE and 100 of them will last you quite a while. Not only does a fresh blade cut cleaner, it also requires less pressure, which means there’s a lower chance of injury. Pretty much every crafter I know (myself included) has sliced off part of their finger trying to cut through something with a dull blade. I had to wear a bandage on my pointer finger, on my wedding day because I sliced the tip off the night before the rehearsal dinner. I know, I know! But I didn’t have time to visit the hospital, so I wrapped it up and carried on, lol! So please trust me and keep that blade fresh!
no. 2 | Precision Tweezers
Ok, I use these for everything. Unlike the tweezers you probably have for plucking eyebrows or pulling splinters, these have a very precise end that makes it easier to hold the tiniest objects. I use them for tying knots with thin string, something that my fingers would be way too big and clumsy to do. Working with glue can be super messy, but it’s way easier if you have some of these tweezers! Hold your object with tweezers while you apply the glue and it’ll be way more precise! I use these tweezers to hold tiny things in place while my glue dries. If I used my fingers, I’d end up glueing my skin too. Just a couple days ago I fixed our microwave button using these tweezers to reach inside the tiny opening and hold the itty bitty part in place while the glue set. They are super pointy, which makes them handy for weeding vinyl and heat transfer material. And in a pinch (pun intended) you can still use them to get a splinter out! Win! Win!
no. 3 | Self Healing Cutting Mat Set
This set, you guys, is truly the best. I know, technically, there’s 3 items here, but I had to include this here because I have this exact set (had it for at least 6-7 years) and I use the tools every single day. My laptop that I’m typing on right now is actually sitting on top of the cutting mat from this set because I pretty much just leave it on my craft table all the time. I cut things constantly, so there’s no point in putting it away! It has protected the table from knife marks for at least 6 years and it still looks great, almost new, really. Plus, I haven’t even used the other side! The ruler/straight edge in this set is sturdy and made from clear acrylic, making it great for fabric and and anything else you need to measure and cut. Plus, it’s 6 x 24 inches, so you can cut large items and won’t have to try and match up multiple cuts with a regular 12” ruler and just hope they are straight. That’s the worst! And, if you need a square edge, this baby will work wonders. Now, add in the rotary cutter, which can be used on everything, like fabric, leather, paper and even cardstock, and you will be whipping out your crafts in no time. (I recommend labeling your rotary blades so you don’t use your fabric one on paper products, which will dull it faster). Just be sure to go slow with the rotary cutter at first. It’s VERY sharp and I don’t want anyone to lose part of a finger! Seems like that topic is going to come up a lot, lol.
no. 4 | Silicone Mat 3-pack
Like I mentioned before, protecting your surfaces at home is a must. Some things are pretty easy to clean up, but some paints, resins, and glue can be pretty much permanent. That’s why having a silicone mat is the greatest. And they are really inexpensive so there’s just no reason not to. This 3 pack is less that $10! You may be thinking, I’ll just use my cutting mat to protect my table, and that might work just fine for you. But, let me just throw out a quick story of how that didn’t work out so great for me. So, obviously, I was using a cutting mat under my work instead of silicone… I was working with resin and it dried on my cutting mat. It ended up leaving a bump of dried resin. Next time I went to cut a piece of cardstock on that mat, it didn’t lay flat, which made it pretty much impossible to make a clean, straight cut. Now, if I would have just put a silicone sheet down, that wouldn’t have happened. Why did I do this? I have no idea. I guess I was just being lazy and cutting corners. It wasn’t very smart of me. With silicone, more than likely, things like glue and resin will peel right off, leaving your silicone mat like new each time (and your cutting mat untouched). Naturally, this makes cleanup a whole lot easier.
The 3 pack of silicone mats are 15.7” x 11.8” which makes for a nice sized workspace. If you are thinking about doing larger projects, or you have kids that like to paint, craft and make big messes (don’t they all), here’s a big mat that's 24” x 36” . I bought 2 of the big ones recently to basically cover my whole table! They are really nicely made. When you aren't using them, silicone mats are easy to store. The whole thing can be rolled, folded, or even crunched into a ball, lol, and stuffed away for next time.
no. 5 | E6000 Adhesive
My final must have craft items is E6000 adhesive. Lots of crafters will tell you, this stuff is amazing! And so versatile! E6000 adheres things that other adhesives would never work on, including glass, plastic, stones, metals, wood, ceramics and more. It dries slow enough that you have time to work (5 min or so), but fast enough that you don’t have to hold things in place for a super long time. Fully cures in 24 hours or so. It’s slightly flexible and super strong, so it’s great for jewelry and other things that need to be able to withstand daily use. Plus, it dries totally clear and doesn’t expand when cured!
Here's a pack of 4 small tubes, which is how I like to buy it. A little goes a long way, so these small tubes will last you. You can get a large tube but with regular use, I find it goes bad or dries up after a while. Buying the little tubes ensures that you always have a fresh tube available! There’s also an option that has a precise nozzle specifically for jewelry makers or small projects, but I find a toothpick dipped in the opening gets out the perfect tiny amount needed for my jewelry making!
Are you ready to craft yet?
No matter what kind of crafting you want to do, these 5 (ish) tools will help you get going!
Just to recap, here's the items:
Let me know what you think! Do you have any of these? What's your fav craft tool, whether its on this list or not?
Resources:
American Psychological Association, http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2009/01/creativity
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