Card making supplies are what you will need to make handmade cards. Card making supplies can be sourced normally through craft stores and from online retailers.

This guide will give you an indication of the type of card making supplies and tools you will need if you are a beginner, intermediate or professional card maker.

When I first started crafting and card making I soon discovered that there are a number of items that are in constant use and are needed for anyone that is about to start card making.

Here is a list of all the items I feel are essential for making homemade cards.

 

Card Making Supplies For a Beginner:

 

Craft Knife

A craft knife has a variety of purposes and can cut many different materials including paper, and even thin metal. A craft knife is lightweight and the blades can be changed when they become blunt over time. You will definitely need a good quality craft knife for making your cards.

 

Brads

A brad is a small fastener similar to a nail or split pin that can be purchased in a multitude of different shapes and sizes. To attach a brad to a piece of card you will need to make a hole, push the brad through the hole and spread the stem of the brad apart on the other side of the hole to secure it in place. Brads are used as embellishments, and also to secure one piece of paper to the other.

 

Buttons

Buttons are normally made from plastic and are a great way to decorate a handmade card.

 

Ribbon

Ribbon is a very handy material used to make a card look professional. Ribbon can be purchased in so many different colours and styles including. You will find that as you start to make more homemade cards you will use different types of ribbon frequently.

 

Satin Ribbons

Satin ribbons may be single faced, which is shiny on one side and dull on the other; or double-faced, which is shiny on both sides. Satin ribbon has a very smooth, shiny finish.

 

Acetate Ribbon

This is a stiff ribbon that often has a satin finish and is often used for floral arrangements, and packaging.

 

Organza Ribbon

Organza is very light weight, open weave ribbon.

 

Curling ribbon

These ribbons are coated or crimped so that when pulled against a sharp edge, such as scissors, the strand acquires a corkscrew aspect.

 

Grosgrain Ribbon

Grosgrain is a durable yet supple woven ribbon.

 

Iridescent ribbon

Iridescent ribbon has a pearl-like finish and depending on the way the light catches it, the colour of the ribbon will change.

 

Poly ribbon

Poly ribbon is made from polypropylene. It is very shiny and durable.

 

Scissors

Like a craft knife a good quality pair of scissors is an essential tool for any card making enthusiast.

 

Glitter

Glitter is used to make an image of part of a card sparkle. Glitter can be purchased in various forms and density. Like ribbon you will find you will use glitter quite frequently when making your handmade cards.

 

Cutting Mat

A cutting mat is a fundamental tool for any card maker as it protects the surface you are working on.

 

Paper Trimmer

A paper trimmer is used to cut straight lines. Depending on the quality of your paper trimmer you will be able to cut paper and card and sometimes even tougher thicker materials.

 

Paper and Card Stock

Paper and card stock are obvious materials you will need to make homemade cards. Begin by using scraps of paper and card you find around the house then you can progress to purchasing some of the beautiful papers and card available in craft stores and online retailers.

When starting out I would recommend purchasing a card kit which contains card blanks that have already been folded and have envelopes that fit. As you become more confided you will be able to start folding your own and changing the shapes and sizes of the cards you make.

 

Rubber Stamps

Rubber stamps are indispensable. They are a great way to decorate a card and as you become more confident you will soon learn lots of different techniques for using rubber stamps. There are literally thousands of rubber stamps to choose from. Normally rubber stamps are mounted onto a wooden block. You can buy unmounted rubber stamps and will need to use an acrylic block to use them.

 

Embossing Powder

Embossing powder is used with your rubber stamps it is a decorative powder that is sprinkled over the wet ink once an image has been stamped onto your card. Once heated with a heat gun it gives a raised image.

 

Heat Gun

A heat gun is used along side the embossing powder and rubber stamps and is used to heat embossing powder.

 

Ink Pads

Ink pads are mainly used for rubber stamping however they can also be used for so many different aspects of card making most of which will be picked up as you become a more advanced.

 

Gel pens

Gel pens are great to colour in your stamped images. They come in a huge variety of colours and textures. You will find gel pens are a very handy addition to your card making kit.

 

Double sided tape

Double sided tape in my opinion is one of the best things ever made. It is great for attaching paper, embellishments and so many other things to the front of your card. It is not messy and you won’t have glue squiring out the sides. A must for any card maker.

 

Craft Glue

Glue is used to adhere embellishments and materials together. It is important to use an acid free glue when card making.

 

Craft Punches

Craft punches are used to punch out shapes from paper and card which can then be used to decorate your homemade cards.

 

Embellishments

Embellishments or otherwise known as ‘Toppers’ are items used to decorate the front of a handmade card. Embellishments can be bought ready made which makes them quick and easy to use. As you become more confident you will soon be making your own. You can use memorabilia from a certain event such as tickets, receipts or any other items that can be placed on a card to embellish.

 

Peel Off Stickers

Peel of stickers are pre cut stickers that can be removed from a sheet and incorporated into your card making ideas.

 

Rub Ons

Rub ons are transfers than need to be rubbed onto a surface to enable them to transfer from its original form to you card idea.

 

Peel Off Pens

Peel off pens are used to change the colour of a peel off sticker.

 

Card Making Supplies For An Intermediate Card Maker:

For those crafters that wish to branch out and further there card making ideas, here are some card making supplies for an intermediate crafter.

 

Scrapbook Pads

Scrapbook pads are a collection of good quality patterned paper that are used for card making. You can purchase scrapbook paper in single sheets and also block pads. The advantage of buying a pad is the manufacturer will usually make a pad full of paper that share a matching theme.

 

Chalks

Chalks add soft colour wherever it is needed. This is ideal for backgrounds, stamps and softening the edges of paper or card stock.

 

Card

Card can be used for so many different things when it comes to card making. It can be used for rubber stamping or more importantly to create your card base. Creating your own cards is much cheaper than purchasing pre folded shop bought cards. You also have the advantage of creating a card any shape you wish.

 

Card Folder and Bone Tool

A card folder and bone tool is used to create the fold in a sheet of card. The board will have several indented lines allowing you to create all different size cards including DL, C5 and C6. It is possible to use a scalpel and ruler to create the fold in a card however you will always run the risk of pressing too hard and actually going through the card.

 

Vellum

Vellum is a type of paper that is often used in card making. It is semi transparent and is often torn so that edges go darker in colour. This paper can be used to place over stamped images to soften the image.

You will need to buy a special vellum glue to incorporate vellum into your card making ideas because normal glue will be visible through the velum paper.

 

Acetate

Acetate is a very thin plastic looking material which is used in card making for many different things. This includes stamping and supporting confetti in shaker cards.

 

Decoupage Sheets

Decoupage is cutting out images and layering them on top of each other to create a 3d image. It is a great way to create an embellishment for the front of your homemade cards.

 

Cosmic Shimmer Embossing Powders

Cosmic shimmer is a type of embossing powder that comes in a variety of forms such as:

 

Cosmic Shimmer Precious metal embossing powders

This is a metallic embossing powder that can be used over a clear stamp as well as coloured. They can also be used as an ultra thick embossing powder and are clear enamel based.

 

Cosmic Shimmer Lustre embossing powders

Lustre embossing powders are coloured to give a delicate colourful effect. They are translucent and can be used over a clear stamp.

 

Cosmic Shimmer Blaze embossing powders

Blaze embossing powders are produced in medium grade and have a bright iridescent shimmer to them. They are white resin based and opaque in appearance.

 

Cosmic Shimmer Aurora embossing powders

Aurora is rich and dazzling iridescent embossing powders. The colours are semi opaque and give a brighter glow.

 

Card Making Supplies For An Expert Card Maker:

If you have made many handmade cards and know you love making cards and want to expand your card making ideas, then you will probably want to buy a card making machine of some kind.

 

Sizzix Machine

A sizzix machine is a manual die cutting machine that cuts images from die templates. There are various types of sizzix machines and styles to suit your crafting requirements.

 

Cricut Machine

A Cricut machine is a personal electronic cutter that allows you to cut amazing shapes, images and alphabets with the touch of a button.

You do not need the use of a computer for the Cricut machine to work, just plug it in. Place your favourite cartridge in your Cricut machine and choose from hundreds of designs in an almost everlasting assortment of sizes. A cricut machine is a fantastic addition to a craft enthusiast’s kit bag.

 

Shrink Plastic

Shrink plastic is a type of plastic which shrinks in size when heated with a heat gun. It is commonly used along side rubber stamps where the image is stamped and then shrunk.

 

Iris Folding Paper and Templates

Iris folding has been around for many years and is a very therapeutic paper craft technique. It involves folding strips of colored paper in such a way to form a design. The centre of the design forms an iris which is a shape reminiscent of the iris of an eye of a camera lens.

 

Acrylic Paints

Acrylic paints are fast drying paints that can be used to colour stamped images, create back grounds and much more. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. You can change the way Acrylic paint appear by adjusting the amount of water you add to make the paint look like water colours.

There are of course many more tools and items to add to your card making supplies. With new card making tools and card ideas coming out daily the list simply goes on and on.

Hopefully with the above list of card making supplies you will be able to determine what is right for you.