Craft punches are a great addition to any card making kit. They can be used for a number of purposes and are a tool that can be used over and over again making craft punches really good value for money.
There are probably craft punches for just about every card project and design you can imagine. There are also many diverse types of craft punches to meet the needs for different card designs. From a flower or butterfly craft punch to simple stars and circle punches, there really are thousands to choose from.
This article explains how you can use various types of craft punches.
Border Punch
A border craft punch is used to create pretty and decorative borders for your handmade greeting cards. It is not recommended that you use paper any thicker than 100gsm as this can cause the punch to jam and not work as it should.
A border punch is simple to use. Slide a sheet of paper into the hole punch and press down firmly. You will see there are guidance marks on the craft punch so when the first hole has been made you can slide the paper along and position the punch according to the marker.
Press down on the craft punch again and you will find the second hole is exactly the same distance as the first cut allowing you to make an even border along your greeting card.
Small Craft Punches
A small craft punch is very useful for creating home made confetti or for smaller shapes and images that would be too hard and laborious to cut by hand with scissors.
Using a small punch you can cut out lots of the same small shapes and make your own border by placing them very close together and sticking them to a straight edge of your homemade card.
Corner Punch
A corner punch adds subtle design to a handmade card. They can be purchased as a single item where one shape can be punched or as a three in one where the punch has three different designs.
Corner punches are perfect for rounding off corners of paper and photos. Simply place the corners of your greeting cards into the punch and press down firmly.
Large Punch
A large punch is great for punching larger images and will punch through paper and some card stock. By punching out a large shape you have a base for creating your own embellishments.
Slide your paper or card stock through the punch and squeeze the handle or lever. You will find that most large craft punches have a little container on the bottom where your punched shape will go once cut out.
Using Craft Punches
You may find that a new punch will feel hard to push down. This will loosen in time so do not think your craft punch is broken. For more leverage when punching out images try standing up.
Always push your craft punch down on a hard sturdy surface. If your punch is sticking gently tap it on a table top to release the mechanism. If tapping the punch does not release the mechanism try placing your craft punch in a freezer for a short time to slightly shrink the metal parts.
A craft punch is a perfect way to embellish and decorate your handmade greeting cards.