Most of the handmade card making supplies mentioned here,you probably already have, either on hand or around the house. Don't run out to the store and buy them before looking around... I'm sure you'll find card making supplies that you can use to create your very own creative cards... Below are Fixed Blades For sale supplies I've listed that most people use to create cards... Paper Discover card making paper supplies. Different types of paper you can use to be creative... You can walk into any craft store and see that they have big varieties of all sorts of paper, from plain to glitter to decorative to extra thin rice paper. It's an endless choice... I sometimes can't resist the temptation of buying all these different types of paper, but in the end they intend to be costly! You figure they range from 59 cents to 1.99 per single sheet! That's crazy! I like to be budget minded and get more for what I am spending. It's good to do bargain with different craft stores before making a purchase. But some of us, have to go out of our way to do so!... Tip: Use what you have and wait for sales and discounts... Card making paper supplies can be bought in bulk, stocks and kits. Sometimes we see the kits and we only want certain designs or textures. Then we turn to individual paper and you end up spending $20 for 20 sheets when you can spend $20 and get 200 sheets. I learned that when you buy it by the pack you not only save, you find the use of all the other creative designs for future cards! Tip: Always keep your scraps. They come in handy for decorative punches, collages and even your envelopes! Use your scraps to decorate your envelopes...So you'll never waste or throw away paper! After awhile paper can be costly, so try to make every use of it, by recycling them and reusing them for other projects! Purchasing card making paper supplies... Card Stocks They are more ridged than paper. They can be glossy, regular mats or adhesive mats, textured or glittered. You can buy them already cut or as a whole sheet. They offer card stocks by dark colors, pastel or by themes, school, baby and so fort and range from different sizes Card Kits Card kits are pre-folded card stocks. Same as basic blank cards. They come with matching envelopes. Some Craft stores also offer kits with decorative paper and die-cuts for a flat price ranging from 3.99 to 5.99! These are good for gifts, beginners or even kids! Card making paper supplies are everywhere...Get them at any craft stores near you or here online... There are many creative projects you can create using different types of paper... I hope you found this site helpful for your creative card ideas! Remember, Many trees are being cut down to help us create our creations! Please Recycle! Envelopes Create homemade envelopes that match your creative cards... Instead of giving standard size envelopes that are plain. Why not use your left over scraps to decorate it... Turn your envelopes into a work of art! Tip: If you are mailing your creative cards, be sure not to decorate over the places where we would write the address to and from and where the postal stamp goes. Be sure to weigh it before mailing it out as the postage may vary! One day I had left over scraps from creating a birthday card. I said to myself, I don't want the card to be very nice and the envelope will look very plain. So I decided to take all the scraps I had left over from that one birthday card and created my very own unique envelope! You can do almost anything with your envelope, by using multiple handmade card making supplies. Cutting Mat / Craft Knifes / Scissors / Trimmers When creating cards, good cutting tools are important. Here are some basic card making tools you'll need to get a neat professional look. Cutting - Mat Cutting Mats come in various sizes and are available at any craft stores. Choose one that is big enough for cutting big sized paper. I have a 23inches x 23inches blue mat with measurement squares that I have placed on my work table. It's a perfect size! Tip: You might consider purchasing a smaller one for travel or smaller pieces of paper Craft Knife / Scissors Craft knives and scissors is a must for card cutting tools. Many crafters like myself like to use X-Acto craft knives. It is great for detailed paper cutting or to cut big sheets of paper For those who have difficulty handling sharp knives, I would advise that you use an X-Acto knife that is safer than a surgical scalpel. Tip: I found out that many crafters go to local medical suppliers and purchase KAI no. 3 surgical knife and blades, that intend to last quite some time Scissors is another type of cutting tool that vary in fancy designs. It is use for basically all cutting purposes. Use a big pair for cutting big sheets and use a small sharp one for cutting small, detailed pieces of work... Important: Please keep all sharp objects away from children! Tip: If you don't have any caps for your knives use bottle corks. It will prevent any type of incident Paper Trimmers / paper Cutters A paper cutter is another one of my daily cutting tools. It is good for cutting photos, precision cutting and different sizes of paper. I use it to pre-cut big sheets of paper to direct sizes for all my card making. I hope you find the right cutting tools you need to make neat professional cuts for all your creative cards! Adhesives / Tapes / Glue sticks Adhesives, tape and glue sticks are basic handmade card making supplies needed for most creative card projects. Whether you do a collage or just a simple creative photo card...More Info Finding the right card making glue and adhesives is important. You want your creative cards to last as long as possible and with the right glue and adhesives, you will help ensure that! Here is a guide to help you choose the right card making glue and adhesives that you can find in any craft store. Understand the differences between types of glues, tapes and spray adhesives...I did not list any particular brand to use as everyone prefer different types. Use this guide to experiment your own brand of one and use it to your budget needs and one that fits your type of project! Let's begin... Double-sided Adhesive Tape When we here tape most of us think Scotch tape. Double sided adhesive tape is great for photos and sticking paper to paper. Many scrap bookers and myself like to use this type of tape. It can be costly. I prefer not to use to many double sided tape for card making. Only when creating creative photo cards. Tip: Scotch tape can be used for all creative card making, if you prefer to use single sided tape! Glue Sticks Glue sticks are CHEAP and easy to use. It various in size that range from glue stick pens to wide dispenser type of glue sticks. There are also colored glue sticks that help, especially when working with kids. I personally don't like to use glues sticks when creating cards because it's not permanent. It does not stick as well, neither does It bond very securely. I prefer, you use other types of card making glues and adhesives. But this is Great for kids! Hot Glue Hot glue comes in the form of solid sticks of glue that are put through a glue gun to be heated and used. I use hot glue guns for all my card making crafts. It is great for embellishments ( like buttons & flowers, etc...) and I save money comparing to buying tape... Glue guns are relatively cheap, you could get a glue gun and glue sticks at most craft stores from $3 - $10. Glue sticks usually comes in packages of 25 -100 for a few more dollars. The glue will create spider like strings, but don't worry it can be easily rubbed off. They also offer glitter glue sticks that can be used with your hot glue gun, otherwise it's clear... Rubber Cement Rubber cement is thick and creamy glue that dries clear. It can form either a permanent or temporary bond depending on how it is applied It comes in a dark brown jar and a cap with a attached brush applicator. It can be messy and is ideal for all paper crafting. I personally don't use it for any creative cards as I've always been unlucky with it sticking permanently. Also the smell can be overwhelming after an extended period of time Self Adhesive Foam Mounting Squares or Circles Self adhesive foam are usually made of thick foam and are sticky on both sides. They come in various sizes. I don't use any of these! TIP: For budget minded people: I buy regular foamies that are 2mm thick and cost me only .49 cents! For a sheet sized at 9 x 12. I cut them to however size or shape I need it, then I add some glue from my glue gun and it's good to go! I buy 2 sheets of white or black and it lasts me for est. 30 cards It's great for 3-d effects and to make anything you want to pop! You can stack it on top of each other for additional height. Also great for lettering. Spray Adhesive Spray adhesive can be used for paper, photos even fabric. I've never used spray adhesive for any of my creative cards because I feel it is better to use it for larger projects such as posters, large photos, or creative boxes. I have seen it done by other card lovers! And it turned out just fine. Hopefully I'll get to feature a card using spray adhesive. So check back for that link and I can share all about it with you! Tacky glue Tacky glue is one of many card making glue used to create cards. It is durable then regular Elmer's glue. It dries clear and creates a long lasting bond. Make sure to read the label to see what type of materials it is best used with. Tip: If you are in a rush or hurry to get a card done. Do not use tacky glue. It takes a long process to dry and recommend it dry over night. I don't like to use it on my cards because when it dries, you can see the creation of the glue right through the paper. Glue pens Glue pens are great for precision gluing. It works well with glitter and for more detailed designs. Glue Dots / Glue Roller There are many different sizes of glue dots and many varieties of glue rollers. They are really great because they are not messy and are really sticky. I don't like to use them because they become very costly. But it's a great expensive glue for your creative card creations! UHU Glue UHU glue comes in both tube and stick. Many prefer to use this as their brand of one because it sticks better than others. All access glue can be rubbed off after it dries, using a clean pencil eraser. I've never tried it, but I've read very great reviews about it! Ink and Ink pads Ink and inkpads are mainly used for all rubber stamping and scrap booking purposes. Now you can create different techniques just by knowing what type of ink and inkpads work best for you! Use this guide to help you decide what type you should use best with your type of projects... When I first started I used basic colors. I suggest for beginners, you might just like to use the following colors also: * Black * White * Green * Red * And Blue Below are 6 types of ink I am familiar with using... Versa Color Ultimate Pigment Ink is a great cheap choice. It works really well and I like to use it for many of my creative cards. Studio G Acid Free Pigment Ink can always be found on sale. I bought these for a $1 and it works great with little design stamps. When times are hard this is the way to go for the cheapest inkpads Versa Mark Watermark Stamp pad is a must own. I use this type of inkpad for all of my rubber stamping creations. With it you can create very cool looking watermarks on both cards and envelopes. Brilliance Pigment Inkpad creates a unique look of stamped images. I hardly use this type of ink. But are often used by many card lovers. Stazon Inkpads are solvent inkpads and will definitely stain the rubber. It can be used for any surface like stamping on plastic. Tip: Use baby wipes to clean all your stamps. You might also like Memories Acid Free Dye Ink pads. This type of ink pad is made especially for Hero Arts Shadow Stamps. I like to use soft vanilla and soft leaf. I don't recommend the use for gold and silver because the finished look, intend to be awful. You can decide! Decorative Punches I hardly use any decorative card punches, but I know many creative card lovers that do and they love it! Some have such intricate designs that many just love to use it to create handmade cards. When you first begin making homemade cards, you will just have to get a few. I personally have never bought any because they just cost too expensive. But these decorative designs can last you a lifetime and once you start to use them you'll notice their so easy to use and fun to create designable cards with! Here are some of the basic patterns you might like: * Corner punches or corner rounder. There great to use if you like to round off your corners. I like to use them with photos. * Basic Shape punches. Squares, diamonds, circles, triangles, rectangles, hearts etc... They also vary in size. * Long reach punches. Allows youto punch deeper into the inside of a card or any craft project. * Leaves and flowers: If you love floral designs. They have a great selection on leaves and flowers that you can use for any garden or floral card ideas you have in mind * Punch Aid. This is a great tool especially for those that love to punch a lot. I have a friend who owns one and she loves this tool. It's one of her favorites.