These are the things I cannot do without!
- Scissors, obviously. Get different sizes, at least a big strong one, and a small, very sharp one.
- Cutting knives. I use a big sturdy one (almost always!), and a medical scalpel for little fiddly bits.
- Steel rulers. Get proper steel ones, not aluminium.
- Pencil, eraser. Duh!
- Odd assortment of tape and clips. Tape to embellish, clips to keep things in place while glue dries*.
- Glue: I was so happy when I discovered fast drying*, water based paper glue. Now I only ever use this kind, and it comes in these small tubes with a very pointy tip. Sometimes a glue stick is necessary, though.
- Crochet pin, knitting pin, bamboo manicure stick: I use these all the time, to push and prod and help, where fingers are too large! It is okay. It is not cheating. And neither are:
- Tweezers. Especially brilliant if you like making woven Christmas hearts and Fröbel Stars.
- The white tool is a bone folder, and once you start using one, it becomes indispensible.
- Hole punch pliers, to punch neat holes in thick, many layered paper parts - for strings, ribbons etc.
- Dolls needles: extra long needles - great for threading string through for instance big origami baubles.
- Cutting mat! Very necessary, I think. I really treat them roughly, hack tools into them, smear them with ink and glue and such, so every now and then I buy a fresh one. I have A4, A3 and A2. But then, I am a nerd. You can just buy one: and then get the A3 size.
