Greeting Card Tools and Tips      

     This basic list of greeting card tools will get you on the road to creativity. Whether you work at home or want to take these card tools with you; this information will become invaluable to you. Some of us, like myself, will have a room filled with our special greeting card tools but starting out small will give you the opportunity to create and build as your proficiency grows.

1) Cutting Mats

     This greeting card tool will probably be one of the most useful tools you can have. The mats are self-healing; they remain smooth after repetitive cutting; and come in many handy sizes. You might want to buy a large one, 12x18 or bigger, for home use and a smaller one, 9x12 or smaller, for travel. These cutting mats protect your working surface not only from knife cuts but also from messy substances that will soak through the greeting card you are working on.

TIP #1---Rotate the cutting mat every so often so that you are not continually cutting in the same place. This will extend the life of this greeting card tool.

2) Cutting Tools

     Here is another greeting card tool that will be used continually in creating your cards. Anything from scissors to cutting knives are instrumental in creating your greeting cards. I use X-ACTO knives because the blades remain sharp for a long time and they are replaceable. Scissors of all sizes can be used depending on your individual preference. Just make sure that they are kept sharp for easy cutting.

TIP #2---A sharpening stone that is used to sharpen hunting knives will work wonderfully on your X-ACTO blades thereby extending the life of each blade.

3) Greeting Card Tools for Folding     

     A folding tool is used for making deep creases in your card stock so it can be folded evenly and sharply. There are several greeting card tools that can be used for folding. A BONE FOLDER is a tool that is made out of animal bone that keeps the creases consistent in depth. A metal stylus with a rounded end is also a good tool to use.

TIP #3—Try using a ball point pen that has run out of ink. You will find that this might be an unusual greeting card tool but one that fits comfortably in your hand and is extremely easy to use.

4) Rulers

     Rulers are an important greeting card tool because without them it would be extremely difficult to have straight lines and edges. You can use metal rulers or wooden rulers in whatever size you feel comfortable working with.

TIP #4---To make this tool more functional place a strip of thin cork on one side of the ruler. This will help when using ink or markers to rule lines. The ink will not seep under your tool and smear the ink when you lift off the ruler from your card.