What Are The Different Types Of Cutting Tools For Scrapbooks? Part 1
Folks who don't partake in scrapbooking might think that all that you need is a couple of scissors to cut out all of your paper shapes. Many are surprised to find that this isn't the case. There are so many different cuts and shapes and levels of precision it is almost impossible to do it all with a pair of scissors without losing quality.
For those of you new to scrapbooking, here's a list of the fundamental cutting tools I use.
Scissors
I have a couple of pairs of scissors that I use in my scrapbooking, these are my general pair and my precision tip scissors. The general pair gets used on all sorts of materials, ribbon, card, thin plastic, leather and so on.
The precision tip scissors are only used for paper. Cutting different materials can dull and compromise your scissors, leading to ripping and poor cuts when it comes back to paper.
As an interesting side note, if you want to sharpen a pair of scissors, you can cut through some aluminum foil to re-sharpen them.
Rotary Cutter
A rotary cutter looks a lot like an air hockey puck. These are amazing things, excellent for cutting out curves and circles on flat paper. There's very little resistance due to the way the cutting mechanism works.
Its truly something you should check out in a store.
Exacto Knife
Exacto knives or scalpels are good for extremely precision cutting. Razor sharp and very pointy, these actually come into their own when you want to chop out accurate and little shapes in tight areas. For instance, if you were cutting out small stars or triangles in a high school scrapbook, an exacto knife is your best friend.
While you will not use it all the time, when you want it, you really need it.
In the subsequent article, we will be looking at the more advanced cutting tools available to scrappers and how they can't only save a lot of time but make your albums look better than ever!
For those of you new to scrapbooking, here's a list of the fundamental cutting tools I use.
Scissors
I have a couple of pairs of scissors that I use in my scrapbooking, these are my general pair and my precision tip scissors. The general pair gets used on all sorts of materials, ribbon, card, thin plastic, leather and so on.
The precision tip scissors are only used for paper. Cutting different materials can dull and compromise your scissors, leading to ripping and poor cuts when it comes back to paper.
As an interesting side note, if you want to sharpen a pair of scissors, you can cut through some aluminum foil to re-sharpen them.
Rotary Cutter
A rotary cutter looks a lot like an air hockey puck. These are amazing things, excellent for cutting out curves and circles on flat paper. There's very little resistance due to the way the cutting mechanism works.
Its truly something you should check out in a store.
Exacto Knife
Exacto knives or scalpels are good for extremely precision cutting. Razor sharp and very pointy, these actually come into their own when you want to chop out accurate and little shapes in tight areas. For instance, if you were cutting out small stars or triangles in a high school scrapbook, an exacto knife is your best friend.
While you will not use it all the time, when you want it, you really need it.
In the subsequent article, we will be looking at the more advanced cutting tools available to scrappers and how they can't only save a lot of time but make your albums look better than ever!
About the Author:
To get some more great high school scrapbook layouts and embellishment ideas check out Janette Miller's website. Also while you are there why not download some of the free scrapbooking layouts that are generally available.