Papercraft Supplies

Hey folks!

Back for another post, short one about the supplies needed for doing papercraft!

Like I said before, papercraft is a very cheap hobby aside from printer ink, and requires very few materials to get started. Basic stuff like paper, glue and scissors are all you need at a minimum, but other cheap tools can help make your models look even better, and make it easier to make them as well.

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This is my kit, scissors, glue, retractable exacto knife with extra blades, tweezers, toothpick, glue palette.

I recommend not using a retractable exacto knife, as they are more expensive and tend to break, however you would do well to get an ergonomic handled exacto so your hand doesn't get tired on those larger or more intricate models. You can find these for around $5 at almost any store, and replacement blades usually come in 5 to 10packs for #11 blades at a around $2.50. Craft stores will have more selection, but also higher prices, I find office supply stores are a papercrafters best friend. Office Max is my favorite place, but that might be because I have one about 2 minutes drive from my house.

Any type of paper glue will do, I use the RoseArt school glue because I can find it for less than $1 for a large bottle, which will last for a long time.

The toothpicks (I have a "cuticle stick" my wife had laying around but regular toothpicks are better) are for applying the glue precisely and evenly so you get a good bond without soaking the paper into mush. They also help to get glue into tiny spaces for when your model is nearly finished. You can get a box of toothpicks for about 1$ as well.

Pair of scissors is self explanatory, any pair will do. The only thing I could say about them is try to get a good strong pair of thin scissors, you wont use them as much as the exacto knife, but for trimming and long straight lines you want a nice sharp thin bladed pair of scissors. Make sure to clean the blades often to avoid ripping and mucking up the paper. You can get a good pair for about 3-5$.

The "glue palette" I use is simple the clear disc protector that comes on a spindle of blank dvd's I bought to burn programs and movies to, you can use any piece of hard plastic you have laying around, or go to your local craft store and grab a palette like this for anywhere from 1-5$:

I found that one on Amazon.com for 1$ here.

Tweezers are an invaluable tool and if you don't buy anything else, I would get a good pair before any crafting you do. They help to make folds, creases, hold onto your models without smearing glue with your hands, grip your models delicately without crushing them, clamp small areas while the glue dries, etc. I haven't done even the simplest model without using a pair of tweezers. You can get a pair just about anywhere for $1.50 or less.

As for paper, you can get a ream of regular printer paper (500 sheets) for about 6$, cardstock (thicker paper) is better for most models because its stiffer and more durable and doesn't easily get soaked with glue, and costs about 10-15$.

Printer ink is the most expensive part of papercraft. My printer ink costs 27$ for the black cartridge and 42$ for the color cartridge, HOWEVER if you feel like taking the risk, you can get ink refill kits for dirt cheap online. I just ordered a black ink refill kit for 3$ on ebay which will refill my cartridge up to 3 times, and a color cartridge refill kit for 10$ that will refill up to 5 times. If you are going to go this route I would recommend reading up on refilling ink cartridges for your specific model of printer.

Lastly, Organization! It's no good to have all your supplies if you can't find them when you want them. This is the easiest part of the kit because all you have to do is find a box!

I use an old Hickory Farms box that was speedily emptied of its sausage and cheesey goodness Christmas day and it's served me well, you might want to use a shoebox, or even papercraft (or Origami) a box of your very own! You can see my supplies in there, plus a screwdriver which I'm not sure why its in there, and some of the pieces I haven't yet put on my ViVi model that I'm working on.

The price breakdown given today is made from real prices I've paid and found online while writing todays blog (so they are current), and I live in California, the land of overpriced EVERYTHING lol. Total price of supplies using standard paper and not including printer ink: $22. Remember, you can get this stuff one piece at a time too, and slowly build your kit as money allows.

 Well that's it for today, I hope I helped someone out there and remember, all you really need is paper, scissors, and glue, so if you are broke, don't fret, I bet you can find an art teacher that would donate to your cause :)