Beginner’s Guide To Card Making: 10 Must Have Supplies!

Hi friends! Recently I have been getting a lot of questions from viewers about getting started in stamping and card making. I decided it was time to make an updated beginner’s guide to cardmaking so people could get started without much expense and confusion.

Often when we embrace a new hobby we get excited and overbuy or we invest in tools that don’t really suit the way we work. Today I have broken the supplies down to the bare minimum and most often used tools so you can have the greatest versatility of supplies that will earn their place in your craft room. I am often told by crafters that they had more fun and got more crafting done when all of their supplies fit in one tote. See what minimal supplies can create maximum impact in your card making in today’s video!

This video is sponsored by Annie’s CardMaker Kit of the Month Club! Save 50% on your first kit and get a free tool set!

Here is a list of the 10 must-have card making supplies from the video:

1. Good heavy cardstock (white, cream, kraft- I like the Recollections heavyweight from Michael’s)
2. Scissors & paper trimmer. I recommend Cutterbee micro tip scissors from EK success. This is the newer version of the xacto trimmer I have, and this is the compact (safer) trimmer I showed, EK Success changed the name and color but I think it is the same thing.
3. Decorative paper (I recommend the 4.5”x6.5” mat stacks or 6”x6” pads for card making as the prints are smaller and you will have less waste.)
4. Sentiment stamps in a non-decorative font for occasions like happy birthday, thank you, congratulations etc.
5. Image stamps: Flowers, scenery, butterflies and other nonspecific images will work for most occasions. Ask yourself “how many ways can I use this?” before buying.
6. Waterproof black ink pad: Ranger Archival and mini dye-based ink pads for colors like Memento Dew Drops
7. Water-based markers or watercolor pencils  (Very versatile and small investment and the markers can double as ink pads and be used to write a sentiment if you have no stamp for it)
8. Acrylic stamp block
9. Dry and wet adhesive: I recommend the Scotch ATG gun and Zip Dry Glue
10. Embellishments: You can collect ephemera to decorate your cards like clothing tags, buttons, tickets, ribbons and trim, and other pretty packaging or you can buy embellishments that you like. Just make sure you don’t go overboard buying a certain type until you know your card making style. I love small wooden die cuts but rarely use stickers for instance. You can repurpose supplies from other crafts too!

I hope this video helps you start (or revive) your card making and stamping! If you find you would like some help selecting supplies or coming up with ideas check out Annies CardMaker Kit of the Month Club. Save 50% on your first kit (Regular price $19.99 a month) and receive a free tool kit just for trying it out. Use coupon code “FRUGAL”. Sometimes I find that when I go back to basics I feel much more creative and I wish I had this list when I started because I would have avoided purchasing so many things that didn’t suit my style or could never use up. I hope it helps you avoid those pitfalls. If you have any must have supplies or advice for beginners please leave it in the comments below. Happy crafting!