15 Card Making Supplies You Didn’t Think You Needed!

Paper crafting is a fantastic hobby with endless possibilities! With the wide variety of paper crafting products out there, it can be hard to find essential card making supplies, especially ones you didn't even know you needed. We are sharing some of the most valuable and underrated DIY card supplies for your next handmade project, so read on and get ready to be amazed!

Rainbow Rose Stamping Kit

What Is Card Making?

Card making is a crafty activity involving creating a handmade greeting card using various raw supplies and tools. In recent years, this personal hobby has turned into a booming industry that has taken the world by storm. 

Card-makers from all over the world have started stepping up their card making game - from inventing new techniques and experimenting with different supplies to sharing images and how-to videos of their finished cards on social media channels. Thanks to arts and crafts stores and companies innovating beautiful, trendy, and modern card making tools, what used to be a mediocre and seemingly boring activity has gained tremendous popularity among people of all ages. 

While you’re here, browse some beautiful and elegant card making tools from Altenew!

15 Card Making Supplies That You Didn’t Think You Need!

Do you love making cards and crafty projects? If you answered yes, then you probably have accumulated a collection of basic DIY card supplies! From high-quality cardstock in bulk and envelopes of all sizes and colors to the best dies for card making, you’ve probably got them all. 

But we’re not here to talk about those basic supplies! Today, we are highlighting the underdogs when it comes to card making tools and supplies! You might already have these in your crafting stash but never really thought about their importance and how life-changing they are. Rest assured, these handy card supplies will help make your creative process easier and way better!

Retractable Eraser & Refill Bundle

1. Eraser - For the average non-crafty person, an eraser only has one purpose - to erase pencil marks. For card-makers, scrapbookers, and paper crafters alike, this little tool is more than that. It’s ideal for stamp conditioning, which will help your new clear stamps stamp clean and crisp. A sand eraser, on the other hand, is excellent for erasing ink blotches on cardstock. It doesn’t matter what brand, size, or color you buy; as long as it does what an eraser is supposed to do, then it’s a keeper.

Crafter's Essential Cutting and Alignment Mat

2. Stamping Mat / Cutting Mat - One common mistake that new card makers commit is disregarding the need for stamping or cutting mat. Especially one with a grid! Not only does it protect your surface and help you align things, but it also ensures a mess-free crafting area. Self-healing mats are pretty popular because they will protect your craft knives, rotary cutters, and work surface, leaving you with longer-lasting card making  supplies.

Crafter's Essential Bone Folder

3. Bone Folder - Not many card makers will invest in a bone folder, especially if they already have a good scoring tool. A sturdy bone folder is one of the most important card supplies you’ll ever own. Your scoring tool will help crease the cardstock and break the fiber. After that, it’s ideal to crease it with a bone folder to avoid the appearance of annoying and unwanted shine, creases, or marks on your card (this is often created by the scoring tool).

4. Black Ink - Everyone needs a good black ink. Whether it’s dye ink or pigment ink, get yourself some decent and high-quality black ink. Watch the video below and find out which black ink suits your needs.

5. Gel Pens - When you first started card making, you probably thought you never needed pens, much more gel pens. Gel pens aren’t new to the crafting world anymore. In fact, these beauties have been around since the ‘80s! What makes a gel pen different from a regular ballpoint pen is that it has powder pigments suspended in a water-based gel. It has a more opaque and thicker ink that will show up better even on slick surfaces. A white gel pen can help you add highlights, intricate details and write on dark cardstock. This is definitely one of the best card embellishment supplies you’ll have in your kit.

My Sweet Petunia MISTI - Original

6. MISTI - Save yourself the struggle and invest in a large MISTI for hassle-free stamping (especially layered stamping!) for the rest of your crafting days.

Here’s why card making is one of the most popular crafts in the paper crafting world!

Crafters Showcase: Small Ink Blending Tool Stackable Storage

7. Ink Blending Tool Organizer - Ink blending is one of the most popular paper crafting techniques, and, as a card maker, it’s inevitable for you to do ink blending on your handmade cards. Storing those cute finger daubers and ink blending foams could get a bit messy. That’s where a sturdy, durable, and easy-to-clean ink blending tool organizer comes in handy.

8. Purple Tape - Mention “purple tape” and seasoned card makers will tell you that it’s one of the most crucial DIY card supplies in your arsenal. The purple tape might look like your ordinary washi tape, but it is thinner. What makes it better? It is low tack, so it won’t rip your cardstock, and it can be reused. It has the perfect width for masking certain areas, and it’s great for holding down die-cuts and stencils.

Stamp Cleaner

9. Stamp Cleaner - No matter what kind of stamps you’re using - rubber, wooden, or clear acrylic stamps - you need to clean them after use. Cleaning your stamps properly will ensure longevity. While baby wipes and microfiber cloth might do the job, it’s better to invest in a multipurpose stamp cleaner. This non-toxic liquid solution can help clean off water-based and permanent inks from your stamps. 

Make a Statement Sequins Bundle

10. Sequins - Sequins are one of the most underrated card embellishment supplies. Most card makers think they won’t need it or they could do without it. Think again. If you don’t want to have too many colored sequins or you simply don’t know which colors to get, invest in gold, silver, black, or white sequins. These are staples in every card maker’s kit. 

No Hassle Storage Pouches Bundle - 50/pck

11. Storage Pouches - Do you really need storage pouches? Yes, you do! For beginners who are still building their card making supplies collection, it’s best to own a few storage pouches for a more organized crafting space. This will also ensure that your tools are protected from dust, dirt, and getting wet.

Crafter’s Essential Stamping Mat

12. Crafting Mat - A crafting mat is something that you place on top of your stamping or cutting mat to protect it from the messier techniques and mediums such as watercoloring, heat embossing, ink blending, etc. It doesn’t have to be a crafting mat; most card makers recommend oven liners or baking mats.

Fine Liner Pen Set

13. Fine Liner Pens - Like gel pens, a good quality, waterproof, and multipurpose liner pen is one of many essential DIY supplies that often get overlooked. You can use a fine liner pen to add doodling to your images, add outlines, or draw patterns. It’s also ideal for journaling and scrapbooking.

Watercolor Palette Bundle

14. Palette - Smooth and sturdy palettes are another underrated card supplies that you need in your stash right now. At some point in your card making journey, you will probably give in and start watercoloring or using liquid in some form. A palette is great for a variety of water-based mediums and techniques. The good news is, you can easily clean up your palette with some water and wipe it dry with a clean cloth.  

Artists' Watercolor Brushes Bundle

15. Paintbrushes - Whether it’s an inexpensive and simple water brush, a set of watercolor brushes, or detailed blending brushes, you need a brush. Even if you’re not watercoloring that much, you can use a small thin brush to remove excess embossing powder from your cardstock. Most embossing and mixed media techniques require the use of a good quality brush too.

Create more and faster with these must-have card making supplies. The 15 tools we’ve mentioned are tried-and-true staples for most crafters, so they should work just as well for your handmade projects. Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced card maker, these essential DIY card supplies will make your journey smoother and hassle-free.

Speaking of hassle-free card making, check out our card making kits for quick and easy cards!