Also these are in no specific order - I love them all equally lol!
1. ATG Gun
There are several different types out there and some of them can get really pricey. I've used one for about a year and a half now it has never let me down called the Scotch Pink Advanced Tape roller. It's amazing! It took me a couple tries to load the tape (but I'm not good at following directions lol) and then I was off to scrap. Also the refill rolls are big enough that you can scrap a good long time before running out. The prices for an ATG gun can vary between $15 to around $80. My ATG gun only cost about $22 on Amazon but I'm sure you could find it even cheaper if you use a coupon or wait until a sale.
2. X-acto Corner Rounder punch
I use my corner rounder on pretty much every project I do! It's lasted me a good long time - I'm certain it has a lot of life yet too. It's super easy to use - just one click with your thumb and you have a nice clean rounded edge. X-acto isn't the only corner rounder out there though, there are TONS! Pretty much any scraping company carries their own version. There are several different sizes to choose from and several different styles to actually punch the paper - button, squeeze, push, etc. X-acto is definitely my favorite though and it runs for about $9.
3. Fiskars Paper Trimmer
Every scrapper needs a good, precise paper trimmer. Again, there are tons of different trimmers on the market and they generally operate the same. My favorite brand for this is fiskars because of the amount of measurements on the board, it's very light weight, and pretty inexpensive (always a plus)! I was able to score mine for $16 on Amazon. The trimmer also comes with 2 extra blades that are very easy to change. The blades are quite sharp and don't dull very easily, however, I would recommend if you are working with chipboard to have a blade solely for that because chipboard will dull the blade much quicker than paper. You want the blade that cuts you paper to stay nice and sharp:) It's a great product so I Highly recommend!
4. Tim Holtz Small Tipped Scissors
I actually heard about these scissors for a long time before trying them because my pair seemed to be doing the job. Many scrappers rave about the Tim Holtz scissors and I gotta say after trying them, they are pretty awesome! They are non-stick, SUPER sharp, and because the tip is so fine you can get into really small corners. The handle is even nice and comfy! They run about $13-$16 depending on where you get them. I brought a second pair a few days ago (managed to lose the first pair!) at Joann's for only $8 because of a 40% off sale! I've seen Tim Holtz products go on sale a lot though so you can probably find them on sale somewhere at any point. They are definitely worth the money!
5. Mini Hot Glue Gun
In my experience there isn't any particular brand that seems to make better hot glue guns - I honestly just buy the $5 mini hot glue guns at Walmart. It goes without saying that you have to be careful to not get the glue on the pictures lol but for getting those thick or heavy embellishments on your scrapbook, hot glue guns seem to do the trick wonderfully. Some of the glue guns even have a nice pointed tip so that you can get a thin line or little dab if needed as well!
6. Ranger Distress Ink
By far the best distresser ink on the market! Ranger has LOADS of different colors and they are always coming out with more. One pad costs about $5 (you get a lot of ink!) but if you are going for more colors for less money they have a sample set of 4 one inch by one inch cubes for roughly $6. The colors chosen in each pack coordinate and blend together nicely. The sample ink pads may be small but they can how a ton of ink. The ink is perfect for distressing because it stays wet longer allowing you to blend it onto the paper evenly. The inks blend very nicely together as well. Ranger also created the ink to resist water so when water is applied in different techniques you can get some really cool, unique effects. If you are interested in distressing I would high recommend watching a few youtube videos on how to use the ranger ink - there are way too many techniques to list! Super Fun!
7. Martha Steward Scoring Tool
If you are interested in making mini interactive scrapbook albums you will find a good scoring tool is very handy. I own several and they all do the job but my go to is the Martha Stewart pink Scoring tool. It can be pricey at about $9 - which, to me, it pretty pricey for just a scoring tool but I have definitely gotten my money's worth out of it. The angle and sharpness of the tool works very well even on thicker card stock which is very helpful.
8. We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile hole punch
I've gone through quite a few hole punches in my scrapbooking years (I think I just expect a lot out of them lol) but once I brought the We R Memory Keepers punch I was set! The punch is designed to be precise so it offers you quite a lot of options on how deep to set the hole and there are also guides to help align the next hole you punch with the first. The blade is very sharp so it can easily cut through a few sheets of card stock and even thicker chipboard. It sells for about $18. I got mine on Amazon ( I'm an amazonaholic lol) for around $15 during a sale.Well worth the money in my opinion:)
9. Amazon BasicGrey Small Magnetic Discs
Depending on the kind of scrapbooking you do you might not have use for this product, however, anyone who creates interactive scrapbooks with pockets, pullouts, and flipouts can find endless uses for these tiny magnets. These magnets can easily be covered with thick cardstock and still hold the flip or pocket closed. These magnets are also extremely thin, only 1/32 of an inch, so you will not be able to see or even really feel the magnet underneath paper. They come in a set of 10 matches (which are clearly labeled) on Amazon for $4. Pretty good deal:)
10. Fiskar clear Stamping Block
If you want to work with cling or clear stamps the easiest way to go about it is to use a clear stamping block. I own quite a few, a couple that I got for only a buck!:) While those dollar blocks might do the trick the friskar clear block allows for you to position your stamp darn close to perfection. It comes in so handle especially if you really stink at lining things up properly like me! The block has lined grids allowing you to pick the perfect position to get your image on your project. You can get them in 4 different sizes - either separately or in a set. The set costs about $17 full price but, of course, most of the time you can find it on sale somewhere:) These days I won't stamp without it!
So there you have it guys! I hope you are able to try a couple of these products and perhaps you'll be able to use and love them just as much as I do. If you have any favorite tools that you'd like to share please do let us know!:) Have fun scrapping, everyone!
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