Punch for scrapbooking: how to choose and use

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Now many people choose as a hobby some activity related to making souvenirs with their own hands. If you decide to decorate albums, photos, postcards or other products using decorative paper or cardboard, a scrapbooking hole punch will definitely come in handy. Thematic clichés will make great gifts for various holidays. Working with a curly tool is no more difficult than with an ordinary stationery office tool, but much more interesting.

What is a figured hole punch for?

If you had to make round holes in a stack of office paper to install a binder, then you understand what a scrapbooking hole punch is used for. In fact, this product usually has two functions:

• obtaining decorative holes;
• production of small parts for appliqué.

Thus, the possibilities of a figured hole punch are wider than those of a conventionalclerical, which allows you to punch only round holes. Curly options are used to decorate corners, edges or the main field of the sheet with carved holes. Cutting is carried out anywhere in the base, as far as the capabilities of the purchased tool allow.

Types of figured hole punches

Any scrapbooking hole puncher has its own parameters and characteristics. Accordingly, these instruments can be easily classified. Firstly, there are various themes of the cliches themselves - New Year's, dedicated to lovers, according to the seasons, related to the design of children's albums and birth cards, etc. The options are selected based on the theme you need and, of course, financial capabilities, since the price such a tool is usually rather big.

Secondly, punchers differ in the size of the punched hole. For example, the size of a snowflake can vary from a few millimeters to seven centimeters. Larger instruments, of course, will cost more. With good quality, the hole puncher allows you to work with thick paper or cardboard, especially if the part to be punched is large. Although in most cases a certain thickness of the material used is recommended. The information should be in the instructions or technical specifications of the tool. If there are no special instructions, then in order to maintain the performance of the hole punch for a long time, do not abuse the use of sheets of highdensity.

The third significant difference is the manufacturer. It is the brand that most often determines the cost of the tool and its quality. If you don't need a lot of holes and you're only going to use a particular cliché a few times, then a cheap tool will suffice. If you're going to use your hole puncher many times and use it all the time, don't be stingy and choose brands that guarantee good quality.

Scrapbook Hole Punch: How to Use

Whatever version of the tool you choose, the technology will be the same:

1. Take the sheet for decoration.
2. Mark up where the holes should be. It is especially important if you want to create a pattern from individual elements of a curly cliché. For example, a row of snowflakes or hearts.
3. Insert the sheet to the required level in the hole puncher.
4. Press firmly on the top of the press.
5. Return the hole puncher to its original position.
6. Remove the cut element from the cliché (if it is left inside). Use it for appliqué.

Scrapbook Hole Punch Set

If you decide to choose scrapbooking as your hobby or do art with your children, then you will often need hole punches. You can buy them individually or buy a set of several. Kits are thematic and contain tools with different clichés. Usually the kit includes tools for making carved corners,edges and creating single holes. You can also buy a special hole punch with interchangeable cassettes. You use one tool, and the holes will be made in different shapes.

Where to buy?

Usually, these punchers are sold in specialized stores for creativity and needlework, art salons and departments for artists. You can also find them in stationery or children's stores, but the assortment is likely to be small. Cheap scrapbooking punches are easy to order online. They are sold without a retail margin, so their cost is much lower. The range of online stores is large both in terms of the forms of sold clichés and companies from various manufacturers.

Hole punch or embossing punch?

If you order tools in an online store where there is no description of the characteristics of a particular model, do not confuse scrapbooking punches (photo above) with embossing punches. These instruments are similar in appearance. In addition, they also have curly clichés. The difference is that the latter do not punch through the hole, but only deform the structure of the paper along the contour of the corresponding shape. In this case, a convex detail is obtained on one side of the sheet, and an indented pattern on the other.

These tools are also very interesting to work with. It is easy to create a beautiful decor with them both along the contours of the postcard and in any other place. However, if only the embossing function is possible for the cliché you like, and you expected to order a hole punch, you willdisappointed. So choose your product carefully when making a purchase. And if possible, clarify the nuances of interest with consultants. As you can see, the scrapbooking hole punch is a very useful tool in the creative process. Get yourself at least one themed option, and your products will get a new exclusive look.