Paper Craft

Starting With Papercraft - Here Is What You Need To Know!

Have you always wanted to do some papercraft, but is the process a little daunting? Not quite sure how to get started with papercraft? No need to worry, as this guide from Spotlight covers everything! From the tools you need to create your first projects, this guide covers it all.

What Kind Of Tools Do I Need For Papercraft?

The tools you may need for papercraft can be quite versatile, yet you can make most projects with some of the papercraft essentials. As a beginner, you will need the following items.

A good cutting mat is the first thing you will need. It is essential for all your papercrafts, as it protects any underlying surface against cutting marks made by your crafting knife.

The second thing you will need for your papercraft is a decent cutting knife. Naturally, crafting knives can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs. Therefore, it can be a good idea to obtain a variety of crafting knives to get you started. Naturally, you will need to supplement your crafting knife with a good pair of scissors.

In addition to your cutting tools, you will also need a good all-purpose glue. A lot of aspects of papercraft require the use of glue. So, we recommend buying a reasonable supply for your first projects.

Naturally, to do your papercraft projects, you also require some paper. Obtain paper in various thicknesses and colours, this helps you to create more intricate projects once you become more proficient.

The final tool we will mention is optional, this is the scoring tool. A scoring tool can help you fold your paper more neatly, but it is not necessarily a must for beginners.

Where Can I Find Some Papercraft Projects?

Spotlight can provide some papercraft projects, these are recommended as we provide starter kits with designs as well as all the supplies you will need. Once you have the basics mastered, you can find many papercraft designs online too.

Which Paper Should Be Used To Print Papercraft Designs Onto?

Many experienced crafters will use a dedicated printer to print their papercraft designs. Of course, some types of paper are more suitable than others. If you are looking for paper that is easier to work with, you will need to print on paper with a thickness of at least 200 gsm.

Before you print a design that you want to work with, always remember that some projects require more skill than others. Even though most papercraft projects can appear straightforward, some require more skill in terms of folding and sticking. Therefore, always start with something simple such as the designs in our starter kits. Once you have done a couple of projects, you can move onto something a little more complicated.

How Do I Cut The Design Out?

When you have printed your design on the paper, you will need to cut along the lines with the appropriate tool. Most crafters find a craft knife the easiest, mainly because some lines may not be accessible with a pair of scissors alone.

Once you start cutting on a design, you will notice that there can be a variety of lines and symbols on your design. It is important to remember that not all lines are meant for cutting, as some indicate a fold instead.

A cutting line is always a solid line without any interruptions. If you notice any interruptions in the line, it is because this line is a folding line. The basic folding line, where you will fold the paper upwards, is characterised by small continuous stripes. When you need to fold downwards, the interrupted lines will be spaced further apart and will be considerably thicker.

In your papercraft projects, you may also come across a dotted line. Dotted lines are usually optional, this means you do not have to fold them, although it could make your design better if you do.

Papercraft designs can also contain diagonal solid lines. Please note that these lines are not cutting lines, they are glue lines. A cutting line is always a single, horizontal, solid line. Look for the diagonal grouped lines to figure out where to apply your glue.