Hi everyone. Today we’re going to talk all things sharp in the craft room. I’ve got several types of scissors, snips, shears, and cutting blades I use for different purposes. Depicted above are my favorite shears. I got them at a Renaissance Festival a few years ago. They are beautiful, though highly impractical in paper crafting. I rarely use them.
I can name several reasons I don’t use the shears above much. First and foremost is the finger holes. The finger holes are not comfortable at all. Besides comfort, the blades are so long they are unwieldy. But I love looking at them. So I bought them and I keep them in my craft area.
On to practical matters. Within my craft room, you’ll find many different kinds of scissors, snips, shears, and cutting blades. Each has a purpose and a time for use. Here, I’ve shown a smattering of the sharps in my craft area. They all have their uses and we’ll go through them.
Cutting Blades, X-acto Knives, etc
Over the years, I have tried several types of X-acto knives throughout the years. I could never quite get the hang of getting a straight cut with one, even with a ruler. I found this finger blade about a year ago and I love it! It uses the same type of blade the X-acto knife uses. I feel I get better control with it. When do I use it? All the time. You can use this anytime you would use any other pair of scissors. I cut cardstock, patterned paper, and even chipboard with it.
Snips
Snips are just what you think when you hear the word snip. I use them to cut small areas. They are the perfect size for fussy cutting images. Snips usually have precision tips to make the tiny cut at the very tip of the blade. In card making and most paper crafting, these little guys are the work horses in the craft room. Once again, look for comfort in the finger holes. Not all snips feel the same.
Craft Scissors
I love craft scissors because of their uniqueness. The finger holes are huge and the blades are small. Craft scissors are made for cutting heavier and harder to cut objects. If you need to cut chipboard, these are your tool. Cutting stamps apart? Craft scissors will do the job. They have better leverage with the longer finger holes.
Paper Edging Scissors
A few years ago, these paper edging scissors were all the rage. Now, they’ve pretty much gone by the wayside. They aren’t used much anymore. But I keep a pair or two around just in case. You never know when you’ll need an edge. I have difficulty cutting that edge straight when I cut with these scissors!
Fabric Scissors
Everyone should have a pair of fabric scissors in their craft room. These are solely for cutting fabrics, ribbons, bakers twine and other fabric type embellishments. The easiest way to keep them separated from other scissors, tie a piece of ribbon around one of the finger holes. I never use these on paper, cardstock or wired ribbon. This would dull the blade and you won’t get a clean cut with your fabric.
I hope I’ve taken some of the mystery out of the different types if scissors, snips, shears, and cutting blades. (Oh My!) At the very least, every craft room needs snips and fabric scissors. The rest can be built over time, as I have. Also, make sure your family knows these sharps are for crafting only. Make sure you have other non-craft scissors in the house, so they don’t try to use your craft snips or fabric scissors in the garage!
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