Our favorite crafting supplies

The golden rule

The best tools are the ones you like to use the most. There’s no rule about what paper or glue is best. Experiment with different papers, tools and supplies and discover what works best for you.

We do not receive any financial incentive or otherwise by mentioning the products or retailers listed here.

Paper & Poster board

We’re pretty picky about our paper and all our deliver-to-me packets use 100% recycled cardstock. If you print at home printing to card stock is faster and makes for a more durable costume. A lot of stores around you probably have cardstock, though ordering online will provide more eco-friendly options.

If you print to computer paper we recommend plying your costume to poster-board—or at least construction paper. Any reasonably-priced poster board will do the job fine. You can also re-use leftover items like cereal boxes as a perfectly suitable upcycled substitute.

Glue

Whether you have fun or a sticky mess of a time might be due to your glue choice. We prefer gluesticks because they prevent using excess glue which can soak the paper and make it wrinkle. Our favorite are Gloo gluesticks.

The Foraday founders have not reached a consensus on liquid glue and are still arguing about it to this day. The top two we seem to agree on: Sobo or rubber cement. Be sure to check out our Crafting FAQs for techniques to become a expert glue-bender.

Scissors

The best pair of scissors are both sharp, and fit your hands. It’s important that small hands use small scissors. Cutting can get very tiring very fast if the scissors don’t fit the hand. We like the all purpose scissors from Fiskars because they feel great, and they make small-hand-friendly sizes too. Fiskars makes fabric scissors too, which don’t work so well for paper so be sure you’re getting ones for paper only.

Sometimes your hand gets tired because your scissors are too dull. While a scissors sharpener might seem excessive, it’s a great way to extend the life of your scissors and save some hand pain.

Craft Knives

From time to time in our videos you might see us use a craft knife. These are very precise, and don’t tire out hands as quickly as scissors might. However they are very sharp! Unlike scissors which need sharpening now and then—for knives you replace it with a new blade as soon as it’s dull so it’s always sharp.

X-acto blades are our favorite. The blades work for most handles, so be sure to pick a handle that feels comfortable.

Knives might be a better option for older children and adults who are confident crafters. We have some good safety tips about knives in our Crafting FAQs.

Rubber Rollers

Another tool that makes a cameo in our instruction videos are rollers. Once you glue paper down, a roller will help even out the glue, make it stick and keep the paper from wrinkling.

Most rollers are made of rubber and quite inexpensive. Brayer is the expert when it comes to rubber things that roll.

You probably have a lot stuff in your house that will help smooth and press paper without needing to buy a roller: wine bottles, (full) cans, or put a paper towel over the print and smooth it with your hand so dirt doesn’t get on the paper.

Rulers

Rulers have many uses in a crafting kit. They measure, fold, and act as a finger guard if you are cutting with a knife. If someone is making fun of your crafting skills it’s also fun to point a ruler at them like it’s a magic wand and threaten to cast a spell on them.

We like rulers that are metal, with cork backsides because it helps them stay in place.

Foraday costumes don’t need measuring so whether you use metric (oy guvnuh!) or imperial (yee-haw!) you’re good either way. A 12in or 30cm sized ruler will be the most versatile.

Bone folder

These come in either real bone (usually cow) or plastic.

These are very handy for scoring and folding. Your ruler might work for this too but you might find the bone folder is easier to hold and works better.

Most bone folders perform the same so any should do.

Cutting mat

Cutting mats are essential if you use a craft knife; your kitchen table will thank you. Otherwise they are pretty handy as an all-purpose work surface. Your kitchen table really, really, wants you to use a cutting mat. This post was written by a kitchen table.

Alvin self-healing mats are very handy. The price varies with the size of the mat. We suggest getting one slightly larger than our paper size, 8.5” x 11”

Where to buy

All these items can be found at your local art supply store or in larger craft store chains. All these stores have very helpful, friendly folks that would be happy to tell you about their favorite supplies too.