Tools and supplies| Fairy's Fingers

Tools and Supplies

Here is a non-exhaustive list of what could be useful to you, whether it be materials, cardboard or what makes up the covering and embellishment of your cartonnages with, at the end of the page, a list of online stores.

Words marked with * refer to the lexicon

Tools

Cutting mat or thick stiff cardboard like wall calendars.
Pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener.
Marking pen, water erasable
Dressmaker's tape measure, patchwork ruler, cutting ruler * .
Set square
Compass
Scissors: a pair of scissors for paper, one for fabric and a small pair of sharp embroidery scissors (or tweezers) for details.
Craft knife
File or sanding block
Awl * : You can replace it with a nail.
Sharp folder *

Flat brushes: 1.5 and 2 mm, a small foam roller for large surfaces (or a wider brush).
Glues: White glue for binding and framing work, or multi-use glue for cardboard and fabric. Stronger vinyl glue is needed for imitations. Extra strong glue is used to consolidate the fixing of certain accessories. Prefer it in gel.
Varnish for paper : It protects the papers and makes them more or less shiny depending on the number of layers.
Gummed kraft paper tape* : 25 or 36 mm, it is available in white or brown.
Masking tape and rubber bands temporarily hold parts.
Pliers
Press (or a few books, weights ...)

There are also some less essential but very practical tools:

Corner Clamp: Some are composed of 2 magnetic parts which hold the cartons at 90 ° during assembly.
Corner cutting tool : it helps to cut fabric at the corners before covering carboards.
Thickness guide: It is used to control the thickness of your cardboards.

Supplies

-Cardboards

Grey cardboard * (Chipboard) is used for the assembly of the structures. In the case of rounded structures, check which side is the most flexible to cut the pieces: take the cardboard on the edges and fold it slightly. Tried both directions to see which side resists the least.
Cellulose cardboard* (Posterbpard): Depending on the brand, one side is rougher than the other. Even if the difference is not obvious, prefer to glue the fabrics on the smooth side.
Thin card * (or cleanliness card): Prefer it about 280g and ivory color less visible than white through a thin fabric.

-Fabrics

A fabric that is too thin will let the glue through and the defects will be more visible.

A thick fabric would hide the details of your structure.

Loose weave fabrics will let the glue to pass through.

Therefore, prefer 100% cotton patchwork fabrics. But linen, upholstery, taffeta ... can also be used as long as you choose them thin, but not too much!

-Papers :

They can be Japanese, Nepalese, Indian, Italian ... You can protect them with a protective varnish for paper.

-Texture imitations:

There is a large number of them, the best known being Skyvertex® . You can find velvet, metallic, canvas... but prefer paper-based imitations, which are easier to glue.

-Accessories :

They make it possible to personalize your creations. Some parts can be embroidered, you will then use: