Tag: Swatching

Best Cardmaking supplies 14 Best Cardmaking Products & Supplies for 2026 (Must-Have Craft Room Staples)
cardmaking · Supplies

14 Best Cardmaking Products & Supplies for 2026 (Must-Have Craft Room Staples)

Karen Brown11 Comments

This post was updated March 2026 with additional recommendations.

Best Cardmaking Supplies for 2026 Quad Graphic showing cardstock, swatching, tool organizer, Inks and die cutting machine
My favorite and most trusted cardmaking supplies

Quick Picks

My Favorite Cardmaking Supplies

Why These Supplies Matter

When I first started cardmaking, I bought many tools that I didn’t really need.

Today I’m sharing 14 of my most-used, most-loved cardmaking supplies for 2026. These aren’t just trendy products — they’re the tools I reach for again and again. I use them over and over in my craftroom and they are the products that I recommend to new cardmakers.

If you’re stocking your craft room, refining your supplies, or just love seeing what other cardmakers actually use, this list is for you.

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Karen’s Full List of Recommended Products for 2026

1. Best Die Cutting Machine: Spellbinders Platinum 6

Best Die Cutting Machine: Spellbinders Platinum 6
My favorite die-cutting machine…and I’ve tried lots!

If you enjoy die cutting, a reliable machine is essential. I love the smooth cutting pressure and wide platform on the Platinum 6.

I use my Platinum 6 die cutting machine almost every single day. I’ve tried other machines over the years, but this one is reliable, smooth, and powerful. The others? They’re collecting dust.

Beginner Tip: Start with simpler less intricate shapes as you learn how layering works.

✨ I also have a Scout portable die-cutter that I love to use with smaller dies or when I am taking my projects on the go.

2. Best Cardstock: Spellbinders ColorWheel Cardstock

Best Cardstock: Spellbinders ColorWheel cardstock shown in several assortment packs.
Colorful Cardstock is so important in cardmaking

With 48 gorgeous colors, ColorWheel cardstock makes color selection easy and stress-free. I use it almost exclusively and love that the result is beautiful cohesive designs.

Beginner Tip: Order the 48 Color Pack and see which colors call to you the most.

I recently placed a big order and am sharing a photo of my shipment, including:

3. Best Die-Cutting Staple: Hero Arts Infinity Dies

Best Die Cutting Staple: Hero Arts Infinity Dies.
Infinity Dies are the most versatile products in cardmaking

Nesting infinity dies are true craft room staples, and I use mine constantly. They are versatile time-savers that elevate your cardmaking and are perfect for matting, layering, spotlighting and framing.

I’ll be linking to 8 of my most-used sets in this post with my most used at the top. I’ll also link to a card using each die.

If you’re building a die collection, start here.

4. Favorite Card Kit Subscription: Spellbinders Large Die of the Month

Cute die cut card with hummingbirds hovering over a daisy floral garden.
Subscription card kits fuel creativity

If I had to choose one subscription kit to keep, this would be it. The Spellbinders Large Die of the Month never disappoints, and January’s kit — Hummingbird Delight — truly lived up to its name.

Subscription Kits provide:

• excellent value
• beautifully curated designs
• coordinated supplies
• inspiration delivered to your craft room every month

The Large Die of the Month Kit has the designs and versatile themes that I enjoy the most…the ones I use over and over. To illustrate for 2026:

  • The February Kit is perfect for kids, Easter and the young at heart.
  • The March Kit is great for masculine cards, but can also morph into a fun floral sneaker bouquet.

✨ Runner-Up Favorite Subscription:
The very first kit I ever ordered — Hero Arts My Monthly Hero, now available in two versions for 2026:

Tip: Subscription kits are great for both beginners and experienced cardmakers.

Spellbinders January 2026 Embossing Folder of the Month Club Kit Card: Cloud Nine

5. Best Blending Brushes: Waffle Flower

Best Blending Brushes: Waffle Flower with the color coded handles.
Color coded blending brushes are an important staple in my craftroom

One of the biggest problems with ink blending is cross-color contamination.

I love that Waffle Flower blending brushes have color-coded handles, so I instantly know which brush goes with which ink family. This simple visual cue keeps me from accidentally putting my yellow brush into my blue ink, which could potentially ruin a project. It also keeps my colors bright….not muddy.

Small detail, huge time saver.

6. Best Inks: Hero Arts Reactive & Core Inks

Best Inks: Hero Arts Reactive and Core Inks.
Bright inks make such an impact in cardmaking

I have a large tub of Hero Arts inks — and honestly, I rarely reach for anything else. The colors are vibrant, blend beautifully, and are incredibly reliable. I love all the inks, but I find myself reaching for the Reactive Inks most often.

Some favorites:

7. Best Planning Tool: Swatching Dies

Best Cardmaking Planning Tool: Spellbinders Swatching Dies.
Color swatching is a great planning tool in cardmaking

I use my swatching dies on nearly every project. Being able to flip through physical cardstock swatches saves time and helps me confidently choose colors that work together.

👉 Find all the details in my original swatching post

Key Swatching Products:

You’ll see these swatches featured throughout this post.

8. Best Inspiration Tool: Color Cubes

Best Papercrafting Inspirational Tool: Color Cubes.

Color planning is always my starting point, and Color Cubes are essential to my process. I own two volumes (1&2), a birthday gift from several years ago, and they’re well loved.

Best Color Inspiration for papercrafters: Color Cubes
Color Cubes are such an important inspiration tool in my craftroom

I like to start with the Color Catalogue where I can search by Color, Key Word or Collection and then I grab a few cards for inspiration.

Paired with my cardstock swatches, they make choosing beautiful color palettes effortless.

👉 Find all the details and dies used in this Be Beautiful Blooms post

9. Best Embellishment: Enamel Dots

Best Papercrafting Embellishment: Spellbinders and Hero Arts Enamel Dots.
Enamel Dots just make me happy!

Enamel dots are hands down my favorite finishing touch. I use Spellbinders and Hero Arts enamel dots the most — clean, modern, and endlessly versatile. They add texture, shine and color to your projects while at the same time elevating your card.

TIP: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve covered a small mistake with an enamel dot! They can truly save a project.

10. Best Way to Add Texture: Embossing Folders

Best Way to Add Texture to Your Papercrafting Projects: Spellbinders Embossing Folder of the Month Club Kit.
Embossing Folders add such impact to cardmaking….and they are so cost effective.

Embossing folders are one of the easiest ways to add interest to a card. I subscribe to the Spellbinders Embossing Folder of the Month, and my collection has grown quickly.

Embossing folders are a cost effective way to elevate most projects. They add texture, mood and dimension in one quick step.

If you are building up your crafting Toolkit, this is one of the best additions you can invest in.

I used January’s folder, Cloud Nine, on my Hummingbird card. It’s a stylized sky with clouds — perfect for so many scene cards.

11. Best Desk Organizer: Hero Tools Handy Holder

Best Crafting Desk Organizer: Hero Tools Handy Holder perfect for holding scissors, bone folders, pokey tools, jewel pickers and brushes.
I love a well designed crafty organizer.

This Handy Holder organizer keeps my scissors, tweezers, bone folder, palette knife, and brushes within arm’s reach. I love it so much… I own two!

They sit front and center on my desk and keep my most used (and often times oddly shaped) essentials close and organized.

I use this simple well-designed organizer everyday! Consider treating yourself.

12. Best Work Surface Organizer: Craft Stax

Best Craft Organizer: Stash Stax. large clear bin with lid to store crafting supplies.
Storage organizers are so helpful in my cardmaking.

One tool I reach for constantly while creating is Craft Stax. There are several sizes and they’re perfect for organizing, protecting, and corralling all of my crafting components as I work.

The photo above (with my Fergus Felt components) is the Stash Stax. I also love this size for storing cardstock.

I use Craft Stax to hold die-cut pieces, partially assembled cards, sentiments, and embellishments so nothing gets lost or damaged mid-project. They’re especially helpful when I’m working on detailed die-cut cards or stepping away and coming back later — everything stays exactly where I left it.

Best Papercrafting container and organizer for protecting components mid-project as you create.
Craft Stax are so helpful mid-process in cardmaking

The photo above is the Medium Craft Stax. 4.8″ x 6″

Craft Stax also make it easy to stack multiple projects on my desk without creating chaos (always a win!). Simple, smart, and incredibly useful — this is one of those tools you don’t realize you need until you have it… and then you can’t imagine crafting without it.

13. Best Die Organizer: Hero Arts Magnetic Sheets & Envelopes

Best product for storing and organizing dies: Hero Arts Magnetic Sheets and Envelopes.
I found magnetic sheets are the best way to organize dies

These are absolute must-haves for staying organized:

  • Magnetic sheets keep dies secure
  • Labeled envelopes make everything easy to find
  • I store and file mine in bins in my craftroom

Two Sizes:

If organization is your goal in 2026, start here.

14. Best Tool for Stenciling & Stamping: Waffle Flower Sticky Mat

Best Tool for stenciling and Stamping: Waffle Flower Sticky Grip Mats.
Sticky mats are newer to my craftroom, but they are extremely helpful in the creation process.

I never stencil without a Waffle Flower Sticky Mat. I even wrote a full blog post about them — which turned out to be my most popular post in 2024!

👉 Find all the details in my original post

Sticky Grip Mats are perfect for stenciling and stamping. And they work great in your  Misti and Mini Misti Stamp Positioners…no need for magnets anymore!

Grip Mat Options:

Beginner Cardmaking Starter Kit

If you are just starting cardmaking, these 5 supplies will be the foundation for all your craft supplies:

Related Tutorials:

You might also enjoy these card tutorials:

Final Thoughts

These 14 products form the backbone of my cardmaking in 2026. They help me craft more efficiently, choose colors with confidence, and enjoy the creative process even more.

📌 Save this for later so you can come back when you’re ready to add to your Toolbox.

If you’re building or refreshing your craft room this year, I hope this list gives you a helpful starting point — and maybe a little inspiration too. 💛

Girly Spa Day handmade card with Enjoy Today sentiment. Girly Spa-Themed Die Cut Card | Wrapped in Care – December 2025 Club Kit
Cardmaking Kit · Die cutting

Girly Spa-Themed Die Cut Card | Wrapped in Care – December 2025 Club Kit

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Feminine die cut card idea: delightful spa day theme card of a girl in a spa towel turban enjoying a day of beauty.

The Spellbinders December 2025 Large Die of the Month, Wrapped in Care, is an absolute delight—especially if you love creating feminine cards with personality. This adorable die set builds the sweetest girl wrapped in a fluffy spa towel turban, fully embracing her day of beauty. It’s charming, whimsical, and so customizable, which made it perfect for creating a card for my daughter. Naturally, I personalized her hair and skin tone to match!

If you enjoyed this post, you might be interested in cards for kids.

To build the scene, I embossed my background using a past Embossing Folder of the Month, which gave the card a serene, peaceful spa vibe. The textures really elevate the focal girl and tie the whole design together. For colors, I reached for my ColorWheel cardstock, one of my favorite studio essentials. The shades are Chiffon, Cascade, and Celestial, with additional details cut from scraps.

This blog post also highlights my trusty Swatching Dies and Stamps, which are invaluable when choosing harmonious colors.

Die cutting process photo showing the assembly of my December 2025 Large Die of the Month card.

I included a process photo that shows my Spellbinders Shears, my Craft Stax Tray Set (perfect for corralling all the tiny die cut bits), and of course, I used my trusty Platinum 6 die cutting machine—the real MVP.

A simple chipboard sentiment—“enjoy today”—finishes the card with the perfect message for a little self-care moment.

If you love spa themes, feminine cards, or die cutting with loads of personality, the Wrapped in Care kit is going to be a favorite.

Helpful Links:

Spellbinders December 2025 Die of the Month: Wrapped in Care die cut handmade girlfriend card.
Christmas Crackers die cut handmade card. 4 Tips for Christmas Cardmaking
cardmaking · Die cutting · Tutorial

4 Tips for Christmas Cardmaking

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Bright, colorful Christmas card with a blue "dimpled" background, purple and orange die cut Christmas Crackers and a folliage accents.

Featuring the Christmas Cracker Die Set + Dimpled Embossing Folder

The holidays are the perfect time to get crafty, and Spellbinders’ new Christmas releases make it so much fun! Today I’m sharing a festive card I created with the Christmas Cracker Die Set from Yana’s Christmas Collection and the Dimpled 3D Embossing Folder from Suzanne Hue’s Texture and Foliage Collection.

Along the way, I’ll walk you through 4 tried-and-true tips that will make your holiday cardmaking easier, more enjoyable, and more beautiful.

Tip 1: Use Quality Cardstock

Handmade Christmas card featuring a colorful die cut Christmas cracker in shades of purple, orange, blue, and green. The background is embossed with a dimpled 3D pattern, and some die cuts are raised on foam for added dimension

The foundation of any good die cut is quality cardstock. Thin or flimsy paper isn’t substantial enough for die cutting. For this project, I used Spellbinders’ Color Wheel Cardstock—which is heavyweight, smooth, and cuts like butter.

Here are some of the gorgeous shades I pulled:

  • 🌊 Cascade
  • 💜 Fairy Tale
  • 🌸 Lavender & Lilac
  • 🌞 Beeswax
  • 🍊 Carrot
  • 🍎 Pomegranate
  • 🌿 Peridot & Rainforest

Together these created a vibrant, cheerful, and slightly unexpected holiday palette.

Tip 2: Swatch Your Cardstock

Handmade die cut Christmas card using Spellbinders Yana's Christmas Cracker set with the Dimpled 3D Embossing folder.

Having your cardstock organized and swatched makes choosing colors so much faster. I’ll link HERE to a post where I go into detail on how I keep my swatches handy and easy to use.

For this project, I flipped through my swatches until I landed on the perfect non-traditional holiday mix. Seeing them side by side helped me visualize how the colors would work layered on the Christmas cracker.

Products Used:

Tip 3: Use Color Inspiration

Handmade die cut Christmas Card created with the non-traditional colors of blue, purple, orange, red and green.

When in doubt, let a color system do the heavy lifting! For this card, I turned to Color Cubes Volume 2, specifically palette card #252, which inspired the purple, red, orange, yellow, blue color mix. I also own Volume 1. You can find the Color Cubes Bundle HERE.

I’ll also link to a previous blog post that features Spellbinders’ Color Deck System, another fabulous way to spark ideas when you feel stuck or want to try something different.

Click HERE if you’d like to see another Christmas Card using the same #252 Color Cubes palette card.

Tip 4: Add Texture and Dimension

Die Cut Christmas cracker card with loads of texture, dimension and vivid colors.

Flat die cuts are nice, but texture and lift make a card pop. For this background, I embossed a panel with the new Dimpled 3D Embossing Folder—a subtle yet impactful pattern that catches the light beautifully.

I also used foam squares behind some of the cracker die cuts to add depth and shadow. Craft foam also works great, especially on larger die cuts. The best glue for smaller die cuts is Bearly Glue. I love the fine nozzle! Simple details like these can make your handmade card feel polished and professional.

papercrafting · Rainbow Colors

Exploring Spellbinders’ 48 Colors – A Swatching Adventure!

Karen Brown3 Comments
Swatching Spellbinders 48 colors of cardstock was relaxing and stimulated my creativity.

Oh my goodness, I just got my new Spellbinders Color Wheel Cardstock, and I am having so much fun! If you’ve ever wanted to truly get to know your cardstock colors, swatching is the way to go. Not only is it an incredibly helpful reference for future projects, but I also found the process to be calming, relaxing, and—bonus!—it sparked my creativity in ways I didn’t expect.

Products Used:

48 hues of Spellbinders cardstock awatched and organize on a ring in rainbow order. Also shown: a card created using my new inspirational cardstock swatches.

Swatching Setup: Let the Color Journey Begin!

I ordered the 48-pack sampler to start, and I used the Spellbinders Color Swatch Petal Dies along with color name stamps to create my swatches. I decided to organize them in rainbow order, making it easy to compare shades and find the perfect hues for my future projects. There’s something so satisfying about seeing all the colors lined up in perfect harmony!

For organization, I put my swatched colors on a ring, which makes flipping through them a breeze. I also documented my process in a reel showing my die-cutting, stamping, and assembly. If you’re on the fence about swatching, trust me—it’s worth it!

New Friends & Old Favorites

There are some shades I already know and love, but this swatching process introduced me to some stunning new favorites. I’m still deciding whether to order the 5-pack of each shade or just stock up on my must-haves. Either way, I now have a better sense of which colors I’ll be reaching for the most!

A Fun Card Example

Vintage mixed media handmade card with a lovely die cut hat box luggage piece. Travel theme, hello card with floral accents.

To put my swatches to use, I created a card using my newly organized colors. You might recognize this one—it’s the Hero Arts Suitcase & Florals Card that I recently shared in another blog post. Seeing the colors in action really drives home how valuable swatching is!

Click HERE to read my blog post about creating this Vintage Suitcase & Florals Card.
Process photo showing how I created my Spellbinders Color Wheel Cardstock swatches with my Platinum 6 die cutting machine.

Final Thoughts

Swatching might seem like a simple task, but it’s an absolute game-changer for crafting. Not only does it help you choose colors with confidence, but it also makes designing so much easier. Have you ever done a cardstock swatch? If not, I highly recommend it! Let me know in the comments which Spellbinders colors are your favorites!

Happy crafting! 🎨✨