Tools n Tips for Papercraft Making (^_^)>"

My current workstation for Papercraft. 

Hello again everyone! 

In this post I'll go over the basic stuff you need if you're going to make Paper Craft. It's fun, simple to do, and hopefully this will help you in the long run. 

Vocaliod Paper craft I did on a tight budget. XP

I'm not the true expert or the crazy paper craft maker, this is just the few basic things you need to get for the basic but with good quality results (especially when you have budget restrictions).  

Other than a PC and a printer I'll give the rundown on the things you'll need and a few helpful tips when making paper craft. 

As you can see in the picture above, I have a Wall-E template already printed out. It'll help me explain things about the tools of how to make paper craft.

Here we go...

Tools/ Things that you need + Tips:

Paper:

For paper, paper craft is all about having a firm model of your craft. Using normal printing paper (usually at the weight of 70-90 gsm) is NOT recommended. Why? It's because it's flimsy, very weak, and thin. You will get problems of making it stand altogether, especially when it can support the whole paper craft. 

Use paper with a weight/thickness of 120-180 gsm or grams per square meter (usually A4 or letter) for most paper craft, most of these will be more sufficient for folding while keeping a firm base for the whole paper craft you're going to make. 

If the template maker prompts or advises you for thicker paper then stick with 200 gsm (which is equivalent of card board paper). Sometimes having paper that is too thick can cause problems in folding, so when template hunting, just remember if the author/maker left notes. 

Wall-E printed on glossy paper.

In some models they advise you to use photo paper to make it look shiny. Usually for photo paper, Photo Matte paper is used instead of glossy. Why not glossy? Well, glossy paper gives out less desired results when you fold (leaves a clear white crevasse). But if you don't have any other options then it's fine (if you're okay it won't come out extremely perfect); I don't have access to Photo Matte paper so I use glossy instead.   

Main Tools:

The basic tools.
Metallic rulers, Scissors, Craft glue, UHU glue, pin, tweezer, cutter + spare cutter blades.

Cutting Mat/Cutting surface:

Cutting Mat.

If you're using a cutter, use a cutting mat or at least a hard surface like glass. The best type of cutting mats are the self-healing ones. They usually return to the state they were before cut and last longer than most cutting mats.

 I don't have a cutting mat, but a glass study table (see my work station pic). It does the job better since it lasts longer and if you don't mind scratches on it. 

Scissors, Cutter:

Warning: Please be careful when using scissors or cutters. They have blades that DO cut, so be careful when you use them. Especially around your fingers if you're clumsy. I got cut by a cutter before and bled which, ended me going 'Michel Jackson' (fingers with band aids on them). Not a pleasant experience. DX 

Scissors are most useful for cutting larger pieces or pieces that are usually not straight that could be handled better by using a cutter. It's the most basic tool you should and must have for paper craft. You can use a cutter for the more fine and clean cuts.  

Tips on Cutting: 

One paper, cut separately for easy focus.

• When cutting paper craft, it's advisable to cut into groups (sometimes according to numbers) and not cut from a large chuck of the paper itself. The reason being, you won't ruin template from the constant bending when you're cutting a piece out. Also, you can choose which pieces of the paper craft you want to tackle first. (see pic above)

Red lines show the cuts needed for a piece to be inserted.

Result of holes to insert another piece into it.

• Cutters are best used in places that need to be cut directly (without cutting from the edge). They're the best at making holes in a middle piece of the paper craft. Having one handy helps a good deal.

Rulers:

Metal ruler for cut cushion.

I would advise on anyone to get metallic rulers. They're incredibly useful in many situations for the tracing proses, marking places on the paper craft accurately, and when cutting with a cutter as a base to lean on. 

Blunt needle/Safety Pin or a Used Pen:

Neat folds for all sides on a paper craft piece.

The idea of using a blunt needle/safey pin or a used pen is to neatly give an outline on the flaps that will be folded and then applied with glue. 

Not only do the flaps turn/fold better, but what you get is a neat  and accurate finish fold than manually folding it. 

Use a metallic ruler for more accuracy and a cushion when tracing.

Tips on using pin/used pen:

• Use a metalic ruler or any ruler you have for a cushion and trace all the folds of the piece. Just trace lightly in one direction. 
• Don't use too much strength but enough to see a line that will help you fold the flap/part of the piece of the template.
• Have the pin/used pen at a 30 degree angle so you don't scratch the template instead.  

Tracing a fold at 30 degrees.

Glue:

For Glue, I use craft glue or white glue (a.k.a. PVA glue). Just make sure you don't apply too much on tabs. We don't want to ruin the paper. Most people would try and look for the tacky glue type (which is more drier than normal glues). I use craft glue because it has a clear finish.

AVOID liquid glue, this is paper craft we're talking about. Water and paper don't mix well together.

All purpose glue like UHU glue can be used too. I usually use UHU glue for sticking larger  pieces of the paper craft together (e.g. the body part to the neck and head).

Tweezers:

Small pieces when glued will have to be hollow.
Note how large my fingers are compared to the piece.

Gluing it and holding it to be sealed by tweezers.

Tips on Tweezers:

Tweezers are most useful for those tiny pieces when they need sticking and your fingers just don't seem to fit in. Not only that, they're pretty useful to reach into places where holes are small and you want to seal two pieces together without crushing the piece. 

Those tools and tips I've written in this post is what I usually use. Hope this post is helpful for everyone. =D

Oh, you're probably wondering what happened to Wall-E, right? 

Well, here's the result with another paper craft I made: 

Wall-E Paper Craft. You can make your own here.

The second Cute Cat series. XD

Happy Paper Crafting everyone! (^_^)>"


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