My 5 Favorite Craft / DIY Products

Do you ever just stand in front of the paint section at the craft store totally overwhelmed because you just don’t know what brand to buy? The amazing thing about the uptick in DIY / Crafting the past few years is that crafting selections have gotten so much bigger. The downside is that sometimes it’s hard to know what to use or what to buy. I understand. That’s why today I’m going to share a few of my favorite ride or die craft / DIY products. To me, these are some of the best craft products on the market and I regularly stock up on them whenever I find them on sale. 

Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom though because I am going to share my all-time favorite crafting secret…. It’s a good one. 

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Let’s get this party started.  So here it is, the #1 thing that I am currently crushing over and don’t want to live without is…..

1. Plaid Fabric Creations Fabric Ink

Purchase your own Fabric Ink Here.  This is not a joke people. I do not think I could be more in love with paint. If you’ve followed this blog for a long time then you know that rather than just creating vinyl t-shirts, I prefer a much more permanent solution that can live up to my poor laundry habits. That’s why I usually use a freezer paper stencil or a vinyl stencil to create shirts using fabric paint.  This fabric paint is soft and works more like a screen print. I was looking at one of my daughter’s sweatshirts that I made with it last year and I’m not kidding when I say it only gets better with every single wash.  When I was looking at the Plaid Crafts Website a minute ago I also realized that they sell stamps to use with this fabric ink. Somehow a lot of them just jumped into my shopping cart. Look at all the amazing options that they offer for fabric printing!  Want to see a tutorial that will show you how to use this Fabric Ink? Check out this DIY Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial

 

2. Martha Stewart Glitter

Purchase Martha Stewart Glitter Here.  Here’s the truth that none of you expected. I’m not a huge fan of Martha Stewart. I like crafts that I can easily make without a huge kit or a team of experts to prep it for me. (Ree Drummond, on the other hand, is my bestie, even if she doesn’t know it.)  However, there’s just something about Martha Stewart glitter that makes it magical. Maybe it’s made by unicorns? The colors are fantastic and it doesn’t lose it’s shine like some other brands do.  It’s getting harder to find the set with a lot of different colors so if you find it, you might want to snap it up.  Check out one of my favorite projects using this glitter here: DIY Glitter Christmas Ornaments

 

3. Cheap Glue Guns

Purchase a Cheap (but good) Glue Gun Here.  Believe it or not, one of the most popular questions that I get asked all the time is, “what is the best glue gun to use?”  My love for glue guns only ties with my love for my Kindle and pencils. It’s true.  Here’s a little secret though; I like cheap glue guns. I have big fancy glue guns, lo-temp glue guns and more but my favorite is the really cheap $2 glue guns that you can grab at any craft store. Why? Because my kids are constantly stealing my glue guns to make their own creations. It’s a downside of raising creative kids. I can rant and rave as I look for my one nice glue gun or I can open up one of my desk drawers and find 2-3 other small cheap glue guns sitting there, ready to use. Plus that way if one gets really gross (as in the one in the picture above) or isn’t working as well, I can toss it in the recycle bin and grab another.  If you love glue guns too, check out this fun t-shirt and my life motto: Given Enough Glue Sticks, I Could Save The World. 

 

4. Cricut Explore Air

Purchase a Cricut Explore Air 2 I’m a Cricut kinda girl. Honestly, I’ve never tried a Silhouette or a Brother cutting machine. Before I purchased my Cricut, I did a ton of research and I liked the features that Cricut offered so that’s the way I went. I do love this machine. It’s wireless but I’ve never taken the time to set that feature up so I just tuck it away in a cabinet until I need it and then pull it out and let it go.  This is a great machine and I love, love, love it. If we’re being totally truthful here than I have to let you know that I do have my eye on the Cricut Maker because I want to cut leather and wood but I haven’t talked my wallet into it just yet. Here’s a little secret though to owning a Cricut – You will find the best prices on cutting mats on Amazon. Trust me.  Check out one of my favorite projects I made using my Cricut: Wicked Chickens Lay Deviled Eggs Dish Towel With Free Cut File.  

5.  Sharpie Oil Paint Pens

Purchase Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Pens These are one of my newer loves but I’m definitely going to be snatching more of these up any time that I see them on sale. They hold so well that it’s ridiculous. The colors are bold and amazing, even the gold and silver. I find myself reaching for these more and more as I work on different projects. I used them this past week to write my child’s name on her water shoes and then I turned around and an hour later used them to decorate a cup. How can you not love that? They are just good.  I already have a new project up my sleeve using these guys but you’ll just have to be patient and wait for that tutorial.  Want to see an amazing project that you can make using these paint pens? Check out this DIY Flower Pot Gift Idea.   

Finally… Here’s my Super Secret Bonus Craft Supply that I Can’t Live Without…

Ready? You won’t guess what it is. 

Freezer Paper.

Yes! Regular freezer paper that you can buy at any grocery store is my crafting secret.  Purchase Freezer Paper to Use With Your Crafts Freezer Paper is amazing stuff.  If you have ever seen a post on this blog involving paint or other messy projects, I’m using freezer paper to protect my table or work surface.  Freezer paper is very thick but one side of it is coated in either wax or plastic, meaning that paint will not soak through it and get on your table. Because it’s so thick, you can use a messy piece of it over and over again. When the mess gets too big, you can wad it up and throw it away. If you do any crafts with kids, grab a roll of freezer paper. They can color on the matte side with markers that won’t soak through and then use it to protect surfaces with paint or easy clean up for play-doh.  If you are painting on shirts, put freezer paper on the inside of the shirt to keep the paint from soaking through but wait! Iron the shirt lightly and the freezer paper will stay in place until you want to remove it.  Or if you really want to make an awesome shirt, check out freezer paper stencils.  Bottom line is that it will save your sanity because it makes everything less worrisome and easier to clean up.    There you go! That’s my 5 favorite craft products plus a little bonus secret just for you.

Want to know what else I like to use for crafting and blogging? Check out my Shop Page!

What do you think? Are any of those in your top craft products?