Tools and Supplies

I thought I would share some of the tools and supplies that I use to create my printable parties.

PRINTERS:

The first thing I want to talk about is printers. A lot of people ask me if I print myself or have things printed for me. The answer: I print my own. I have two printers (actually 3 or 4, some are in storage). I was a teacher so I printed A LOT. The printers I currently use are an HP Officejet Pro 8500 and a Canon MP600. I use the Canon mostly for printing photos of my kiddies. It's a great photo printer. For the most part though, I use my HP. I bought it at Sam's Club since it touted how much you could print off of one ink cartridge. I use the XL inks for my printer. They can print up to 1400 pages vs. the standard ink cartridges that print up to 900 pages. I like my HP, it's not perfect, but it does the job. I do have some issues with lines showing up in the solid colors at times, but I may just need to replace my printheads. Please know, that every printer prints differently. The colors I get from my HP and the colors I get from my Canon, printing the exact same thing, can be drastically different. Sometimes adjusting your printer settings to 'best' can yield different results.

INK:

I order my ink and paper from HP's online store. Their prices are great and I get free next day shipping and they always have deals going on. After so many orders you start earning their rewards. So with each order I get a percentage off. It's great. So if you have an HP printer, you might check out their online store the next time you order.

PAPER:

I use HP's Everyday Matte Photo Paper for most of my printing. It comes in a pack of 100 and they also offer semi-gloss for the same price. The last time I ordered paper, I bought two and got the third free. So I got 300 sheets of matte photo paper for roughly $30 after taxes. That's $10 for a pack of 100 sheets. I also use this paper in my Canon printer. I love using photo paper because if gives you a nice clean sharp color compared to white cardstock. For those items that need to be thicker though, like the pillow boxes, I recommend cardstock. It's usually thicker and you'll need a thicker paper for the boxes to hold up.

PUNCHES:

Aaah, the invention of the punch was a lifesaver. Or I should say, a handsaver. Punches save you so much time and they give you the nice clean cut. There are several different brands, shapes and sizes available. I'll just share the ones that I use today. For my small tags, I recommend either a 1 3/4"circle punch, a 2" circle punch or a 2" scalloped circle punch. It just depends on your taste. I've put some photos below to show you the different look each one offers. My 1 3/4" circle punch and 2" scalloped circle punch are made by EK Success. I ordered the 2" scalloped punch online from Walmart. It was $13.99 with free site-to-store shipping. I believe I got my 1 3/4" circle punch from either AC Moore, Michaels, JoAnns or Hobby Lobby. The great thing about these stores, you can use a 40% off coupon! Hobby Lobby now offers online shopping and you can use the 40% off coupon online as well. Most of the stores offer their 40% off coupons every other week. So if you don't see it this week, check next week. You can also sign up for their email list and get the coupons emailed to you. My 2" circle punch and my 3" circle punch are made by Marvy Uchida. You can find these also all over the internet and I believe Michaels sells them, so you can save some money with a coupon. You can also find them along with the EK Success brand on Amazon. You can find the 2" here and you can get free shipping if your order is over $25. So there are lots of options and brands out there.

Punches left to right:

EK Success 2" Scalloped Circle, Marvy Uchida 2" Circle Punch, EK Success 1 3/4" Circle Punch

Marvy Uchida 3" Circle Punch

GLUE:
My favorite glue of all time is Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue. There are two different tips for application and this stuff is good. It really sticks. I get my glue at Hobby Lobby. I know Michaels used to carry it, but I'm not sure if they still do.

LOLLIPOP STICKS:

I use these for the cupcake toppers. You can find them at most craft stores and even Walmart in their cake decorating section. I use the 4 1/2" sticks and my Tombow glue to attach the small tags. Their really simple to make, especially if you have a punch.

HOLE PUNCH:

Great for making the small tags into straw toppers.  The hole punch also comes in handy for the banners.  Just punch holes in the corners and then string the ribbon through.  A hole punch can be purchased for less than $2.

FUN PAPER:

-Inkjet Sticker Paper:  This is great for party favors, sticking to cups, bags, whatever.  I don't format my tags to fit onto any specific brand of sticker paper.  I recommend the solid 8 1/2 x 11" sheets, not the precut template sheets.

-Inkjet Magnetic Paper:  I think this stuff is fun.  A great idea is to create little magnets for guests as favors or print your invite on the magnetic paper so guests can stick it on their fridge and not forget.

-White Shipping Labels:  I use these for the bookplates.  I formatted them to print on Avery 8164 white shipping labels.  Just print and stick them in a book, folder, lunchbox, whatever!

-Inkjet Vinyl Adhesive Paper:  I haven't purchased any of this yet to try, but I plan to soon.  In the meantime, I found some links to some online shops that sell it.

• Graytex    
• B & H Photo and Video
• Planet Label
• My Water Bottle Labels

-Inkjet Fabric Transfer Paper:  My favorite!  You can make t-shirts or bags for your guest or the guest of honor.  So many possibilities with this stuff.  My favorite brand is Transfer Magic.  You don't have to reverse the image and it doesn't stretch and distort the image.  I found mine at Hobby Lobby.