Ann's Tool Box
Written by Ann Vanture

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1. Self-healing cutting mat. Makes cutting smooth and effortless, as well as prolongs the life of a cutting blade. If anything but a good cutting mat is used, the edges of your cuts will be ragged and not smooth.

2. Thin metal ruler with cork backing designed to prevent slipping. English scale in inches on one side and miniatures-friendly millimeters on the other. Use the ruler with clamps to make a folding gizmo. See photo above.

3. Clamps are used to secure the metal ruler. Make accurate paper folds against the ruler’s edge and improve your paper project at hand. Clamps cost under $2 each at the local hardware store.

4. No longer used.

5. Fast-grab, dries-clear, quick-dry craft glue. Works where a typical wet, slippery, slow-to-dry white craft glue does not. Standard white craft glue is too wet and sloppy to work with when making miniatures. I like Nicole brand, but most any brand with the “fast-grab dries-clear, quick-dry” descriptor will do.

6. Glue stick is appropriate to glue flat items back-to-back. This glue, however, is not good for gluing tabs because the contact becomes brittle over time and loosens its grip. Acid free glue sticks are made now and are not difficult to find.

7. DecoArt Paper Effects clear dimensional paint adds dimension to printed items such as the printed candy in a candy box or game pieces. There are other brands as well, and it is my understanding that all brands can be difficult to locate. This is an enhancement and not necessary to have in order to assemble miniatures.

8. Paper Minis that have been sold in a kit do not need to be sprayed with polyurethane clear paint! This is for those of you who are printing your own printies and may not have a colorfast printout. Spray a couple of light coats before cutting out a printie. It protects the mini’s finish and glue wipes off easily without leaving tell-tale residue. All paint and hardware stores sell inexpensive as well as expensive brands of clear polyurethane spray.

9. Mini black office binder clips hold book pages together while gluing a mini book’s spine. Place a bit of thin cardboard between the clip and your book to prevent dents.

10. Average sized scissors for cropping pieces apart. Use detailing scissors and X-acto knife for detail cutting. Click here to view the Paper Minis detail cutting photo tutorial.

11. X-acto knife is excellent for cutting nooks-and-crannies perfectly. Never use a dull blade! Blades are your best investment and use a cutting mat—not cardboard!

12. Variety of small artist paint brushes for painting glue...at least one flat and one tiny pointed brush.

13. Toothpick for poking and picking.

14. Two thin needles wrapped tightly at the eyes end with scotch tape can be helpful for winding paper.

15. Straightened paper clip for poking and picking.

16. Tweezers for holding small items and pressing glued folds and seams. Q-tip (not shown) is also good for pressing seams in hard-to-reach spots.

17. Aluminum foil to use as a disposable glue pot. Cup it if you need to mix a little water with your glue. When done, just throw it away.

Not shown:

18. Tissue for quick clean-up

19. Cup for water to hold your gluing brushes. BTW, alcohol can help to loosen dried glue from a paint brush. Leave the brush in a tiny cup of alcohol.

20. Tool box to keep these items local and at easy access.

21. Optional selection of small hole punches. A 1/16”, 1/8" and standard 1/4" punch come in very handy.

22. A collection of dowel type objects in a variety of circumferences. Use these to wrap curved objects around to capture perfect curvatures.

23. A small capped container such as a travel sized aspirin bottle to emboss tiny paper plates. Press the paper between the cap and the bottle's opening.