Paper punches used for scrapbooking are pretty easy to use, but there are a few things you need to know to master the art and keep your paper punches working for years to come. Let’s take a look at a few tricks of the paper punching trade and get you up to speed for paper punching excellence.
As you already know, a paper puncher definitely comes in handy when working with small shapes. Once you make your small punchie, a pair of tweezers really comes in handy for positioning the punchie and applying the correct amount of adhesive.
Applying adhesive to a punchie takes a deft hand and some knowledge added in for good measure. A wet scrapbook adhesive works best, especially the squeeze and roll dispensing type. Remember that it’s best to use the smallest amount of adhesive that does the job. For small punchies, start with a pinhead-sized drop applied to the back of the punchie. If you are layering your punchies on a page, start with the largest piece and glue the smaller punchies in succession. Press firmly, but don’t bend the punchies.
To keep your paper puncher working its best, you’ll need to do some simple maintenance. Over time, you paper punchers will naturally dull. You will notice this when your punch begins to make rougher cuts or not cut through the paper easily. To remedy this, take a piece of aluminum foil and have the punch cut through it two to three times, each in different places. If your punch starts sticking, you’ll need to lubricate it. For this, take a piece of wax paper and punch through the wax paper once. With a little bit of care, your paper punch should last for years to come and serve you well on many scrapbooking projects.
