Craft Paper Basics And Quick Tips

Cardstock is one of the most important essentials in your papercraft stash. It is the base that cards, scrapbook pages, and even journals are often built on. If your foundation is weak, the rest of your project will be weak too. If you use cheap cardstock in your projects the end result will be weal and not the least bit satisfying. 

Every paper that you use in your paper crafting has a weight associated with it. In the USA that measurement is in pounds. When the paper is manufactured, it is made on huge sheets. 500 of those sheets stacked up is weighed and that’s the pounds. Then the cardstock sheets are cut down and packaged for retail sales.

Other countries measure it as grams per square meter (gsm) no matter which rating you use, the important thing to remember is that the higher the number the heavier the paper. This designation should be on every pack or pad of paper that you purchase.

Cardstock has a smooth finish. Companies like Bazzill offer cardstocks in a dozen different finishes which can add beautiful texture to your card or scrapbook page. Also, cardstock has a solid colored core meaning when you rip the paper there’s no white in the middle. Papers that have a white core

are coated cardstocks and not true cardstocks.

 

110 lb cardstock is my go-to paper for cards, scrapbook pages, and journal bases. I prefer a heavier base because I use mixed media with most of these. I am good with 80 lb cardstock for stamping projects. 

Light Weight Paper

Lightweight paper is referred to by crafters as text weight. Think of them as copy paper or like the pages from a book. They can be folded without scoring ( that is making a folded mark) They are flexible and easy to manipulate. They will print in most home printers. They are anything under 65 lbs. in weight. 

Medium Weight Paper

Medium-weight paper is also called cover weight. Think of them as the type of paper used in a greeting card. They are about 65 lbs-80 lbs in weight. They should be folded before scoring. They can print in most home printers.

Heavy Weight Paper

Is considered anything above 80 lbs,   Is like a heavy greeting card with weights typically available in 100-pound cover and above. Must be scored before folding. May or may not print in most printers.

Extra Heavy Weight Paper

Are similar in weight to chipboard or gift box weight? Weights generally start at 110 lbs and above.

Cardstock (Also sometimes known as cover stock)

Probably the paper that is your go-to more often than not, card stock comes in a huge variety of colors and textures. It is much thicker than standard copy paper. But is also thinner than card stock.

There are a few subtle differences between the cardstock and cover stock. Cardstock is typically smoother. Cover stock is textured

• 80 lb.  card stock is generally used for greeting cards, table tents, invites and crafts.
• 100 lb card stock can also be used for greeting cards and invites, It can also be used for crafts and gift tags

Card Stock

Stiff, smooth, and thin, it straddles the line between paper and cardboard. Good for greeting cards, paper models, and other stand-up building projects. It comes in different sizes. The standard sizes include 6 x 6 inches, 8 x 8 inches, 8 1/2 x 11 inches, and 12 x 12 inches.  It generally has a weight of between 65 lbs-110 lbs.

Types Of Card Stock

• Iridescent-Has a coating that displays a spectrum of color that shimmer
• Glossy-Has a coating that is shiny
• Vellum-A fine parchment paper
• Textured-Made of fibers that give it a specific texture
• Matte- Has a texture that is dull
• Glitter-Has a coating that is covered with glitter

Greeting Card Card Stock Tips

• Keep a stack of neutral card stock inserts on hand. They will go with any color that you may use. Cut sizes that will fit into the standard card sizes.
• You can buy card stock that is folded and scored in different sizes. These are called card blanks. They are quick and easy to use. However, using sheets of card stock is often cheaper. You can cut your cards with a paper trimmer and score them with a bone folder. 

Origami Paper

Lightweight but stiff, it will hold a sharp crease. It will also spring back if you compress it when folded. Generally colored or printed on one side only. 

Printer Paper Or Copy Paper

Printer paper actually comes in different weights of paper. The standard printer paper is 20 lbs (75 grams). Medium weight and fairly smooth, it’s good for writing by hand as well as for printing. It’s also stiff enough to stand up if used for small paper models.

Tissue Paper

Tissue paper is thin but brightly colored paper. The colors will run if wet and lend themselves to beautiful applications for paper flowers. 

Water Color Paper

Watercolor paper comes in all kinds of textures, weights and sizes. The thickness of the watercolor paper is indicated by its weight, measured either in grams per square meter (gsm) or pounds per ream (lb). Use acid-free paper for paintings you wish to keep as this will yellow less with age. So which watercolor paper is best for papercraft projects?

Hot pressed watercolor paper is pressed using metal rollers, which create a smooth surface and an even texture. Hot-pressed paper is great for mixed media work. When combining watercolor with other media, even ink and graphite will glide smoothly over its surface. 

The cold-pressed paper presents a rougher texture than the hot-pressed paper. When you glide your brush over it, some of the paint settles on it while skipping the indentations of the grainy texture, leaving them blank.

Yupo, a synthetic paper made from polypropylene, offers an amazing surface to work on for watercolor painting. Because it’s waterproof, when watercolor painting on yupo paper, the paint dries only by evaporation, creating really nice watercolor textures in the process.

Another nice advantage of painting on yupo is that if you make a mistake, you can wipe it off as long as the colors are not staining, which is really nice because watercolor is not always the most forgiving medium to work with. 

What To Do With Scrap Paper

If you are a crafter, you will wind up with scrap paper from your projects. With the rising cost of paper, throwing those papers away seems such a waste. Of course, there is a lot you can do with those pieces.

1. Use them to back sentiments
2. Stamp sentiments
3. Make letters out of them
4. Die-cut them
5. Mat photos on them
6. Use them in journals as embellishments