cutting holes in cards - best way?

[houndour]

I'm card making on a budget, so am not prepared to spend (at this point) a lot of money on accessories.

I've started my first card, I cut a hole using a blade so I could put a photo from behind. But the hole is jagged and looks rubbish. Any tips on cutting? Or hiding rough edges? I'm not the most creative person, so any guidance or suggestions are welcome.

I've thought about some glitter on the edge or something like that?

[Seahorse]

All I can think of is when you do spend money try sizzix, I believe they do bit shapes cut outs.

I have seen and bought some solid plastic templates from my local florists.You can get them in rectangles/squares/ovals.They may be helpful.Hold them in place then cut round with a stanley knife with the other hand.

[swirlyarts]

Templates and a steady hand are great but the best thing I have found are punches. I have a big square one that I use a lot but you can also get circles, tag shapes etc etc. I think I bought mine in a lot of 5 different ones from ebay for about £40 plus p + p. Postage can be quite expensive though because they are very heavy.
I know you don't want to spend lots of money but the punches are probably the best thing I have spent my money on.

[euston-74]

For cutting holes in cards its got to be a Shapecutter from Fiskars. Again, not a cheap option but a good investment, they do a huge range of templates to use with it and the results are really good. Plus it can go anywhere on the card.
Usually retails around 3.99 for a stencil and 14.99 for the cutter.

I sound like I work for them - I really don't;)

[liz15a]

or you could of course buy aperture cards instead for a ready made hole! This has got to be the cheapest option unless you are going to make lots, then a punch is probably the next best.

[Suchaco]

Hi if you cant afford aperture cards why not make your own templates out of old cereal packets trace round them on the inside of the card then you can cut round them with a sharp knife. NO expense at all.

Another idea is to use cups, cake cutters, and as long as you use a sharp knife you should get a nice clean finish.

Good Luck with your cards

[staceylou007]

Hi, I cut windows in my cards using a very sharp craft knife and a small metal rule! Keeping your knife sharp is the key to a clean sharp edge and a firm hold on the metal rule is the key to a straight edge! You will also need to invest in a good self healing cutting mat, I would recommend an A4 or A3 sized, They are not very expensive at all.

As for hiding jagged edges....I use outline stickers!(the straight lines) A perfectly straight narrow sticker placed around each side of the box, directly on the edge will hide any slips or scruffy cuts!

hope this helps,
stace

[craftyfox]

Sizzix dies are really good, but they can be expensive because you need to buy the machine as well. They are usually used to cutting out shapes, though you can use the for cutting out holes too. Great if you have lots to do (like 100s).

I reckon that your best bet are the shaped punches - you can get them from Boyes, Lakeland Ltd, Argos, Papermill, and pretty much any craft shop. Also look online, including on eBay. Expect to pay between 1 and 10 pounds each, depending on the size.

Of course, as someone has already mentioned, pre-cut aperture cards are the simplest, and have a superb quality finish. If you're only making a few cards I suggest you go with pre-cut ones - other options only pay for them selves if you plan to make lots.

craftyfox.

[Nikita]

Peel offs or bits of ribbon are a great way to hide messy edges they work a treat trust me! :D

[Memories4ever]

I use the circles and ovals that Creative Memories make. Works out not too bad on price £13.75 for the set & then £4ish each blade. Local agent gave me a lesson on how to use them - easy once you've had a practice.

If you're not doing many, I would say, buy them ready done - Card Creations do a good range mail order

[CleoCrafts]

I used to cut out my own windows using a metal ruler, self healing mat and a sharp craft knife.... as stacy lou says all you really need is a very steady hand - no caffeine beforehand! i found however that this took a lot of time and as i was making a lot of cards it was not productive.

I now use cards with the apertures already cut out. I do find that it is more expensive, but it saves me a lot of time and hassel.

[indri]

I use a good stanley knife and a steady hand. I made a card where I wanted 21 to stand out from it so it was folded in a bit of a zig zag shape and the 2 and 1 on the two folds. I just drew the shape with a pencil and carefully cut round with the blade. I had no ragged edges.

As for apertures I buy the cards ready cut with apertures, as that way I can do different sizes and shapes without spending large amounts of money on the necessary punches/tools to do all the different sized circles, ovals and other shapes there are.

[EMEvans]

Hi, i use a craft knife and a pyramid style metal ruler as it keeps your fingers higher than the blade. The first craft knife i used was cheap and the blades were a bit bendy and my work looked quite meesy so i recommend good quality blades.

Another way of hiding the edges, which i have used a few times is cut out a frame with the same size apperture (or you can buy slide mounts) then wrap ribbon around it, you can then stick it flat or 3d mount it onto the card, looks quite effective.

Emma;)

[Kookykards]

Hi,

You can buy really large punches in square and circle about £9 each. They will last ages, so if you'll use them alot it's a good price.
The only problem is they only come in the one size where as when you cut your own you can alter the size and shape for your image.
I have the fiskars shape cutter and find it isn't too good at cutting card but is excellent on paper.


:)