Tools & Materials

Tools & Materials

‘A papercrafter is only as good as their tools’

I’ve made this list with tools and materials to guide you through the process of crafting Paper Street pt. 01. Giving you the best papercraft experience. If you have any questions about the materials or tools, please get in touch. I’m happy to help! 

Let’s start with a list of tools and materials that you need. Of course first you need to get your DIY-kit.

Don’t have the DIY-kit yet? You can buy it here: 

Tools

  • Cutting mat
  • Sharp hobby knife
  • Metal ruler
  • Tooth picks
  • Slanted tweezers*

Optional:

  • glue applicator bottle*
  • Silhouette Cameo with a 12 x 24 inch cutting mat
  • Cricut Maker with a 12 x 24 inch cutting mat

Materials

  • 200-250 g/m2 watercolor paper
  • PVA glue*

    * These items are included with the pre-cut DIY-kit.

    Got all the tools and bought the pre-cut kit? Go to the step-by-step assembly guide.

    Advise on paper

    I love working with watercolor paper because it has a rich texture and great sturdiness. For this model I recommend using a textured paper with a thickness between 200 and 250 g/m2 paper. Don’t go for a paper that’s too heavy because it makes it hard to fit the tiny details.

    My Favorite paper is Gerstaecker N° 3 aquarelpaper, you can also look for Canson Montval watercolor paper. I prefer unbleached, natural or off white paper.

    How much Paper do I need?

    I’ve prepared three different sizes of print-outs: A4, A3 and Letter size. In the table below you can find how many sheets you need depending on the size of your paper. If you can’t find the right paper size, just cut the paper in the size you need. The paper I usually use is 50 x 65 cm so I cut 30 x 50 cm sheets for my Silhouette Cameo. In the SVG file you can move parts around as you please, so the amount of paper you need may vary. I’ve written down how many sheets you need if you use a 12 x 24 inch cutting mat and a paper size of 30 x 50 cm.

    Paper Size
    measurements
     amount of sheets
    A3 297 x 420 mm 8
    A4 210 x 297 mm 15
    Letter 8.5 x 11 inch 15
    Silhouette/Cricut 300 x 500 mm 6

     

    Glue

    I work with PVA glue. It’s a white glue that becomes transparent when it dries. This type of glue is used for bookbinding so you can google ‘glue for bookbinding’ for best results. Collal is a good brand. The glue is water based and acid free.

     

     

    Needle Tip Bottle

    There’s a special type of bottle you can use for precise application. It’s a 10-30ml squeeze bottle with a hollow needle tip. You can find them if you look for ‘needle tip applicator bottles’. You can fill them yourself with your favorite glue. Don’t forget to close the bottle! Tips get clogged easily. If you use PVA glue, put the tip in a glass with hot water for a while to unclog.

    Cutting with Silhouette Cameo

    The download includes an SVG file with templates for cutting with a Silhouette Cameo. You need a 12 x 24 inch cutting mat and Silhouette Studio Designer Edition (Upgrade). If you don't have Designer Edition open the DXF file. Need cutting instructions for your Silhouette Cameo?

    Cutting with Cricut Maker

    The download includes an SVG file with templates for cutting with the Cricut Maker. You need a 12 x 24 inch cutting mat. 

    Cut by hand

    If you don’t have a plotting machine, you can also cut the model by hand. Beware this is a lengthy process so don’t try to squeeze it in one night.