A Little Punchy

Over the next few weeks I hope to spend some time talking about how craft punches can be used effectively in the homeschool setting. Once the dominion of the scrapbooker and the card crafter today's punches lend themselves to many dynamic educational projects. I favor the Giga and giant sized punches but some of the small punches are also useful. The Giga sized punches come close to 3 inches in size and are more like die-cuts in their use. The exaggerated size makes them good for multiple projects and makes owning more than one style easy. Mind you this is not exactly altruistic on my part since each time I can come up with an effective multiple use for a new punch it totally justifies it's cost in my mind,bad Maddie!

There are multiple punch manufactures and styles of punches to be found and all have their advantages and disadvantages. In general staying away from the cheaper punches will save you a lot of heartache over the long run. But like most things this rule is meant to be broken on occasion. For a punch that I just "have" to have but has limited potential or is going to only be used for a special event I will often opt for a cheaper punch. This deal with the devil has worked on many occasions but more than once it has cost me not only money but time due to a failed project so it's you choice. I won't flog you with wet craft thread if you buy the cheap stuff but if you don't get clean cuts don't come looking in my direction for a shoulder to cry on since I might be in the other corner cursing my cheap impulse purchase and will be too busy to comfort you.

Let's just assume you took the high road and bought a quality punch, good for you! But now that you have shelled out the cash you will want to keep that nifty toy in good shape. Cutting a sheet of common kitchen wax paper every few punches will go a long way towards keeping the punch lubricated. Punching a couple of tin foil images with help keep the blades sharp. If things get more serious and your punch gets jammed try a little time-out in the freezer. One to two hours in the freezer will help the punch release since the metal will contract when it gets cold. If your problem is a small burr on the cutting surface go to your friendly hardware store and ask them for their finest size of crocus cloth. When they look at you like you have sprouted a second head just ask them where the sandpaper is then look for a very fine type of sandpaper used by mechanics or machinists for smoothing metal surfaces. Use this paper to sand away the burr and to keep the edges sharp. Avoid dropping your punches and try to store them in a dry area when possible.

If you are new to punches and ready to go shopping the selection will make you dizzy. Take my advice and start with the most basic of shapes in large sizes if you are wanting to use them in your homeschool. Yes, I know that the Scooby-doo punch it too cute for words but past the study of Great Danes or perhaps the history of cartoon television you are not going to get as much bang for your buck as you will with circles, squares, tag shapes and ovals. If you want to go a little wild look for a large simple leaf shape or a scalloped medallion to jazzed things up.

In future installments to this series we are going to be using a 3 inch circle punch for multiple projects.If there is only room for one punch on your shopping list that is the one to get. The going price seems to be $20 but it can be found for as little as $13 on some crafting websites. I purchased mine at Michael's Craft store with their weekly 40% off coupon. So got mine for the rockin nice price of $11. If I see any sales in the next few days I promise to post up information!