Top 20 'Creative-Workhorse' Craft Supplies to try for beginners building a powerful, multipurpose toolkit. - Goh Ling Yong
Walking into a craft store for the first time can feel like stepping into a wonderland of infinite possibility—and infinite confusion. Aisles overflow with specialized tools, paints in a thousand shades, and papers of every imaginable texture. It’s exciting, but it’s also overwhelming. Where do you even begin? The temptation is to either buy a cheap, all-in-one kit that disappoints, or to spend a fortune on niche supplies you’ll only use once.
The secret to building a truly functional and inspiring craft collection isn’t about having everything. It’s about investing in a core set of what I call 'Creative Workhorses.' These are the versatile, high-quality, multipurpose supplies that show up in project after project. They are the foundation of your toolkit, the items you’ll reach for time and again, whether you’re making a handmade card, starting an art journal, or customizing a piece of home decor.
This guide is your roadmap to building that powerful, beginner-friendly toolkit. We’re cutting through the clutter to focus on 20 essential supplies that deliver the most creative bang for your buck. These tools will grow with you, allowing you to experiment across dozens of different crafts without needing a new shopping list for every new idea. Let’s get started.
The Ultimate Toolkit: 20 Creative Workhorses
Here are the top 20 supplies that will form the backbone of your creative endeavors.
1. A Precision Craft Knife
While a good pair of scissors is essential, a precision craft knife (like an X-Acto knife) offers a level of control you simply can't get otherwise. It’s your go-to tool for cutting sharp corners, intricate details, stencils, and perfect straight lines. From detailed paper cutting (kirigami) to trimming photos for a scrapbook, this tool is indispensable.
Investing in a quality knife with a comfortable grip is key. But even more important is the blade itself. A dull blade will tear paper and require more pressure, which is not only frustrating but also dangerous. Get into the habit of changing your blades regularly—they are inexpensive, and a fresh, sharp blade makes a world of difference in the quality of your cuts.
Pro-Tip: Always cut away from your body and keep your non-cutting hand well clear of the blade's path. Use multiple light passes for thick materials like cardstock or foam board rather than trying to cut through in one go.
2. A Self-Healing Cutting Mat
A craft knife’s best friend is a self-healing cutting mat. This is non-negotiable if you value your tabletops. These mats are made from a unique composite material that allows the blade to slice into the surface without causing permanent damage. The "cut" essentially closes back up, giving you a smooth surface for years.
Most mats come with a printed grid, which is an incredible bonus. This grid helps you measure and cut perfectly straight lines and angles without having to mark up your project with pencil lines. It acts as a ruler, a protractor, and a surface protector all in one. Choose a size that comfortably fits your workspace; an 18" x 24" mat is a fantastic starting point for most projects.
Pro-Tip: To prolong the life of your mat, store it flat (never rolled!) and away from direct sunlight or heat, which can cause it to warp.
3. Good Quality Scissors (Two Pairs!)
Yes, you need two. One pair should be designated exclusively for paper and other clean materials. This will keep them razor-sharp for crisp, clean edges on your paper crafts. The second pair can be your rugged, all-purpose shears for cutting through tougher stuff like cardboard, fabric, wire, or sticky tape, which can dull and gum up blades.
Look for a pair of small, sharp-tipped scissors for fussy cutting details, and a larger, comfortable pair for general use. Brands like Fiskars or Tim Holtz offer excellent options that are ergonomic and durable. Keeping your paper scissors separate is one of the best habits a crafter can adopt.
Pro-Tip: To clean sticky residue off your all-purpose scissors, carefully wipe the blades with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol or a product like Goo Gone.
4. White PVA or Tacky Glue
Step away from the grade-school glue stick! A high-quality liquid white glue is one of the most versatile adhesives you can own. Tacky glues (like Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue) are a type of PVA glue that is thicker, grabs faster, and dries clear and strong. It’s perfect for paper, cardstock, fabric, wood, and most other porous surfaces.
This is your workhorse for everything from assembling 3D paper models and collages to attaching embellishments and securing knots. The key to using liquid glue effectively is that less is more. A thin, even layer creates a stronger bond than a thick glob that will warp your paper and take forever to dry.
Pro-Tip: For applying glue to tiny, intricate pieces, squeeze a small puddle onto a scrap of paper and use a toothpick or a dedicated fine-tip applicator to place the adhesive exactly where you need it.
5. Mod Podge (Matte Finish)
Mod Podge is a crafting legend for a reason. It’s a glue, sealer, and finish all in one magical bottle. You can use it to adhere paper to wood, glass, or canvas for decoupage projects. You can then paint a layer over the top to seal your work with a durable, protective finish. It’s the ultimate mixed-media workhorse.
While it comes in various finishes like gloss, satin, and even glitter, the matte finish is the most versatile for a beginner. It provides a non-reflective, subtle seal that won’t compete with your artwork. Use it for collages, transferring images, sealing painted rocks, or giving a finished look to custom journal covers.
Pro-Tip: Apply Mod Podge in thin, even coats with a soft-bristled brush to minimize brush strokes. If your project feels tacky after drying, apply a thin coat of clear acrylic sealer over the top to eliminate the stickiness.
6. Waterproof Fineliner Pens
A set of black waterproof, archival fineliner pens (like Sakura Micron or Copic Multiliner) is an absolute game-changer. "Waterproof" means you can draw an outline and then paint over it with watercolor, ink, or markers without the lines smudging or bleeding. "Archival" means the ink is fade-resistant and chemically stable, so your art will last for decades.
These pens are perfect for doodling, journaling, outlining illustrations, and adding fine details to mixed-media work. Start with a small set of different tip sizes, such as a 01 (very fine), a 03 (medium), and a 05 (bolder). This range will cover almost all your initial needs.
Pro-Tip: Let the ink dry completely for a minute or two before applying any wet media over it, just to be absolutely sure it has set.
7. A Small Set of Graphite Pencils
A basic set of drawing pencils is more versatile than the standard #2 pencil you have lying around. Pencils are graded by their hardness (H) and blackness (B). A 9H is very hard with a light line, while a 9B is very soft with a dark, smudgy line.
You don’t need the whole range. A starter set with a 2H (for light initial sketches), a 2B (a great all-around pencil), and a 6B (for deep shadows and shading) will give you a fantastic dynamic range. Use them for sketching out ideas before you paint, for practicing shading techniques, or for creating finished graphite drawings.
Pro-Tip: To avoid smudging your work, place a piece of scrap paper under your hand as you draw.
8. A White Gel Pen
This simple tool feels like a magic wand. A good, opaque white gel pen (like a Uni-ball Signo or Sakura Gelly Roll) is perfect for adding brilliant highlights and bright details on top of other media. Did your watercolor get too dark? Add a sparkle with the white gel pen. Want to add stars to a painted night sky or a glint in an eye? This is your tool.
It works beautifully on dark-colored paper and over dry acrylic paint, markers, and watercolor. It’s the perfect finishing touch and a great way to correct small mistakes or add that final pop to a piece of art.
Pro-Tip: If your pen isn't flowing well, scribble it on a separate piece of paper or the rubbery sole of your shoe to get the ink moving again.
9. Watercolor Pencils
For anyone hesitant to dive straight into painting, watercolor pencils are the perfect gateway. They look and feel like regular colored pencils, but with a magical twist: when you add water with a brush, the pigment dissolves and transforms into beautiful, transparent watercolor paint.
This dual-nature makes them incredibly versatile. You can use them dry for detailed drawing and then selectively activate areas with water for a painterly effect. They offer much more control than traditional watercolor pans, making them ideal for beginners who want to explore painting without the initial mess.
Pro-Tip: You can also lift pigment directly from the tip of the pencil with a wet brush to get a concentrated dose of color to paint with directly.
10. A Basic Set of Acrylic Paints
Acrylic paint is the ultimate workhorse of the paint world. It’s water-based, fast-drying, and can be used on nearly any surface: paper, canvas, wood, fabric, glass, and more. It can be applied thickly like oil paint (impasto) or thinned with water to behave like watercolor.
You don’t need 50 different colors. Start with a basic set of primary colors (a warm and cool version of red, yellow, and blue if you can), plus a large tube of Titanium White and Mars Black. Learning to mix your own colors is a fundamental skill that will serve you well in all your creative pursuits.
Pro-Tip: Because acrylics dry so quickly, squeeze out only a little paint at a time onto your palette. You can use a spray bottle with water to lightly mist your palette to keep the paints workable for longer.
11. A Mixed Media Paper Pad
What kind of paper should you buy? The answer for a beginner is almost always mixed media paper. This paper is specifically designed to be a jack-of-all-trades. It's heavier than drawing paper but smoother than watercolor paper.
It has enough "tooth" (texture) to grab onto dry media like charcoal and pastel, but it's also sized to handle light applications of wet media like ink, gouache, and acrylics without buckling or pilling too badly. A 9" x 12" pad of mixed media paper is a perfect, versatile canvas for all your initial experiments.
Pro-Tip: If you plan on using very wet applications, you can use painter's tape or washi tape to secure the edges of your paper to your work surface. This will help it dry flat.
12. Assorted Cardstock
Cardstock is the sturdy backbone of so many crafts. It’s essentially thick paper that’s more durable and rigid, making it perfect for handmade cards, gift tags, scrapbook layouts, 3D models, and more.
Start with a multi-pack of assorted colors and a separate pack of plain white or cream. The white cardstock is particularly useful as a base for painting or stamping, while the colored sheets are great for layering and die-cutting. Look for a weight of at least 65 lb (176 gsm) for a good, sturdy feel.
Pro-Tip: To get a professional-looking, crisp fold in your cardstock, always score it first. You can use a dedicated scoring tool or the back of your craft knife blade (gently!) against a ruler.
13. A Metal Ruler with a Cork Back
Toss out that flimsy plastic ruler. A sturdy metal ruler is essential for safety and precision, especially when used with a craft knife. The metal edge won't get nicked or shaved away by the blade, ensuring your cuts are always perfectly straight.
Look for one with a cork backing. This small feature is a huge plus, as it prevents the ruler from slipping and sliding on your paper as you cut or draw a line. It provides grip and stability, giving you more confidence and better results.
Pro-Tip: Use the inch and centimeter markings to your advantage for quick, precise measurements. The zero mark is usually right at the end of the ruler, making it easy to measure from an edge.
14. A Bone Folder
This might sound like a weird, archaic tool, but a bone folder is a simple, inexpensive tool that will elevate your paper crafting. Traditionally made from animal bone (but now more commonly from dense plastic), it’s used to score and create sharp, crisp creases in paper and cardstock.
Folding a thick piece of cardstock by hand often results in a soft, slightly cracked fold. Using a bone folder to press down and crease the fold line gives you a sharp, professional finish every time. It's also great for burnishing (rubbing) down glued surfaces to ensure a strong, bubble-free bond.
Pro-Tip: Run the bone folder along your fold line once on the inside and once on the outside to really sharpen the crease.
15. Gesso (White)
Think of gesso as the ultimate creative primer. It’s a thin, paint-like substance that you apply to a surface before you start working. It does two crucial things: it creates a uniform, slightly absorbent surface for paint to stick to (this is called "tooth"), and it acts as a barrier to prevent paint from soaking into porous surfaces like raw wood or canvas.
You can use it to prime a page in your journal, prepare a piece of wood for painting, or even cover up a failed painting to start over again. A small jar of white acrylic gesso is incredibly versatile. As Goh Ling Yong often says, preparing your surface properly is half the battle won.
Pro-Tip: You can tint your white gesso with a small amount of acrylic paint to create a colored ground to work on, which can unify your finished piece.
16. A Small, Varied Set of Paintbrushes
You don't need a massive cup full of brushes to start. A small variety pack of synthetic brushes is perfect for acrylics and other water-based media. Synthetic bristles are durable, easy to clean, and more affordable than natural hair brushes.
Make sure your set includes at least three basic shapes: a flat brush (for broad strokes and sharp edges), a round brush (for lines and details), and a smaller detail brush (for tiny, precise work). This small arsenal will cover a vast range of painting needs.
Pro-Tip: The most important rule of brush care: never let paint dry on the bristles! Rinse them thoroughly with water immediately after use, gently reshape the bristles with your fingers, and let them dry horizontally or hanging bristles-down.
17. Washi Tape
Washi tape is a decorative paper tape from Japan that is a joy to work with. It's like masking tape's beautiful, creative cousin. It’s semi-transparent, comes in endless patterns and colors, and is low-tack, meaning you can easily stick it down, reposition it, and remove it without damaging most surfaces.
Use it to decorate journal pages, seal envelopes, create clean borders on a painting, or add a pop of color to a handmade card. It’s a fast and fun way to add pattern and personality to almost any project.
Pro-Tip: Because it's slightly transparent, you can create cool layering effects by overlapping different washi tape patterns.
18. Water-Soluble Crayons/Pastels
These are a step up from watercolor pencils and are pure, vibrant fun. Water-soluble crayons or pastels (like Caran d'Ache Neocolor II) are sticks of soft, highly-pigmented color. You can draw with them like a creamy, intense crayon or oil pastel.
But just like with watercolor pencils, the magic happens when you add water. A wet brush will instantly dissolve the pigment into a rich, opaque, paint-like medium. They are perfect for creating expressive, colorful backgrounds in an art journal or adding bold marks to a mixed-media piece.
Pro-Tip: Try scribbling some of the crayon onto a palette or scrap of plastic, then use a wet brush to pick up the color and paint with it, just like you would with pan watercolors.
19. Modeling or Texture Paste
Ready to add some real dimension to your work? Modeling paste (or texture paste) is a thick, white acrylic medium that you can spread on a surface to create 3D texture. It’s like frosting for your art projects!
You can apply it smoothly with a palette knife or create rough peaks and valleys. Let it dry, and it becomes a hard, permanent, paintable surface. You can mix it with acrylic paint to create thick, colored paste, or paint over the top of it once it’s dry. It’s a fantastic way to add tactile interest to canvases, journal pages, and decorative objects.
Pro-Tip: Press objects like stamps, stencils, or even bubble wrap into the wet paste to create interesting embossed patterns.
20. A Palette Knife
While often associated with oil painting, a simple palette knife is an incredibly useful tool for any creator. It's not just for mixing paint on a palette. You can use it to apply gesso, modeling paste, and thick acrylic paint directly onto your surface, creating amazing textures that you can't achieve with a brush.
It's also the perfect tool for scraping paint off a surface to create distressed effects or for gently lifting and removing misplaced collage elements before the glue fully dries. It's part paintbrush, part spatula, and part scraper—a true multipurpose tool.
Pro-Tip: Choose a metal palette knife with a bit of flex in it over a rigid plastic one. The springiness of the metal gives you much better control.
Your Creative Journey Starts Here
Building your creative toolkit is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't feel pressured to buy all 20 of these items at once. Start with a few that excite you the most—perhaps a mixed media pad, a set of watercolor pencils, and some fineliner pens. The goal is to collect tools that open up possibilities, not ones that lock you into a single craft.
These 20 creative workhorses are designed to be a versatile and reliable foundation. They empower you to experiment, to combine different techniques, and to discover what you truly love to make. The most important supply, after all, isn't on this list—it's your curiosity. So grab a tool, a piece of paper, and start creating.
What is the number one 'workhorse' supply you can't live without in your craft room? Share your favorite in the comments below!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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