We’re constantly learning something new here at Crafts Beautiful and over the years we’ve picked up more than a few useful tips and tricks from our favourite experts and designers. Here you’ll find all the best advice from our friends at WOW! Embossing, Great Art, Paper Panda, Kirsten Burke and more. If you’re a dab hand in the craft room, you’ll be wishing you thought of these time savers and if you’re new to making, you’ve found the best place to start!

1 Keep your brushes in shape

Working behind the scenes at Great Art, Louise Chutter knows a thing or two about getting creative. Her top trick? Keep your brushes in good nick! “A brush that’s been bent out of shape will make creating anything beautiful much harder! Clean them well with water and reshape the tips while they’re wet to maintain the shape. If you can, always hang them upside down.”

2 Turn as you cut

Paper Panda designer Louise Firchau is full of tips for creating intricate papercuts with ease. She shares that it’s important to, “Resist the urge to remove excess paper whilst cutting, as leaving it until the end will add extra stability to the paper when you’re working. Also, when cutting circles, turn the paper as you cut!”

3 Less is more

Although you might want to load the colour on when you’re stencilling, expert and author Nicolette Tabram says that’s the opposite of what you should do! “First, remove as much as possible from the brush onto the side of the pot. Too much can lead to smudging as the paint is likely to bleed underneath the stencil. Always coat the back with a spray adhesive too as this will stop any colour seeping underneath. Less really is more!”

4 Put pennies to good use

Our resident designer Corinne Bradd has heaps of experience and even more nifty tricks up her sleeves. “I love to reinvent new uses for everyday products. For example, if you want to create a scalloped effect, simply draw over the top of a line of pennies – it couldn’t be simpler!” We can’t believe we hadn’t thought of this before!

5 Embossing? Then hands off!

As a designer with WOW! Embossing, Marion Emberson works with that trickiest of craft supplies every day. She explains, “Embossing powder will stick to absolutely anything moist! If you don’t want it sticking to anything but your ink, keep your hands off. Only handle your card from the edges as the oils from your fingers can transfer to the card and pick up pieces of powder all too easily.”

6 Draw, don’t write

We’ve been swooning over Kirsten Burke’s gorgeous calligraphy for a long time now so who better to ask for the tricks of the trade? Kirsten shares, “Think of calligraphy as drawing rather than writing. Go slowly and deliberately and really think about the shapes you’re making rather than the letters – it will become so much easier!”