Teri Anderson
It’s time to get punchy.
Specifically, border punchy.
I am playing today with decorative border punches.
Chances are that if you don’t have any, one of your crafty buddies does.
Decorative punches are pretty much staples in most paper crafters’ tool arsenals.
They are readily available with many manufacturers offering them for sale. For instance, Stampin’ Up!, Fiskars, Martha Stewart Crafts and EK Success all offer their own kind of decorative border punches.
They are a great way to add a fancy edge to card. They are also great for a making a fun border for a project.
Here’s how most decorative punches work:
- Start with a strip of paper. Place it in your punch. Punch once.
- Slide the strip down the punch, placing it on top of the guide mark. Many of today’s decorative border punches have guide marks printed on them, showing you exactly where to set your paper when you punch. Punch again.
- Slide the paper again. Place it again over the guide mark. Punch yet again. Repeat this step until your border is long enough for your project.
I used a decorative border punch just this way to punch the strips on my Rainbow Hey Card:
I also used another decorative border punch on my Polka Dot Hello Card:
This time, I punched the scalloped border on one side of a cardstock strip.
I flipped the strip and punched the scallop again and again on the other side of the strip. The end result was sort of a wavy, scallop inspired line.
Here, I made a frame with a decorative border punch. I also used a decorative corner punch made specifically to accompany it.
I started by cutting a 3 ¼” square and a 5″ square.
I punched the corners of each square with the decorative corner punch. If you end up with little hairs of paper hanging off the edges like I did, don’t sweat it. Just trim them.
I then placed my squares in the decorative border punch and punched the sides where I hadn’t punched before. For the larger square, I punched twice. For the smaller square, I punched once.
If you are using this kind of decorative border and corner punch combo, I recommend checking out the manufacturer’s web site to see if they have any suggestions for what size of paper you should start with. The punch set I used came with an instruction sheet that told me exactly how big to cut my squares and how many times I would need to punch after punching my corners.
So that’s it for decorative border punches.
How do you use decorative border punches? I’d love to hear from you.
Tune into tomorrow to learn about some tools that work great for chipboard.
Teri Anderson,
Paper Crafts Go-to-Gal
P.S. Check out my blog today for another project using decorative border punches.
Oh I live for punches and the best part is finding other things to create w/them then just borders I use mine for masking or I’ll punch and change them up a bit w/scissors they so much fun to work with!
I have a love affair for border punches, especially EK Success ones. They are so easy to use and add that perfect “something” to any card or page.
I **love** border punches! I have to get me some of these edge punches to create such a pretty frame like you did on the last project.. love this!!!!
Sylvia
Another awesome post! LOVE the idea of stacking strips, and alternating the direction. Clever girl!
I use them for punching borders. I like the MS doily lace border punch, when you punch a piece of paper on both sides you get such a lovely piece of paper lace.
Eveline.
OMGosh! I just love all your fun and creative cards with all the border punches. This is so inspiring and just love your creative MOJO!
Beautiful projects! I LOVE border punches!
I’m so excited that you shared ideas on how to use border punches – I have several but don’t use them often because I’m not sure what to do with them!
Ooohhhh! I LOVE border punches and do not have any of the ones that you used in this post. Looks like I’ll be adding some to my list.
I use them on cards very frequently.
Punches have come a long way from the ones that first came out years ago..and I love them! Thanks for some cute ideas and great cards.
I have a new found love for border punches…love the card ideas, especially the first one…have that punch and am definitely gonna try to duplicate it.
I love what you’ve done with these punches! I have to get the last one you used
Love these cards! Thanks for the ideas on using my ever-expanding collection of border punches!
So clean, so bold, so beautiful. Love how creative you are.
Hugs
Tanya
thanks a lot for the tips
I love what you did with the border punches. I played around with some this week too, but haven’t mastered the technique yet. Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Teri! I love this! I tried one a while back with the ‘bubbles’ punch, and loved it too! Your cards are always so bright and colorful – I get happy with bright and colorful! I have used every one of your sketches in the last “Go to Sketches” book, and even taught a workshop with one. I love your work – do you have your own blog I could follow? Hugs!!!
I just bought a MS Punch Around the Page set and I love it!! I just started playing around with it, and so far have made a couple of frames for pictures on scrapbook pages, and a couple of bookmarks. I think I’ll be getting some more of those!!
Thank you for the new ideas for punches! I hadn’t thought of some of your ideas. Beautiful cards!
I’m so glad I found this blog. Your cards are amazing. I love bright colors and loved these suggestions. I bought my first border punch on Monday. Now I have your inspiration to show me how to use it. Thanks so much.
Oh, Teri, what a job you have!!!
I love boarder punches
sometimes i cover part of the punched part to give the edging a different look.
so, instead of showing all the punch plus a bit of the unpunched cardstock, i slide it under my picture (or whatever) so just the points of the punched area show.
Love your articles, love your cards, and look forward to tomorrows article!
Oh, I love the frame made from the border punch! I’m definintely going to lift that idea! I love to make cutaway cards with a punched border. Sweet!
wow! this idea is inspired! love it!!!
Oooh, I am a border punch Fiend!! Great ideas!
I am a big fan of border punches! Thanks for the great ideas on how to use them even more! I love your rainbow card and the lacy frame is sooo….lacy!
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Thanks for sharing!
So many cool ways to use punch. Teri you open My eyes.
I’m a paper punch ‘collector’ I can’t stop buying them
. I love to use them on the bottom, tops or side opening of my cards and also as an accent on matted stamp images. Sometimes I will cut both sides of the cardstock and use these pieces instead of ribbons (like your “Hello” card).
Fun cards, Teri. Thanks for the tips on using this fabulous crafting tool.
I have been slowly acquiring border punches – I now have five. I see a few more here that I NEED! That last Martha Stewart punch with coordinating corner punch that Teri used is a must have.
great blog post! I love your cards. I use border punches on just about everything I make – love them!
I {{heart}} border punches!! What in the world did we do without them?! LOL
Progress …. it’s a great thing!
I love border punches, and just keep on buying them. I really like how you used the punch on your “hey” card.
Such great ideas Teri!
I’m like everyone else here and love border punches!! Martha Stewart has a video channel on YouTube (of course) and there is a video out there on paper sizes for some of her border punches. Her channel is a major bonus for ideas and also getting to know how to work some of her craft tools. Plus, on YouTube, there are tons of videos on various border punches and different ideas on how to use them. People just amaze me with how creative they can get with these punches.
Thanks for sharing your projects–they are all wonderful!
I love me some punches…I have waaaay too many but they are just so fun to collect!
i only have two border punches. none of my punches have been used in awhile. guess i should get them out and use them again. your cards are beautiful. i thank you for getting me to rethink the tools i have already.
Teri, I’ve really enjoyed your Tooling Around posts! There is so much eye candy to see. Woman, you are awesome!
punches are definitely one of my addictions – and yes, using those corner-border punches can be tricky – most often I use these decorative punches instead of ribbon on my cards that will be sent thru the USPS. great post – fab ideas as always! thanks.
I have a couple punch around sets and have been intimidated by them….thanks for the tutorial and making it look “easy” (stressing the word LOOK). LOL!!
Even though I have several border punches…. I do not use them as often as my other punches. Your post is very inspirational, I just might use some borders on my dad’s b-day card!
These are really neat. Love to learn more!
You always have the most inventive ideas on your blog on how to use all these neat tools that are just getting dusty from not being used as much as they should! Thanks for sharing!
Great ideas. I have several border punches… I never thought of using that way!
Now that pennants as so popular, I cut one (or more) of the triangle sides with a border punch. I made a pennent for a baby shower, baby’s name and all, and Mom said she wanted to use it in baby’s room!