Types Of Gift Packaging Tools

By Author: Shweta Agarwal
Total Articles: 4
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In a world full of choices life’s not always very easy especially when someone has to pack or decorate a gift. A few years back it was hard because not much raw material and/or tools were available in India, now it has become difficult because there is too much to choose from.
A lot of new tools have come up in the market making the life of a crafter and a gift packer very easy. Here is a list of all the tools that one needs for crafting and/or gift packaging.

HOT GLUE GUNS & GLUE STICKS

There was a time when people had to use Fevicol, Araldite, Fevi Quick as adhesives but with the introduction of hot glue guns packing became easy. Hot glue guns are small machines that use cylindrical tubes of hot glue as adhesive. Put the glue stick in the gun, plug it in to an electricity socket, let it heat and paste away!!!

Glue guns come in various sizes and with different components.

A. Regular Glue Guns: The most popular glue guns that are available in the local Indian markets are the regular glue guns. These guns are just basic glue guns with no added or extra features. They come in 2 sizes.

B. ...
... Glue guns with ON-OFF Buttons: A more efficient type of glue gun is the one which has an on-off button. If you leave a glue gun on the glue stick will keep on melting and will eventually finish, but if you’re using a glue gun with an on-off button, one can switch off the button and gun will not heat after that. They are more expensive than the basic glue guns, not very easily available and can be found in 2 sizes.

C. Temperature Control Glue Guns:One of the more expensive styles is the temperature control glue guns. These glue guns come with a small dial with which you can set temperatures according to the materials you are trying to paste. For example: thermocol is very susceptible to heat and can burn if something very hot is used on it, so lower temperature setting is advisable. This type of a glue gun is more appropriate not just for professionals but for hobbyists and amateurs. One should always keep in mind that a professional has been using a glue gun for a long period and has a set hand whereas a non-professional has to be more careful as they are not experienced in using a glue gun.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL GIFT PACKING ENTHUSIASTS:

1. When glue guns are hot do not touch the metal nozzle in front as it is very hot and can burn your hand or the skin of whichever body part it touches. In case hot glue sticks to your hand give it a second to cool and then clean it off.
2. If extra glue spreads on the surface you’re using it on, wait for the glue to dry before removing it.
3. Glue will leave a stain on paper & fabric, so apply with care.
4. Hot glue guns will not work with glass or acrylic.
5. Do not squeeze the trigger of the gun till you’re actually using it or you’ll damage the spring of the gun.
6. Glue sticks are not sold as a pack with glue guns, they have to be bought separately.
7. DAMAGED guns CANNOT be repaired.
8. Glue guns come with NO GUARANTEE or WARRENTY.

ADHESIVES

With the easy availability of glue guns, use of various adhesives has gone down. However in many places various adhesives like Fevi Quick, Araldite and Craft Glue come in use.
Glue guns do not work very well on glass or acrylic and are not very easy to use while crafting. Araldite and Fevi Quick work best on mediums like glass and araldite and craft glue is best for most of the crafts.

TAPES

Tapes are available in many types and varieties. There are pre-dominantly 3 types of tapes that one can use for crafting and gift packaging.
Cello tape: Regular transparent cello tape is one of the easiest to find. This type of tape can be commonly found in all stationery stores in many different thicknesses. The most used in gift packaging is 0.5 inches thick tape, however tapes of 1, 1.5. 2 and 3 inches are also used while packing. The thickness will depend on the kind of work being done.

DST – Double Sided Tape:Double sided tape as the name suggests is a tape that has adhesive on both the sides and can be stuck on 2 surfaces simultaneously. It is also known as DST.

DST comes in many types but there are 2 types that we use while gift packaging and crafting.

White Double Sided Tape –Is also known as White DST, is a transparent double sided tape which is thinner than the normal cello tape and very hard to detect when used. It is also more durable than the Yellow DST and can be torn by hands.

Yellow Double Sided Tape–Also known as Yellow DST is a thick white tape which comes in covered in a yellow paper. It is much thicker than the White DST but can still be torn by hands. In fact it is better to tear it with hands rather than with a scissors as this tape sticks to scissors or any other cutter very easily and takes a lot of time to clean.

Floral Tapes: They are soft paper tapes available mostly in green and brown colours in the general market. In some speciality shops one can also get them in many different colours like red, pink, yellow, orange, blue, black etc. They are used not only to cover stems while making flowers, they can also be used very innovatively to create borders, or cover entire base.

Washi Tapes: Popularly known as Japanese Tapes, they come in many designs and colours. One can create many different styles and looks with tapes like these.

SCISSORS & CUTTERS

Cutting plays a big part in both crafting and gift packaging. There are various mediums that can be used to cut different materials.
Regular Scissors: Regular scissors in medium and large size are always useful. Make sure that they are well kept and cleaned & that they are not blunt.

ZigZag Scissors: This type of scissors is generally available only in the large size and can be used to cut paper, ribbon and even some types of a fabric in a zigzag design which looks like something like this.

Special Design Scissors: There are many designs available in special design scissors. These give cuttings a special & innovative touch. Some of the different designs available are:

Paper Cutter: They are available in every stationery store and can be bought in many sizes. Medium sized paper cutters are hardier than small ones and their blades don’t break very easily. They are very good for cutting thermocol or paper.

Wire Cutter: Wire is used quite commonly in many different types of crafts and flower making techniques. Wire cutters are very useful in cutting floral or other soft wires and even wire mesh.

Pliers: These are used for cutting or shaping heavy gauge wires.

Other Equipment Used

Needle & Thread
Stapler & Pins
Single Hole Punch Machine
Double Hole Punch Machine
Inch Tape
Scale / Ruler
Crimping Machine