Arts and Crafts Supplies Key Terms

Show your creative side with arts and crafts supplies key terms

By Andrea Townsley

Sometimes, hobbies turn into full-time money-making opportunities. If you're lucky, you can enjoy a new hobby and make money off of it at the same time. By exploring the possibilities in arts and crafts, you stand a better chance of finding something you can excel at. Some types of activities don't take long to master, so you could be making money in no time at all. Save yourself some time and learn these arts and crafts supplies key terms before you begin.

Archival quality

This usually refers to paper but can refer to other items like ink or stickers. A product is given this designation when it will stand up to the test of time. The two most common categories in which to find archival quality products are scrapbooking and fine art (drawing, painting, etc.).
Try: Rex Art Supplies provides a glossary of art terms for you to browse through.

Découpage

This term refers to a process of gluing paper to an item in layers to form a collage. Most types of paper can be used, from tissue paper to construction paper. Découpage glue or paste is made especially for this type of project as it dries clear and provides a seal. The term can also be used as a verb ("I'm going to découpage this picture frame").
Try: Learn more about this technique at Home & Garden Television.

Color wheel

Ranging from basic to complex, color wheels aid artists and crafters in choosing colors for their projects. Colors are arranged on the wheel in the proper order, and certain color combinations on it universally appeal to the eye.
Try: Find out more about the color wheel and color combinations at Color Matters.

Mixed media

A medium is the type of material used in a piece of art. With mixed media, however, the artist uses more than just one medium to convey his message within the same piece. It usually refers to using some type of paint along with other media on the same canvas. Mixed media works usually have more of a three-dimensional appearance than typical paintings.
Try: Check out some examples of mixed media supplies at Artplace.

Embellishments

An embellishment is often used in scrapbooking and cardmaking to dress up a page or card. It can be anything ranging from ribbon to eyelets and buttons to beads. Embellishments also give an element of depth.
Try: Get the skinny on embellishments and find out what the latest trends are at Scrapbook.com.

Die cut

A die cut (or die-cut) machine is used to cut pieces of paper into shapes using a form, called a die. There are thousands of dies available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. These supplies are most often used for scrapbooking but can be used in any project requiring a shape cut out of paper or another thin material. Some machines are manual while others are electronic.
Try: Browse through the different types of die cutting machines at ScrapbookScrapbook.com.