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ARE YOU WONDERING WHICH PAPER TO USE FOR MAKING MANDALA’S?

Before you rush out to scoop up all the paper that is on sale…

Please note that “All paper is not created equal”.

Are you looking to purchase paper for making mandala’s?  Let me save you some time and some money. If you are a supply junky like me, this is super important. When I first started, I collect all the paper I could. If it was on sale I bought it. I mean when you find paper for $1.50 for 50 sheets, you stock up! That is what I did anyway. Only to find that once I went to use the paper, it was all wrong. I ended up spending a good amount of money (saving) on paper that I couldn’t use. Bad for me, good for the after school program I donated all the paper too. 

Therefore, I am going to share what I learned with you along the way. This will surely help you when you are trying to pick out paper. In addition it will save you a little money and a whole lot of frustration. 

The first thing you want to know is that paper comes in solid core and white core.  For most projects you will want a solid core cardstock.  Meaning, you want  cardstock that is colored solid throughout and does not have white in the middle. That way when  your project is seen from the side, you won’t be looking at a white edge.

Next time you are at the store, grab a few packs of paper. Then, turn them sideways and look at the edges. This will tell you right away if the paper has a solid core or not.  Solid core paper will be bright colored and solid. White core as I am sure you can guess, will be white in the middle. When you tear or rip the paper you will see white in the middle.  I can still remember when I did this for the first time. It was like, oh yah, totally makes sense now.

The Second thing you will want to look at is the weight of the cardstock. To make things simpler for now, I recommend the Recollections brand at Michaels. It comes in 65lb. You can’t go wrong with the 50 count paper packs. They are all solid core cardstock and coordinate well with each other. 

Cricut paper is also a great choice. I love the colors they have to select from. I stock up when they have big sales. Something else to think about, buy the paper that is 12 x 24 . Cut in half  and now you have 12x 12’s. Or better yet, if you have the space, keep them 12 x 24. You may find you want larger pieces for different products down the road.

I hope these couple easy tips help you when it comes to choosing the right paper for your project.

QUICK RECAP – FOR WHEN YOUR LOOKING FOR PAPER
1. SOLID CORE PAPER – This is of the utmost importance. You do not want to see white in the middle. Looks at the side of the paper to help determine if it is solid.
2. Recollections 65lb Cardstock – Michaels Craft Store always has this paper in stock. This is my go to paper.
3. Watch for Cricut sales if you want 12 x 24 sheets.

This may not seem like a lot of choices. There are more paper brands out there, but I just wanted to provide you with the bare minimum. I don’t want you stressing out finding paper. Start here and I assure you your mandala will cut out great with the Recollections Brand and Cricut Brand paper. Now, let’s get cutting. Here’s to…..

Joyfully Creating,
Shelly