- Creative Park Tips and Tricks
-
Canon Group
Close
Close
CREATIVE PARK is a free content service available to parents offering access to an array of printable crafts, including scrapbooking templates, greeting cards, calendars and more.
Explore templates | Download CreativePark Mobile Apps
Read through the instructions before starting and determine what steps you'll be required to take for your craft project.
Do you need to glue? Cut? Or maybe it requires some string... It's always handy to have everything ready to go before you get started.
Use high quality or recommended paper and always print on best if you can to get optimum results.
TIP: Metal rulers are a godsend, they're great guide cutting without slicing chunks out of your plastic rulers.
Dotted lines indicate where your paper will need to be folded.
This can be tricky when it comes to smaller pieces or thicker paper therefore it's recommended to score your fold lines before getting started.
Scoring is the process of making a crease in paper so it will fold easier, you can do this by gently running a craft knife along the fold lines.
This shouldn't cut your paper all the way through, but rather making a faint line on the paper.
Score lines will definitely help you fold your pieces, especially when they're quite dainty.
However, thicker paper can be a bit trickier to manage than standard paper. Try and fold your smaller pieces when they're still attached to the rest of the paper before cutting it to size so that it's easier to bend and mould.
TIP: Make sure all your pieces are folded before applying any glue! It can get messy once your pieces are sticky, so make sure you're all ready before gluing pieces together
If you can see multiple lines going in the same direction, try and make those cuts continuously rather than cutting out individual shapes one at a time.
This will save you time as your scissors will be pointing in the same direction making it easier to manoeuvre.
Once you've cut everything parallel in one direction, go ahead and cut everything in the other direction.
This will enhance your speed and make your workflow a lot smoother.
When required to cut out 'V' shapes or sharper corners, try to make two snips and cut into the 'V' so the finish will be nice and clean.
When trying to cut a 'V' in one manoeuvre, twisting the paper can cause it to bend, crease or rip.
We recommend trying not to bend paper if possible for the best results.
Open your scissors as wide as possible and make long, straight cuts to get clean, smooth lines!
Your end result should come together seamlessly with some patience, practice and preparation!
If you're using narrow cuts and constantly snipping with the tip of the scissors; the snip of the scissors can cause little rips in the paper making edges very rough and uneven.
Try and fit all the pieces together and be confident you know which sides to apply glue to before putting it together.
Your end result should come together seamlessly with some patience, practice and preparation!
TIP: Ensure your edges and corners are well glued so they don’t start to peel apart. If you need to cut a piece that has just been glued together, let it rest for a couple of minutes first so the glue can really bond together.
We'd love to see what you create, share your creations with us by tagging canon.nz or using #canonnz
Wedding photographer/multitasking mum Danelle Kendrick introduces her children to a world of ideas on Creative Park. Unleash creativity in your home with the Pixma TS9560!
Print professional-looking photographs in your own home with this guide from photographers Kirk Richards and Julian Lallo.
Stylist Jason Grant gives you some inspiration for your baby's room.