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A bone folder is a simple hand tool that is used in paper crafts, card making, book binding, and scrapbooking.
What is a Bone Folder?
A bone folder is a smooth, flat tool that is used in paper crafts to crease, fold, smooth, and score paper or card.
What is a Bone Folder Used For?
A bone folder can be used for any of the following:
- Folding card blanks
- Making sharp creases
- Scoring paper
- Card making
- Envelopes
- Bookbinding
- Scrapbooking
What Is It Useful in Cardmaking?
A bone folder is a great way to make folds look neater and more professional than folding by hand. It stops folded paper or card looking roughly folded.
Do Beginners Need a Bone Folder?
A bone folder is not essential but beginner card makers, but they are very useful for others who make cards regularly. These tools are an affordable alternative to folding your card creations by hand.
Bone Folder vs Scoring Tool
Whilst bone folders and scoring tools are both used to make neater folds, they are slightly different. A scoring tool is used to make a crease line, so that the paper can then fold more easily.
On the other hand, a bone folder is used after the scoring tool to press down the fold and to make it more crisp. You likely don’t need both as a beginner; a bone folder is capable of both light scoring and then pressing down the fold. You may, however, need a separate scoring tool if you are working with very thick card stock.
Beginner Mistakes
Mistakes beginners sometimes make include:
- Pressing too hard and marking the paper
- Folding without measuring the paper
- Using it too roughly on delicate paper
Final Thoughts
A bone folder is a small but very useful tool that is used to help fold paper. Whilst it is not an essential purchase, it can be a great way to ensure that you get a clean fold for papercrafts such as card making.