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20 ways to improve your crafting tools
Crafters love to make... and we know how much makers love their tools! Whether you're cutting, carving, gluing, sharpening, sketching, painting, knitting or crocheting, you'll find something here for you. Here are 20 clever ways to use Sugru Mouldable Glue to hack, improve, modify, customise and fix your favourite tools.
1. Make scalpels more comfortable to use
Have you ever had a strain in your hand after using a scalpel for a while? Did you know you can use Sugru to customise it to fit your grip, making it softer, more grippy, ergonomic and help eliminate that scalpel strain? Sugru will bond well to the handle and cushion your finger from the hard metal edge.
Maeve Clancey is an artist and a dab hand when it comes to scalpels (we're talking 280+ hours of cutting for some of her beautiful projects!) Maeve creates incredible and elaborate hand-cut paper installations and uses Sugru pads on her scalpels to make things more comfortable.
2. Repair, adapt and improve scissors
There are loads of ways Sugru can help with your scissors. Rescue a favourite pair, adapt one for someone left-handed, make them comfier to use, or maybe add some more grip?
3. Make a protective cover for sharp and delicate tools
Rainer bought a new and expensive pair of scissors, but they had sharp and fragile edges. To prevent the scissors from getting damaged, he created a customised sheath out of Sugru. He's even made a step-by-step guide: How to make a protective cover for sharp scissors, so you can create your own.
4. Make a rest for your paintbrushes
Carol's brushes kept rolling off the table while she was painting, so she made indents in a piece of Sugru for each brush. Now they stay just where she needs them.
5. Organise your paint brushes
Yiheng came up with the clever idea of using paper clips to hang her paint brushes. She used Sugru on the ends to mark the hooks and cover the sharp edges.
6. Prevent water damage to your brushes
Instructables user Rvaya is an artist who uses Sugru's waterproof properties to help save her brushes from water damage.
"The seam between the metal holding the bristles in and the wooden handle is the most vulnerable area of a brush. It is such a small area too that it would drive me crazy to see some of my favourite brushes ending up disintegrating. Besides just trying my hardest not to leave my brushes in my water cups, there wasn't much I could do to ward against this, until now!"
7. Personalise your paint palette
This is Nina's favourite watercolour set from Windsor & Newton.
"...after I got some Sugru I looked at the palette and noticed this wonderful place along the middle of the palette for the brush that came with the set (which I lost in a river!). So I made some Sugru partitions :) That's it - now I have some colours I use rarely, but enjoy having for a special mix or accent."
8. Create your own DIY paint palette
Anton's paint palette was missing, so he used an old plastic plate instead. It ended up being perfect for mixing colours and the paint washed off the plastic easily, so he decided to improve on it. Anton used the handle from a gallon of milk left in the recycling and Sugru-ed it to the back of the plate — so clever!
9. Make a collection pot for pencil sharpenings
Emma made this useful collection pot to keep her desk clean and tidy. She cut a hole in the lid of a jam jar and Sugru-ed her sharpener to the underside of the lid. We also spot people Sugru-ing them on the inside of their bins (smart thinking!).
10. Make a pen or pencil grip
David added this Sugru pencil grip on the side of his sketch pad, so he's always got one handy when inspiration strikes.
11. Make a grip for your ruler
I got a @sugru sample from @cowlingwilcox & this is how I solved my issue of picking up my ruler from my desk! #Fixed pic.twitter.com/RAnRnDAZtG
— Katie Applegarth (@KatieApples13) July 4, 201412. Make a grip for your tablet stylus
Nissa shared this one. "I like to use my tablet to draw, but the stylus is too thin and uncomfortable to use for drawing longer than 20 minutes." So, she created this clever removable Sugru grip, which fits her perfectly.
13. Organise your whiteboard markers
If you're like us here, a lot of ideas begin on a whiteboard! Paraic from the Sugru team attached magnets to the caps of our markers, so they are always handy for meetings. Plus, when we need new ones, we just swap the caps!
14. Improve your knitting basket with a Sugru clip
This is an easy way to improve the function of your knitting basket or container. Mould a Sugru hoop onto the edge of the basket. It will prevent your wool from bouncing away when tugged, and stop it getting in a tangle. You can easily clip your yarn in and out when you want to remove your knitting. Here's a step-by-step guide: How to keep your yarn under control, so you can make your own.
15. Customise your crochet hooks
"I have been doing a lot of crochet work lately, and my hooks started to hurt my third finger (a little blister coming on...), but Sugru came to my rescue! It feels nice and comfy now. :)" — Johanna, Belgium.
16. Make felting needles more comfortable
"I do a lot of needle felting and have used Sugru to cushion the ends of my felting needles to improve grip and comfort. The Sugru makes for a more comfortable and improved grip on the felting needle. It also allows me to 'weld' two needles together for faster felting. Different colours for different gauge/size needles. Perfect! One of my favourite things is to make Aliens!" — Amanda
17. Make a magnetic holder for a saddler's round knife
"I made a tool rack from a repurposed wooden stool and needed a way to safe store a very sharp knife but was still quick and easy to access. The Sugru magnet kit provided the perfect solution. A couple of 22mm countersunk holes were all that was needed to house the magnets on the backside of one of the legs." — Adam
18. Make a DIY safety stand for a hot glue gun
Hot guns are often light-weight and unstable during use. Sugru-er Chinsu attached an old bicycle clip to a heavy ceramic tile with Sugru to create a much safer and solid DIY stand.
19. Improve the handle of a wood-burning pen
Deborah made a Sugru grip for her wood-burning pen. It helps protect her fingers from the heat while in use and make also makes it more comfortable to use.
20. Prevent burning your hand on a hot lamp
It's so easy to burn your hand on a hot lamp. Seeing as loads of makers and crafters always need well-lit spaces to work, we thought this was a useful one to include.
