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All of us have these.  Admit it.

We have these little gadgets that we really don’t need, but we’d be lost without.

I’ve listed my top three guilty pleasures below.

What’s your MUST-HAVE craft gadget?  Come leave in the comments!  And if you find yourself leaving three or four comments because you’re a craft gadget junkie, you’re not alone!  The first step is to admit you have a problem!

1.  “WAVE” Rotary Cutter Blade

(Disclaimer: I use this “wave” blade on a regular basis, but not at all for what I was originally bamboozled into buying it for!)

Photo taken from OLFA

Enter a young twenty-something.  She looks around the quilt shop wide-eyed, excited to begin her first quilting adventure.  She believes she is there to buy a few must-have tools to jump into this craft on the right foot, while the cashier spots a naive, fledgling quilter, easily convinced to spend way more money than is close to necessary.

I was told that by cutting the sides of my fabric with this “wave” blade, I could put them through the washer and dryer on a regular cycle, and they would not fray…at all.  I can’t believe I fell for that.

So, now I use this blade to cut decorative edges on paper for cards and scrapbooking.  Its shiny steel waves never touch fabric.

2.  That Purple Thang (Yes, that is this gadget’s technical name.)

Photo taken from Google

This is a very useful tool! (And I’m not just saying that because I’m a gadget junky!)  According to Little Foot, the makers of That Purple Thang, “It pushes, pokes, pulls, p-fudges, p-turns, p-stuffs!  It makes its own uses!  Every quilter/crafter/seamstress needs one!”  And I believe it!  However, there are probably five other things in my craft room and around my house that could do the same thing…like the tip of a pair of scissors, or a mechanical pencil, or even a kabob skewer from my kitchen!

However, if you don’t have That Purple Thang, which is only a few dollars (it probably costs more to ship than to actually buy), you can’t say things like, “Work That Purple Thang!”   And when a friend calls to ask what you’re doing for the afternoon, you can’t reply with “Girl, I’m just getting crafty with my Purple Thang!”

3.  Paper Covered Brad System (This is NOT the technical name for this gadget, but I couldn’t think of a better way to sum it up!)

Photo taken from Imaginisce (Note: This is just one piece of the brad making system.)

I am hooked on this, seriously.  You’ve seen me use it a lot lately.  I used it to embellish my cupcake toppers in my latest Patch piece.  I use it for the centers of flower hair clips in my Etsy shop.  As soon as I start a new project, I think, “Hmmmm, how could I use my new paper covered brad punch thingy.”  It seriously is that fun!  I’m telling you, this is dangerous.  Does one really need paper covered bards adorning all of their projects?  No.  But they sure do look adorable!!!

~Nikki

Find more from Nikki on her blog Nikki, In Stitches and read her article on Organizing Your Craft Space.