Paper Trimmers

• Paper trimmers are most efficient in cutting clean and straight lines. They are most commonly used in making cards and scrapbooks. There are two different styles of paper trimmers, one with a handle that pulls down like a guillotine to cut the paper and others in which you slide a blade along the paper to cut it.
  
  Change the blade on a paper trimmer frequently to ensure a clean, straight cut. The blades can be found in major craft stores and are relatively inexpensive so that you can change them frequently. Paper trimmers are useful for your major craft projects because you can cut a lot of paper quickly.
  
  

Decorative Scissors

• Decorative scissors give the edges of your paper a little variety. They come in dozens of different styles and are inexpensive. Styles include scalloped edges, jagged edges and even torn edges.
  
  Cutting a design freehand with regular scissors is tedious and difficult at best, and this is where decorative scissors can give you that creative edge. Draw a straight line before cutting with decorative scissors to keep your edge straight
  
  

Paper Punches

• Paper punches allow you to quickly and efficiently cut designs. They come in thousands of designs, from simple geometric shapes, such as squares and circles to a myriad of more complex shapes. Some punches operate as you apply pressure by pushing on them, while others operate by a squeezing action.. Squeeze punches are more expensive but are easier on the hand if you are doing large amounts of punching.
  
  Paper punches can be found at major craft retailers in all shapes and sizes, but you can find an even bigger variety online.
  
  

Automatic Die Cutting Systems

• If you would like to do a large amount of cutting paper, choose an automatic die cutting system such as Sizzix, Cricut or Slice. These machines will cut out shapes with a turn of a handle or a push of a button. While these machines do the work for you and offer a wide variety of designs, they are a lot more costly than simple scissors or punches.
  
  The dies or cartridges for any one of these machines might not be compatible with other machines, so consider the availability of dies you are interested in when selecting a die cutting machine. They do the job a lot better and faster than a human can, and if you plan to do a lot of paper cutting, these may be an option for you.