My favorite crafting tool.

  

  
I do not consider myself an avid crafter, but I do love to create handmade gifts, labels, tags, and cards.  A couple of years ago, I was on a mission to find an adhesive strong enough to apply strips of ribbon to several Christmas Cards.  I wanted the cards to look like a Christmas present (with the card being the "wrapping paper," decorated by my kids).  I needed the ribbon to lay flat, so that I could attach a little gift tag right in the cross section.  Nothing worked- glue or tape.  The glue seeped through...didn't hold the ribbon flat, or in place...was a sticky mess.  The tape...too wide or thick...didn't even stick to the ribbon.  While discussing this with an employee at Michaels, she recommended the Xyron Creative Station.  
 

And that is when I discovered the the crafting tool that I could not live without.  

 
It worked perfectly for the ribbon and I used it for all of the gift tags for the center of each card.  No need to mess with tape or glue!  I have used it for many, many projects and it has been really helpful for homework assignments too.  Here is a little example of lunch-box notes that I turned into stickers, using the handy, dandy sticker maker.