Spellbinders FAQ: Holiday Figurines, Paper Crafts, and the Mistakes I Made So You Don't Have To

If you're new to Spellbinders paper crafts—or even if you've been around a while—you probably have questions. I know I did. And I made plenty of mistakes answering them. This FAQ covers the stuff I wish someone had told me when I started: how to pick a die cutting machine, what to do with holiday figurines, whether you can make a greeting card in Word (spoiler: yes, but there's a catch), and how to avoid the costly errors that nearly killed my first small batch order.

1. What exactly is Spellbinders, and why should I care?

Spellbinders is a brand that makes die cutting machines (the Platinum series, Grand Calibur, Scout) and thousands of thin metal dies—basically cookie cutters for paper. You crank a handle or press a button, and it cuts intricate shapes perfectly every time. I'm not saying you need the most expensive machine to get started. But if you're making even a few dozen holiday greeting cards, a manual machine like the Platinum 6 will save you hours of hand-cutting.

Here's what I learned the hard way: in my first year (2017), I ordered 100 Spellbinders dies for a client's custom Christmas card project. I didn't check the die compatibility with my machine. The Platinum 6 uses a specific platform and cutting plate sandwich. I wasted a weekend and $45 in materials before I realized the dies that came with my kit were for the Grand Calibur. That's the kind of mistake you only make once—or you document it so others don't.

2. Can I really make a holiday figurine with Spellbinders dies?

Absolutely. Spellbinders has dedicated collections like City Holiday and Classic Mouse that include dies for 3D figurines, snowflakes, and tree ornaments. You cut the pieces from cardstock, mat board, or even thin wood veneer, then assemble with glue or adhesive foam.

That said, figurine assembly isn't just 'cut and glue.' I once ordered 250 of a reindeer figurine in September 2022 for a retail chain. I assumed the die would create a sturdy piece. It didn't. The legs were too thin, and 20% broke during assembly. That mistake cost $890 in rework plus a one-week delay. What I learned: always test the design on the actual paper stock you plan to use. Use a heavier cardstock (at least 80 lb cover) for stand-up figurines. Spellbinders dies are precise, but the material matters just as much.

3. How do I make a greeting card in Word—and why would I?

You can use Microsoft Word to design card fronts, then cut them out with Spellbinders dies. Word works surprisingly well for simple layouts: insert a text box, add your greeting, maybe a clip art or a photo. Export to PDF, print on cardstock, and then use a die to cut out the shape or a decorative edge.

But here's the trap: Word's margin handling is terrible for folded cards. People assume if it looks right on screen, it'll print correctly. The reality is Word inserts default margins that can shift your design off-center. I made this mistake on a batch of 500 holiday cards for a small business client in Q1 2024. The text ended up 0.25" lower on one side than the other. They had to reprint 450 cards—$320 wasted plus a reputation hit.

My fix: set custom page margins in Word before you start. For an A2 card (4.25" x 5.5" folded), I use 0.5" margins all around, and I always print a test sheet on plain paper first. Spellbinders' own dies align best with center-justified designs, so keep that in mind.

4. What about holiday ornaments? Can I make custom Christmas ornaments with Spellbinders?

Yes, and they're hugely popular for corporate gifts. Spellbinders sells die sets specifically for Christmas ornaments—shapes like snowflakes, bells, and stars. You can combine multiple dies to create layered ornaments. I've done runs of 200 for a real estate agent's client gifts (in 2023) and 75 for a local church bazaar (2024).

A tip I learned from a costly error: if you're making ornaments that hang, pay attention to size. USPS mailing regulations limit large envelopes to 0.75" thickness. Most of my 3D ornaments exceeded that, so I had to use small boxes instead—adding about $1.50 per unit in shipping (based on USPS Priority Mail rates as of January 2025). Budget accordingly, or design flat ornaments that fold together.

5. I'm a small business with low order quantities. Will Spellbinders or their distributors treat me well?

Short answer: most do, but you need to ask the right questions. I started with tiny orders—like $200 worth of dies—and some vendors treated me like an inconvenience. Others (including the official Spellbinders site and many authorized resellers) offered the same pricing and support regardless of quantity. To be fair, I get why large suppliers have minimums; their logistics are set up for volume. But that doesn't mean you should settle.

Here's what I've found: if you order directly from Spellbinders (spellbinders.com), they don't impose a minimum for dies or machines. You can buy a single die if you want. For bulk printed items (like custom paper packs), some distributors have minimums around 50-100 units. The trick is to ask: 'What's your smallest order for this product?' If they dismiss you, move on. I've had great experiences with suppliers who take my $300 orders seriously—they're the ones I now use for $3,000 orders.

6. What's the biggest mistake beginners make with Spellbinders paper crafts?

From the outside, it looks like you just buy a machine and some dies, and everything works perfectly. The reality is there's a learning curve—especially with cutting pressure, adhesive selection, and design alignment. The mistake I see most often (and made myself) is assuming all cardstock works the same.

I once ordered 1,000 sheets of a 'craft' cardstock from a discount supplier for a holiday card order. It looked fine in the package. But it was too fibrous for the intricate Spellbinders snowflake die—the paper tore rather than cut cleanly. We caught the problem after cutting only 50 sheets, but that's $45 wasted on paper plus the time setting up the machine. I now keep a small swatch binder of papers that I've tested with my Platinum 6, and I always send a test cut to clients before full production.

7. How do I figure out shipping costs for finished crafts?

This is less glamorous but critical. According to USPS pricing (effective January 2025), a standard greeting card in a #10 envelope (4.125" x 9.5") costs $0.73 to mail if it's under 1 oz. But if your card includes a bulky layered ornament or a thick embellishment, it may become a large envelope (flat) at $1.50 for the first ounce, plus $0.28 for each additional ounce.

I learned this lesson on a 500-card order for a wedding client in September 2023. The client wanted a layered die-cut floral insert. I didn't weigh a completed sample before quoting shipping. The final weight was 1.6 oz per card, so each needed $1.50 postage instead of $0.73. That extra $0.77 per card × 500 = $385 I hadn't budgeted for. Don't be me: weigh your finished piece on a kitchen scale before you price anything.

8. Any final advice for someone starting with Spellbinders for holiday crafts?

Start with a Spellbinders Essentials Kit or a holiday-themed die set like 'City Holiday' that includes multiple elements. Avoid buying a bunch of random dies until you know what you'll use. And please, please test every new die with scrap paper before you cut your final material. That one step would have saved me several hundred dollars and a lot of frustration.

If you're making crafts to sell or gift, keep a checklist: design → test cut → weigh → print → cut → assemble → check postage. I've caught 47 potential errors using this checklist in the past 18 months (yes, I keep count). Small details turn into big problems, but they're all preventable.