CRAFT SUPPLIES I’m LEAVING in 2025... I’m Sharing All The Secrets

Oh. Oh my gosh. You can already see it. [gasps] Look at this, y'all. This next one hurts my heart. And this is a common trend that we're seeing in the craft industry right now. You can't find them anymore. So, if you have one, please cherish it, love it, protect it. Going into 2026, I think it's going to shock the entire internet. We are marrying Cricket. All right, y'all. We about scratched this video idea, but I want to spend today's video and talk about things that we are leaving in 2025 when it comes to craft supplies. The industry is evolving. The industry is growing and it's time to have an open conversation about everything happening and what products we're leaving behind in 2025. It's going to be a big conversation, so stick with me. I think this conversation is going to surprise many of you for many different reasons. There are products that have no longer been able to find products that I continually see you all buying that we just need to make sure you are leaving in 2025, companies we're breaking up with, and so much more in this video. So, without further ado, let's dive in. Okay, y'all. This first one is even sad for me because this is a company that I have loved, that I have used, that I have been supporting for many, many years. And what we've found this past year is that this company, this brand has not been able to give consistent results. I don't know what happened. I don't know what's changed. This is again not sponsored or not like not influenced. Like it's not like I've went to these companies and like asked them questions. You're not going to see that in today's video. This is a true conversation between two crafting besties and I'm just being open and honest. So that's what you're getting out of today's video. This is not to dog on a company, but this is just from user experience, from me. Um, things that I have said that I'm having to shift my perspective as things grow and evolve. Um, it may next year come back on something I will buy. So, you know, we're open. But the first thing I want to share with you all is we are leaving Zakoto sticker paper in 2025. And this is a company that I have stood by their printable material for many, many years. But what I will tell you is that it's ripping. It's so thin. In a lot of the different packs that we've ordered throughout the past year, every time we try to cut with it, it's super thin. It cracks. It rips. We are not able to get consistency when it comes to Zakoto. I don't know if we're the only people experiencing this. If you also have experienced it, please put it in the chat. Again, I have recommended these materials, I think, since 2018 or 2019. Um, and who we're marrying going into 2026. I think it's going to shock the entire internet. We're marrying Cricut STICKER PAPER. WHAT? Cricut actually for like a four or five year stent stopped selling sticker paper. And y'all, they came back to the scene and they said, "Let me tell you what we've been missing." Um, and made some really darn good sticker paper. So, we're loving using the Cricut sticker paper. Finish out what you have of Zakoto. If you haven't like ordered any within the past year or so, still use what you have. We're still trying to use what we have. We just will not continue to order it. Um, and just a lot of the times we've used it, we've had issues and like we're not, y'all, the bar is up here and we're holding every company to that bar. And that's what I want to be made known in this video. We are holding people to the standard we hold oursel in quality, in reputation, and so much more. So, on to the next one, y'all. [snorts] This next one hurts my heart, and this is a common trend that we're seeing in the craft industry right now with sourcing and manufacturing and production. Are we breaking up with ATG gun because we want to? No. It's like a bad breakup. It's like it's like one of those situations where it's like, "No, don't leave." and and it's already out the door. So, here's what's happened. I love this ATG gun. It is a big piece of equipment for paper crafters. I love it, y'all. When I tell you, when I got my first ATG gun, I was like, "Oh my gosh, I'm like a real crafter now." So, like, this has such like real memories to me. Um, these used to be like $75 or $80. You had to order them on like eBay. Um, and it's just super special. So, what happened after I got my first one, Scotch found out that crafters were buying these. Um, my first one was red and then they came out with a pink one and then they got it in Michaels and it had been there for years. So, when I started paper crafting a lot back in 2017, 2018, I started recommending this and it's been tried and true. I'm like, "Yes, yes, yes." Well, over the last year, guys, you can't find them anymore. So, if you have one, please cherish it, love it, protect it, use it. But we as a company are having to move on for all of our customers, for all of our friends who want to continue crafting um and have an amazing tape runner. So, we found some others. We're testing them. I have a video comparing all of them coming out soon. Um, and I'm super excited, but I'm sad that we are having to leave our beautiful, perfect Scotch ATG gun in 2025. And I will say if you have one of these and have struggled with the cartridge refills, you're not the only one. It's like the only bearer to enter when it is using one of these, but I have videos on it. So, just look on my channel if you want to learn how I uh replace these adhesive tape runners. They're epic. If you ever find one, grab it. It's still my favorite. I'm not. It's like my favorite, but like we had to break up. Okay, so that's the ATG gun. Another big conversation I want to have with you. This is twofold. First of all, we are leaving cheap craft store brand card stock behind. This can be and under that umbrella any sort of value paper, any sort of Walmart paper, other craft store papers, things like that. We're leaving it behind. And I want to tell you why. My mother-in-law got an email from a colleague and she's like, "Can you ask Tater and Courtney what's happening to my Cricut project? It is It's shredding. The card stock is being shredded. Something's wrong." And after looking at the pictures and seeing everything, y'all, y'all, if you are not getting the cuts like we demonstrate on our live crafting on our YouTube videos, it is nine times out of 10, your card stock is so bad. And here's what hurts my heart. You can get a pack of paper and this looks like a great value there. This is usually half off, things like that. Um, but it's cheap. It is cheap card stock. It's not quality. So, we're leaving the cheap card stock in 2025. You do not want to craft with this anymore. You do not want to bring this with you. I will say, can you make cheap card stock work as a crafter? Yes, you can. Is it easy and is it I aligned for beginner crafters? Absolutely not. So, stop making it hard on yourself. And we recommend Celebration Warehouse, who designs their card stock specifically to cut on die cutting machines. And this comes from a woman who used to run eight Cricut machines every single day as her full-time business. She had a six-figure thriving Etsy shop and um ended up becoming a card stock seller. She's awesome. Definitely check out Celebration Warehouse. We love you, Ashley. Um that woman knows card stock and she holds a very high standard as well. So, we love her card stock. We only use her card stock. You should only use that card stock. It's epic. And the other thing we're leaving in 2025 in that realm is white core card stock, textured card stock on our Cricut, white core card stock, all of that. We're leaving it, y'all. This right here. Let me just show you. So, look at this. So, if I take this sheet of card stock right here. Oh my gosh. You can already see it. Look at this. We're leaving white core card stock behind in 2025. No more white core card stock is making its way into my crafting because it's it's just not needed. What you need and what you need to go after is solid core card stock. Solid core card stock is the way to go. No more white core because y'all, this is cheap. This is not going to make you look professional. This is not going to look finished. You have got to leave behind the uh white core. It's not it's not making its way. Next up [snorts] on our list, I have another, this is a common trend in what we're seeing in when we were building this video out, is so many companies are like having production issues. I don't know if tariffs are involved. I don't know what it is, but we're having trouble sourcing some of our favorites. And y'all, we're having to break up with super tight in 2025. This is being left behind because we can't find more of it. This is not one that's easily found, not one that's easily sourced. Hopefully, some of these products will be easily be able to find and things like that, but as of today in 2025, about to turn over to 2026, we're having to leave it. And I'm really sad about it. I'm really going to miss it. Um, but this is the super tight. One thing we loved about it, we're breaking up with it, but let me tell you what I loved about it. Um, well, it just broke. [laughter] Oh my gosh. Maybe it's meant to be. It usually has this adorable little thing. This little needle. Is it always like this? No. No. Okay, >> hold on. >> Let me show you one that is really cool, but again, we're breaking up with it in 2025. Okay, y'all. Act like you didn't just see that. Look, when you take the lid off, we love the precision tip. It was so good. So, we're on a hunt. We're coming out with more content talking about all of our favorite adhesives. The industry is changing. Like, I just want you all to understand the industry is evolving and I'm so intrigued with where it's going. That's why I had to make this video. I have to address some things that we're leaving behind just to let you guys know like where we see the industry going. So, we're having to leave behind our super super taut. We've used it for quite a few years. It's been like an MGL favorite, but it's on its way out. We'll miss you. Okay. Next up, this summer we took the craft industry kind of by storm. I came in here and we started testing out this product which was the magic seal spray. And I found this product from a Facebook ad and it was really cool like on the video and I was like we got to test this out. You know what I'm saying? So we started testing it out and they had the spray but they also had a mat. And y'all, if you watch my video, you know we're in love with the mat. The spray is out. This is not good. It's sticky. We actually don't love it. And it's not really really good for you as a crafter. You definitely want to be using the mat. It is epic. We adore it. It is so so fun. Um, and the spray is out for us. We are like, listen, I'll even tell you. I went and found it. It we had it on its side and it's leaking. I'm going to stop touching it because it's getting all over my hands. We're no longer recommending the spray. You need to get the mat if you're crafting in 2025 into 2026. Y'all ready? We're leaving the spray. We're getting the mat. You can have so many presses with the mat. It's flawless. So, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, go watch that series. I posted it like in July. All right, y'all. [snorts] This next one I know is going to surprise you, but it is the Starcraft Clamshell Heat Press. Y'all, this has been in my craft stash since 2021, and it is finally going away. This right here, even when I first got mine, they're so hard to get that I've decided that number one, this price point is super expensive since we um got this one. There have been new ones added, and we're ready to try out other heat presses. So, this heat press we're actually leaving in 2025. We are going to uh leverage Heat Press Nation and probably order some and find a brand new heat press that we absolutely love, love, love. Um, but the Starcraft heat press is out for us. The Clamshell has worked really, really well. It's been an amazing heat press, but again, it's one that's never in stock. y'all can't get a hold of it and there's cheaper and probably better options on the market right now and we're ready to break up with the heat press to make room for a new one in our craft stash and it's going to be super super awesome. So, this is a bittersweet one for me cuz it's like I've loved it. It was amazing. I would have never invested in this if it wasn't for when sublimation was first blowing up and y'all were really really using it and needing something really really great. So, I have had a lot of fun with it, but I am ready to open my horizons, find a new heat press for all of us to recommend and use. And that is why with a heavy heart, we are breaking up with the Starcraft heat press. It's not me, it's you for your price and you're never in stock. So, do I love clamshells? Yes. Has it been amazing? Yes. Is the price point a little crazy? Yes. I want to find one more affordable for you guys at home. All right, [snorts] y'all. This next one is something that I have been putting off talking about and really for many different reasons not been able to address that I unfortunately still cannot talk about to the level that I would like to. But it is to the point where you all are noticing and I just want to like make one statement and this is going to be my one statement on this topic on this matter of these products and it's actually anything related to the um HTV rot products. So HTV rot is a company that because of many things that happened in 2025 I am no longer supporting um their products in general. So whether it's their machines, their heat press, their tumbr press, um the auto press, their printables, like any type of HTV vinyl, um anything like that, I can no longer give my stamp of approval. again for legal reasons and legal matters that I am not at un I'm unfortunately not able to u expand on that but it is with the heavy heart of that that I am no longer able to put my name and put my reputation on the line for anything related to Starcraft. Um, there was just some matters that happened [sighs] over the past year um that I unfortunately had to be involved in and I no longer can support this company. Um, if things ever change, I will come out and share more. Um, but it is just not a company that I can stand with their values. Um, that I can stand and support their products in any way possible. Um, it is in the past been a company that I would give away a ton of their products, would use a ton of their products and things like that. Um, but this is a company that I am parting ways with in 2025. Um, I already have, but I haven't addressed it. I was hoping um that by this time of year um I could open up and share more, but unfortunately I have not been given the green light to do so or anything like that. So um just with my you know experience in the industry and things like that I will not be able to move forward with any um recommendations of their products. Again I've recommended them for many years and things like that but from here on out I will not be um recommending their products for p private and personal reasons um that affected me this year. So, uh, that's all I can say and we are leaving those machines and those products in 2025. All right, to end the video out, I want to address one workflow that has changed a lot for me this year. And it's again with a heavy heart to say designing in Design Space is out for me in 2025. Um, I am no longer doing my design work in Design Space first. And this is for a couple reasons. Number one, we never had the ability to export our files from Cricut. So, we always had to know that if we were going to have a project that we designed in Cricut, we were no longer able to, you know, use that project and have that SVG file exported. Like, that's always been that way. And for many years, it it worked fine because Cricut Design Space worked so well. I was like, well, we ne we don't need it out of Cricut Design Space. But as we have experienced 2024 and 2025, um I will say Cricket's made a lot of improvements, but in their shortcomings and the shortfalls, I think it just made me reiterate that I like flexibility. I like to design at the highest level and I want freedom to take it from Cricut to Yuthi to X tool whatever and the best way to do that is actually designing outside of Cricut and designing in Canva. So moving forward um we are no longer doing our design work in Cricut alone. We will do ma uh manipulation or customization in Cricut. But if we're designing and we're building a project, we are going to design it in Canva first and then and then we are going import it into Cricut. So, it's an extra step, but it puts the control back in your fingertips with the best software available with ease and flow like never before. And I'm excited to step into 2026, teach you all the new things that we're crafting up, sharing with you all the ways that we're crafting to make it easier and better for us when it comes to our craft journey. And I do not film this video lightly, you know, the companies and products that I'm leaving. Um, it's not that I necessarily wanted to leave any of them, but because of supply, quality, um, ethical reasons, things like that, these are the products we're leaving in 2025. So, here's what I need you to do. You've heard all of mine. Go ahead and put in the chat which one you agree with. Put in the comments which ones that you would add to this list. maybe some that you don't agree with. Feel free. I would love to have a conversation. And I cannot wait to craft with you more in 2026. So, if you're not already a Makers Learn member, hit that subscribe button. Join our membership. We'd love to have you get started for only $7, and you can become a monthly member after your 7-day uh $7 trial. Until the next video, I'll see you later. Bye, guys.