Craft Drill 101

Fiskars Craft Hand Drill is one of those tools every crafter should have.  For a hand powered drill it’s incredibly versatile in being able to drill through chipboard, plastics (including acrylic!), wood and most soft metals with precision control and it comes with 4 drill bits to suit almost any project.  It’s also lightweight, can be packed for a crop and I have to admit, I also love that it’s GREEN....my favorite color!

Some tips before you begin:
• To change drill bits: Hold the thinnest part of the green handle and the metal drill end in your left hand with the metal drill end facing up.  The parts that clamp the drill bit in place will open and close as you turn the drill handle – clockwise closes the opening and counter clockwise creates a larger opening.  Select your bit size, insert and secure it in place by turning the handle clockwise while still holding the narrow green handle and metal end of the drill.

• Have a protected surface under whatever you are drilling.  It may be a hand drill, but it’s powerful enough to easily drill through craft mats and tables!  I like to use a thick block or board of wood or even an old phone book.

• Remember to not press the drill into the material you are drilling.  It may seem natural to apply pressure, but the drill works much more effectively when you simply hold it in place and let the drill action do the work.

note: you may need to tape down the material you are drilling through to keep it still. Tape or a clamp work well.
• Once you’ve drilled through the material you’re working with, reverse your drilling action (counter clockwise) to remove the drill bit from the hole.  This helps to clear any remaining debris or sharp edges especially when working with metal or plastic.

Now that I have shared some tips, here are three projects that utilize the craft drill.

For this charm bracelet I needed to create precise holes without cracking or breaking the acrylic shapes.  Because the material I needed to drill was so small I found the easiest way to secure the acrylic chips while drilling was to tape them down with clear packing tape on a wood block.  Using the 3/16th bit, I drilled a hole in each shape and then simply removed the tape and acrylic pieces. 

Once the acrylic charms were drilled, I stamped each with a variety of Heidi Grace’s tiny clear stamps and attached them to a chain bracelet with jump rings. 

Metal tins and buckets make wonderful containers for gift giving or to hold treats.  Using the 5/32nd bit, I drilled holes on the sides for the braided handles as well as numerous holes along the front top edge to weave ribbon through.  Kimberly Poloson’s Cabana Blooms collection of papers and embellishments completed the project.

This “Summer Days” mini album’s binding was made with 6” craft rulers that have been drilled and tied with ribbon. 

To create this project, I flipped the rulers over to the blank side and marked my holes (4).  Again I used clear packing tape to secure the rulers to my wood block so that they would not spin while I drilled.  Once I drilled the rulers, I positioned them on the edge of the mini album’s pages and marked my holes (using the ruler as a guide) and then attached binder clips to the mini album to secure the pages together.  This time I placed a thick piece of chipboard under my pages and drilled the holes.  I embellished the cover and pages with Heidi Grace’s We Are Family collection.  Then I restacked the pages, positioned the rulers and secured again with binder clips to keep holes aligned while I wove the ribbon for my binding.

There are endless possibilities of projects you can create using Fiskars Craft Hand Drill.  Take a look around your home, dig through your stash of craft supplies, gather up old CDs and get creating!

By Patti Milazzo