American Crafts Rub-ons

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Reported by Heidi Kingery

American Crafts. I say that brand name and I bet you instantly think of their fabulous ribbon or thick luscious paper. Or at least, that’s what I thought of, that is, until I found their rub-ons. With a high standard for quality, American Crafts has upheld their reputation when it comes to these beautiful things!

They come in a clear sleeve and inside that clear sleeve is the book of rub-ons and the transfer tool. The transfer tool is no ordinary popsicle stick like most others, it is a plastic tool that has to ends that you can choose from. One end has a flat oval shape to work with and the other is like a stylus. I have found both ends handy for different rubs-ons. Before you take the book out of the plastic sleeve it has the front cover open so you can see the ones you are purchasing, but when you remove it from the sleeve the flap that is folded back can be brought back around and close like a matchbook. This is a plus because it protects your rub-ons from being damaged if you tend to just throw them in a drawer or folder like I do! Another great positive about the packaging is the rub-ons are stapled to the book in strips. That ensures that there are no loose rub-ons floating around anywhere. My only complaint about the packaging is that there is no place for the transfer tool. If they made a small slot to slip it in to the packaging would get an A+ and not just an A.

Now, onto the quality. I have used these rub-ons for a while now and have always appreciated how smoothly they go on. It does take some effort to make sure they transfer well, but honestly, I would rather have rub-ons that require a little elbow grease than ones that come off as soon as you lay them on the paper.

As you can see with my first example, they go onto tin and look fantastic! I rubbed my finger over them very hard to see if they would rub off and those puppies stayed put! Although I have not tried them on plastic, I’m sure they would work perfectly since they did such a dandy job with the tin!

My next example is just on cardstock. And although you might not be able to see in the picture, there were no marks left from the stylus tip after rubbing them on. I have had problems with the lower quality rub-ons before leaving marks on the cardstock from having to push so hard to get them to transfer. But these work so well that that problem is non-existent.

On top of the ease of use and packaging, the designs are gorgeous! It’s the same beauty that draws us to their ribbons and paper. Each book is color coordinated with not only the other rub-ons included in the book but also any other items that American Crafts makes. We all know how convenient it is to having everything matching at your fingertips!

When it comes down to it, the beauty, ease of use, packaging, and quality of these rub-ons always brings me right back to this brand. If you haven’t tried American Crafts yet, make a point to at least give them a good look over the next time you are out!