This is a product review of the Crop-A-Dile 1/4 Inch Power Hole Punch by We R Makers / We R Memory Keepers (A brand Under the American Crafts umbrella).
This hole punch tool cuts like butter through hard-to-cut surfaces including stacks of paper, cardstock, Strathmore Bristol board, chipboard, fabric, leather, acrylic, plastic, and probably some other surfaces I haven’t thought of using yet.
Hole Punch Size:
- This hole punch punches round holes sized at 1/4″ in diameter.
- The punch has a 2″ reach.
- The Crop-a-Dile hole punch itself measures 2 3/4″ x 6 1/4″ x 7/8″.
Examples of Paper Craft Projects You Can Make With the Crop-A-Dile 1/4 Inch Power Hole Punch by We R Makers / We R Memory Keepers:
These days, there are two things I use this punch for frequently. When I’m making mini albums that I want to put together using rings, I reach for this punch.
I also use this punch for punching through stacks of papers that I want to file in notebooks. If you live in the United States, you probably own some three-ring binders; if you travel outside the USA, you might end up buying notebook paper in countries where two-ring binders are the norm. If you’re trying to file papers with only two holes into a three-ring binder, it’s really annoying to have to punch that third hole in your papers, but this punch makes it easy to do.
If you’re a parent who has school-aged kids, you or your children are likely to need a punch like this; the lined papers aimed at kids younger than third grade often come without the holes punched. So if you want to file your kiddos’ papers in a notebook, this punch comes in handy.
Gift Tags, Journaling Tags, and Other Tags: When you make tags, it’s ideal to have a hole in the upper middle portion of each tag. If you’re using a tag template to make your tags, this hole punch gives you an easy way to punch a bunch of the holes at once. This is also useful if you’re using a tag die that doesn’t have a hole.
Check out these mini tag albums. The clear acrylic cover pages are by Clear Scraps, and those were already punched when I got them. However, I traced around the tags to make paper interior pages for the tag albums, and I used the Crop-a-Dile Power Hole Punch to punch the holes.
Tiny Mini Albums Measuring About 3 Inches Tall; These are the mini keychain albums by Clear Scraps.
Acrylic or Chipboard Albums: I first learned about the Crop-a-Dile Power Punch tools from the ladies at Clear Scraps. I used to be a member of the Clear Scraps design team, and they told me I should buy one or more Crop-a-Dile tools because those were the best hole punches for punching through the clear acrylic on their clear albums and also for punching through the chipboard on their chipboard albums.
I can confirm that these punches are ideal for using on chipboard and clear acrylic (as long as it isn’t too thick.)
Features and Benefits of the We R Makers Crop-A-Dile Power Hole Punch:
- You won’t get little paper bits all over the place when you use this tool, because it comes with a waste receptacle for keeping all those little pieces contained.
- When you’re not using the Crop-a-Dile, there’s a locking mechanism you can use for keeping it closed.
- There are soft silicone grips on the hole punch’s handles, which makes it comfortable to use.
- This hole punch has an adjustable alignment guide, which empowers you to precisely align your punch to place the holes in exactly the right spots.
- This hole punch is really easy and intuitive to use.
Cons:
This punch is BIG and HEAVY DUTY. The “big” part is really only a con if your crafting space is a small one; it takes more space to store this punch than it takes to store your typical no-frills hole punch like the kind that grade schoolers take to school with them. Personally, I don’t think this is a deal breaker — and I live in a really small space (We’re talking, it’s only 450ish square feet). And I have this punch and prefer it to others. When I got this one, I got rid of the other, smaller ones I also used to have — and I haven’t regretted that decision. So even if you’re space-challenged, I think it’s worth having this particular punch, even though smaller options are available.
The “heavy duty” part is mostly a pro, not a con. But, if you’re clumsy, and you drop this punch on your foot, it’s going to hurt. (So be careful with it and don’t drop it.)
Really, I haven’t run into any major deal breakers or disadvantages with this punch. If you need holes punched, buy this. It works. It’s awesome. I love mine and consider it one of my top essential must-have paper craft tools.
Conclusion
I’m delighted to recommend the We R Makers Crop-A-Dile 1/4 Inch Power Hole Punch to other crafters.
Where to Buy the Crop-A-Dile 1/4 Inch Power Hole Punch by We R Makers / We R Memory Keepers:
- Click or tap here to shop for this tool at Scrapbook.com.
- Click or tap here to shop for this tool at A Cherry on Top Crafts (ACOT).
- Click or tap here to shop for this tool at Amazon.
Find More Useful, Highly Recommended Paper Crafting Tools and Supplies:
- Crop-a-Dile Disc Power Punch — You might want to buy this tool if you use a discbound planner like the Happy Planner, Martha Stewart planner, Maggie Holmes planner, Tul, or Arc, and it would be helpful to you to be able to punch the discbound edges. I use mine almost daily, and I highly recommend it.
- We R Makers Mini Guillotine Paper Cutter: Product Review
- We R Makers Journal Book Binding Punch Guide Tool: Product Review
- More We R Makers Tools
Posted By: Amy Solovay
About Your Product Reviewer: Amy Solovay is a freelance writer and content marketer with a background in textile design. She holds a bachelor’s degree with a studio art minor from Sweet Briar College and a degree in textile design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Los Angeles.
If you’re a paper crafter, Amy encourages you to check out more of her paper craft project ideas here at KnittingCrochetCrafts.com. If you’re a business owner, and you’d like to attract more visitors, leads and sales to your business, she invites you to work with her on creating a content strategy that will raise your business’ profile in the search engine results pages.
This page was last updated on 7-20-2023.
