Martha Stewart Mini Score Board Product Review

As an owner of a much loved Martha Stewart Scoreboard, I was apprehensive at first as to whether a ‘mini’ version would live up to the capabilities of its big sister.

I have been a big advocate of the original sized scoreboard for many years and it is the first one I reach for when I am in paper engineering mode. It is, however, rather unwieldy for packing up to take to a craft class or workshop and if you like to take a supply of craft essentials with you on holiday it does take up some very precious space. So let’s take a closer look at the mini board.

Its overall size is just 9.75” x 7.5”, much more compact and therefore much lighter. It still sports its own scoring tool, which is conveniently attached at the top right hand side of the board. As with the original, the scoring grooves are spaced at 1/8” intervals and it will accommodate paper/cardstock up to 6.5” wide and 8” in length. So far so good, but one of the key features of the larger board was the extra tool that helped you make envelopes with comparative ease; the mini board has no extra tool. However, turn it over and on the reverse is a printed guide of card sizes plus a series of grooves for making matching envelopes.

To make an envelope is very simple indeed. Cut your paper to the required size, line it up with the guidelines on the reverse of the board and then score along the relevant four grooves. Cut out the triangles that are made by the score lines, fold along each line, glue on two edges and you have your envelope.

If you enjoy paper engineering then you can use the board to make your own rosette embellishments, boxes, cardelopes etc. And I am sure that those engineers amongst you will find many other uses for it.

Photo courtesy of Favcrafts

Advantages

• It is small, lightweight and will fit into your craft bag or sit on your craft desk without taking up too much space. You can easily store it in a magazine rack.
• Having the envelope maker built into the reverse means that if you craft on the go you have the essential tool to make cards and envelopes in one handy piece of equipment.
• The measurements are printed at the top of the board clearly and right over the actual score line, so you can be accurate every time.
• Being able to score at 1/8” intervals allows you to ‘size’ your projects more easily.
• The instructions on the reverse of the packing are clear and easy to follow

Disadvantages

• The card sizes given are standard American ones, except for the A6 which we all recognize.
• If you are a crafter who likes to have the standard card sizes of A6, A5, gatefold etc already marked so that all you need to do is position the card and score then this board is not for you. However you can always use a Sharpie to mark a line on your board which indicates the sizes you use most often.
• You can only use paper up to 6.5” x 8”

Summary

I was unexpectedly pleased with this little board. The one thing you can guarantee with Martha Stewart products is their quality. This is a sturdy, yet lightweight board that does what it says on the tin. The grooves are deep enough to obtain a good score line without tearing through the paper (unless you are too heavy handed of course!) and the measurements are accurate. Whilst it may not be suitable for larger cardstock like its big sister, it is a handy piece of equipment that fits neatly into your workspace.

The only thing I would like to see on this board it both imperial and metric measurements. All sizes are in imperial which could be an issue for those people who only use metric sizes.

Click here for details of the Mini Score Board and to watch a brief video showing you how to use it.