Cardstock vs. Construction Paper

What is the difference between construction paper and cardstock? And the pros and cons of using either?

Construction paper is easy to cut & fold and cheap to buy. You can get so many different, solid colors. It is easy to manipulate, and any misfolds made are easy enough to fix or hide depending on the texture. Usually the texture of the paper is rough and unfinished.

Construction paper is not much thicker than regular printer paper. Because it is thin, it can be easy to tear and won’t be able to handle heavier materials or hot glue. Liquid glue sometimes will bleed through as well. It’s best to stick to regular glue sticks when using construction paper.

You can use construction paper for a wide range of projects and crafts.

Cardstock is thicker and smoother than construction paper. Some may have a gloss finished, textured, or patterned. It is thicker and has a more finished look. Because it is sturdier, it’ll be able to handle hot glue and other heavier materials.

An example you can see is my Bride & Groom and my Friendship & Gratitude Cards. You’re also not limited when it comes to design and style because of the many patterns and colors it comes in. An example of this you can see in my Fabulous Hair Card where I use cardstock from Bright Splash, a book by Colorbök.

Because of the quality of the paper, it is going to be a little pricey. It is cheaper buying cardstock in books instead of in individual sheets.

What do I use? I usually use card stock paper for all of my cards. The books I’m currently using are by Colorbök which you can buy in Walmart, Amazon, or your local Joans or Hobby Lobby.

Construction paper is very limiting, I feel, and fragile. I’ve gotten frustrated in the past for how often it has torn or just this unfinished look because of the rough texture. Not fun. That isn’t to say I don’t use it at all or that you shouldn’t use it. I have used construction paper for my cards as part of the materials I use. Like how I use ribbons or stickers, but I avoid using it as the body.

I’ve seen some great cards made with construction paper, so don’t feel like you need to pay the money for a better-looking card or scrapbook. You just need to be a little more creative with it.

What works best for you? How have you used construction paper and cardstock in your designs? Share with me on Twitter or Instagram or comment below! I would love to know!

EDIT 11/07/18: Just updated some pictures and added a few more points.