🎨 Meet the Maker Monday: My Favorite Canva Design Tools
- Rea Weeks
- Jun 9, 2025
- 3 min read
Behind the scenes of what I actually use (and love!) to create my designs
Welcome to Meet the Maker Monday, where I pull back the curtain and share a little of what goes on behind the scenes in my creative world!
As someone who lives in Canva almost daily—whether I’m creating printable scrapbook paper, building Instagram content, or designing templates for my shop—I’ve discovered a handful of tools that have become total must-haves in my creative toolkit.
If you’re a digital creator, planner lover, or Canva newbie looking to create with more ease and confidence, I think you’re going to love these too.
✨ 1. Magic Write (AI-Powered Copy Help)
Let’s be honest—sometimes the hardest part of designing isn’t the visuals… it’s writing the text.
That’s where Magic Write comes in. Canva’s built-in AI writing assistant helps me:
Brainstorm product names
Draft Pinterest descriptions
Write short, fun phrases for sticker sheets
Come up with titles and blog intros (like this one!)
💡 Tip: Try typing “5 cozy words for fall journaling stickers” or “title ideas for printable paper packs”—Magic Write is surprisingly good at nailing the vibe!
🖼️ 2. Frames & Grids
Frames and grids are my go-to when I need a clean layout, especially for:
Product mockups
Sticker sheets
Digital paper previews
Story templates
I love that you can just drag and drop your image into a frame or shape—it auto-crops and makes everything look tidy without extra effort.
🌟 Favorite Frame: Rounded photo frame + Polaroid-style grid = instant nostalgia!
🎨 3. Color Palette Generator
One of my favorite hidden Canva tools is the Color Palette Generator.
Upload any image—like a floral pattern, vintage book cover, or product photo—and Canva will give you a matching palette you can apply to your entire project.
I use it to:
Build scrapbook paper collections
Match my branding across products
Create mood boards with harmonious tones
✨ Bonus: It’s also a great way to discover new seasonal color pairings (hello, sun-kissed June peaches + muted seafoam greens).
✏️ 4. Curved Text Tool
Curved text is one of those tiny things that instantly elevates a design.
Whether I’m creating:
Planner headers
Label stickers
Instagram graphics
Thank-you cards for my shop…
…the curved text tool adds personality and polish in a flash.
Try it with script fonts or play around with a rainbow layout for fun, whimsical designs!
🧚 5. Magic Edit & Magic Eraser
These tools save me so much time, especially when I’m customizing mockups or adjusting printable layouts.
Magic Edit: Highlight part of an image and type what you want to appear instead
Magic Eraser: Quickly remove background clutter, logos, or distractions
🖌️ Real life example: I recently used Magic Edit to turn a generic notebook in a stock photo into one with my own scrapbook pattern on it—without needing Photoshop!
🛍️ Bonus Tool: Canva’s Smartmockups
I love showcasing my designs in real-world settings, and Smartmockups lets me place my sticker sheets, paper packs, or printable pages into styled photos instantly.
These are perfect for:
Etsy listings
Product previews
Social media promos
Pinterest pins
✨ Want to see how I use these in my own shop?👉 Click here to check out my latest digital products
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đź’¬ Final Thoughts
These tools have truly helped me save time, design more confidently, and show up consistently as a creative business owner—and I hope they do the same for you!
Let me know in the comments:What’s YOUR favorite Canva feature or tool? Or is there one you’d like help learning how to use? I’d love to hear from you.
And stay tuned for next week’s edition of Meet the Maker Monday—more tips, tools, and behind-the-scenes peeks are on the way! 💛
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