This post was inspired by a fight with wrapping paper while trying to wrap Christmas gifts. The blades on the scissors just weren't sharp enough to slide through the wrapping paper, and led to some shoddy giftwrapping. This quick scissor sharpening trick helped fix them up to snip right through the wrapping paper and make the scissors like-new again.

Just like any blade or sharp object, continued use will dull any pair of scissors over time. Before you think about giving up on your dulled scissors and buying new ones, try this quick trick to sharpen your scissors/shears without having to take them apart.

This sandpaper scissor sharpening method works great for getting most scissors back to the sharpness that they had when you first bought them. If you want to do a thorough sharpening that would make them razor sharp, check out this video. But, if you just want a quick way to get your scissors to glide through paper or other everyday items, read on.

Sharpen Scissors with Sandpaper

Step one, cut a piece of paper with your scissors. This isn’t necessary, but it’ll make you appreciate how much sharper you got your shears in the next two minutes.

The only thing you’ll need for this technique is a regular old 150-200 grit sandpaper sheet . Most scissors are going to be made of stainless steel, so make sure you are using an abrasive that is compatible with stainless steel. If you don’t have any sandpaper on hand, you can even recycle an extra sanding belt or even some spare psa sanding discs .

The first step is tough (kidding). Fold the sandpaper in half so that the abrasive material is on the outside.

Now, take your scissors and cut a bunch of strips from one end to the other of the folded sandpaper sheet. When you do this, make sure you are sharpening the scissor blades full by:

• Opening your scissors all the way and start the cut from where the blades meet
• Keep pressing until the scissors are fully shut. You don’t have to use any extra pressure at the end, but just make sure the tips of the blade have come down.

After you cut all of your strips across the sand paper, wipe down the blades. You’re all done. Easy, right?

It might seem like cutting something rough like this with your scissors would make them duller, but give it a try. After you wipe the blades down, go ahead and test them out on a piece of paper. It should slice right through it and make much cleaner cuts than it did a few minutes ago.

Hot to Get a Really Sharp Blade

Again, the trick above was just to get a quick sharpening for everyday use with your scissors. If you want razor sharp blades, it’ll require more effort, more tools, and a lot more time and patience.

There are different techniques using sanding belts, metal files, and, whet stones. Then after that you can go even further to buff and polish the scissor blades. We’ll save the advanced knife sharpening tips for another article, but for now, we’ll recommend this great video again.