Scrapbooking does not need to be an expensive hobby. There are many ways that you can aquire some freebies, or at least some cheap supplies. The paper itself comes in many shapes, sizes, weights, and prints. Depending on how creative you are, your paper can be your largest expense. And if you have tons of scrapping to do, it can really tie up some cash. I would start off by determining just how much time you are willing to spend, and what type of book you are looking at (8×10 or 12×12). Most people choose the 12×12 simply because they can fit more pictures on the larger papers. If you like to do elaborate lay-outs this would probably be your best bet. However if you are just doing simple scrapbooks, say for a gift, I would go with the 8×10, simply because if the recipient decides later on to add pages to the book it won’t put them in the poor house either. Your largest expense should be the binder you choose for your album. It needs to be large enough to put numerous pages into, and functional enough that you wont need to rent a bull dozer to cart it with you to crops and such.
Once you have determined the size of book, it is time for the fun part. Shopping for supplies. Make sure that the supplies you purchase say “acid free”. This will keep your pictures from deteriorating so quickly. First start with your paper. If you are very creative, I would buy plain paper as it is cheaper than the printed sheets. As far as adhesives go, I would recommend the mounting squares. They come in different shapes and sizes as well as clear or white, and usually come in a roll of at least 250. If actual glue is your thing, I would recommend the glue sticks. They aren’t as messy and won’t take as long to dry. With some of the products like Aqua Glue, it is all in the name. It is a wet product and if not used sparingly will make everything wet. I would also recommend that you invest in some good scrapbooking pens. You can purchase them one at a time or in kits as many as 100 different shades. I would recommend that you purchase the Galaxy markers. They last what seems like forever, and I would also make sure I had at least red, black, and blue. They are universal, and can be used for most pages. Scrapbooking stickers can be pricey as well, but if you know where to look they don’t have to cost a fortune either. Most of the time you can find them at your local dollar store, or retail outlet. I have even come across some awesome stickers at the grocery store near the cards, and they only run between 2 and 3 dollars per package, and usually come with more than one sheet. You can save these for swaps with friends at crops. Trade them for something they may not have a use for, and probably don’t even know why they have them.
Crops are a great way of scoring some awesome supplies. Usually you will have access to their die-cut machine, scissors, and templates. Take advantage of this tool. While going through your pictures find objects in them to focus on. Little Johnny at the beach? Get the die-cut of some palm trees, or sand toys, or even little bathing suits. It is totally up to you. And when you add them to the pictures with some embellishments, you have awesome pages. Hate your handwriting? You can purchase stensils of the alphabet in all shapes,sizes, and fonts. Or you can use the stand by and type everything, and print it up last. When your page is completed it is time to add it to your book. You don’t want to simply punch some holes in the page and put it in your binder. You need to go and purchase page protectors. You can purchase them in lots of 10 or 100 at a time, and they should be acid free as well. When not working on your scrapbook, items should be stored in a cool dry place. You don’t want moisture in these items or your pictures and your pages will be ruined. Have fun with your scrapbooks, and include the kids or a friend or two. It gives you something to look forward to, and something marvelous to share with others later on.
