Scrapbooking is a fun and easy, kid-friendly activity that is very simple to get started at for just a few dollars. A quick trip to the dollar store for some basic supplies and your own creativity are all that you need to get started preserving your memories with scrapbooking.
Where to Begin: Supplies
Getting started is as easy as setting up a simple and economical album with a three-ring binder, a hole punch and some card stock. The advantage of using a binder is that it is something inexpensive that you may already have on hand and can be easily personalized. You can cover it with paper or fabric for a unique, one of a kind creation and this will also help protect your pages from sticking to the inside of the binder when exposed to humidity. Paper doilies, fabric scraps, buttons, envelopes and numerous other items already on hand in the home can be used to create and embellish attractive scrapbook pages with very little cost involved.
If you have a little money to spend, many stores like Dollar Tree often have beautiful albums for scrapping and since everything in the store only costs one dollar (sometimes less) you can load up on supplies without breaking the bank. In addition to albums most locations carry an assortment of 12 x 12 papers, scrap pads, stickers, ribbon, yarn, beads, punches, rubber stamps and a host of other supplies. They also sell clear page protectors for fliers and programs you don't want to paste or tape to your album pages.
Believe it or not, Dollar General and Big Lots are also good sources of supplies for scrapbooking. While these stores are limited in their variety of the selection of items offered, the prices can't be beat when compared to the major craft stores. Big Lots generally carries papers, beads, yarns and occasionally albums and kits. Dollar General has stickers and some paper supplies and quite often you can find great markdowns in the store when seasonal items are put on clearance. Even adhesive gift tags left over from Christmas have a place in scrapbooking so be sure to stock up when these kinds of items when they go on sale. They can be marked down as much as ninety percent off a few weeks later.
In the past few years stores like Kmart and Target have gotten into the game as well and Walmart has a huge selection of crafting supplies and tools for scrapping, including great value packs of scrap cardstock ideal for matting small items to your pages. Like the larger chain craft stores they also have a variety of storage items for all of your scrapping supplies.
The best paper supplies to use are those that are acid free. Clear tape that is photo safe is also your best bet as it won't leave unsightly age spots and damage your precious photos over time. If you aren't concerned about using acid free papers, you can recycle gift wrap, decorative bags, magazine pages and even old holiday cards to create accents on your pages.
Sales and coupons are big savers so be sure to subscribe to email newsletters from your favorite local craft stores. Those forty percent coupons from Michael's, for example can go a long way to purchasing tools and larger equipment like a die cutter.
As you get more and more involved with scrapping there are an unbelievable amount of products available to help you create a multitude of thematic pages including computer software. You can keep things simple with inexpensive and recycled materials or go all out and purchase as much supplies and equipment as your budget will allow.
Finding Inspiration
Once you have your supplies it can sometimes be difficult to get started even with the best of intentions. For inspiration choosing the themes and layouts for your pages, look to magazines like Paper Crafts (http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/, Creating Keepsakes (http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/index.html and Memory Makers (http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/. The websites for these and other magazines contain a wealth of information as well as free project ideas and patterns.
The number of books published on scrapping is almost staggering and you could easily spend a fortune collecting them, but if a trip to the bookstore or public library isn't feasible there are other options. A simple approach is to take your photos and memorabilia and arrange them on a table to look at what you have. Find something that connects them together such as your vacation destination or party theme and start from there when choosing your decorations.
Creating Embellishments
Tea bag folding, punched paper, origami, rubber stamping, stencils and calligraphy are just a few of the ways in which you can embellish your pages. Instructions for tea bag folding and diagrams for origami can easily be found online and if you don't have rubber stamps or stencils you can simply doodle with colored pencils, pens, or markers. You are really only limited by your own imagination. Embellishments can be applied to pages with glue, tape, staples, brass fasteners or needle and thread. The possibilities are almost endless.
Your less than perfect photos can also be used to create embellishments. Use them for cut outs by selecting sections that are clear and cutting out people or objects or by creating abstract shapes to use as decoration on your pages. Scanning children's art projects and clip art collections are also great sources.
Scrapbooking can bring hours of entertainment and joy both during and after your projects are created. Getting started is easy and doesn't have to be expensive or intimidating.