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Scrapbooking crops are great ways to get friends together to talk, eat, drink, and scrap. they're also great ways to try new products, learn new techniques, and share with your scrappin' buddies. Setting up a successful crop takes time, but in the end it will all be worth it.

First and foremost, you need to decide where the crop will be held. Sure, you'd like to hold it at your place, but you need to be realistic as well - if you live in a small apartment or house, do you have enough room to invite 10 people to scrap comfortably? Also, will you be prepared if someone gets black ink on your white tablecloth? If not, you may want to look into different places: some scrapbooking and craft stores have rooms available for crops; these rooms may be free to use, but you might be charged to use their equipment (die-cut machines, paper trimmers, punches, etc.). Some local churches or organizations may have rooms to rent, but you may have to set up tables and chairs, and you will have to bring all of your own supplies. If you have a friend or relative who scraps, with a more suitable home - and you were going to invite them anyway - why not see if they would want to co-host with you.

Next, assess your seating. Do you have enough table space for scrapping and for tools? How about seats? Do you need to borrow or rent any of these things? Make a list of what you have, and as the RSVPs roll in, see what you will need.

The fun part is the list of invitees. You'll want to invite people of different skill levels, and especially people who enjoy sharing their particular skills with others. Be sure to invite people who want to learn to scrapbook as well - even if they just watch, they'll learn, and know for sure if it's something they want to dive into.

If your crop is going to be a long one - say four or five hours - you'll want to have some snacks on hand for your guests. Set up the snacks on a table or kitchen island away from the work areas. Consider snacks that won't be very messy, like pretzels, snack-size candy or granola bars, vegetables and dip, or cheese and crackers. For drinks, consider bottled water, soda pop, iced tea, or "energy" drinks.

You will also want to assess your stash of tools. If you are inviting seasoned scrappers, they will probably come with a tote full of tools they love to use. But is some of your invitees are just starting or don't have the tote to carry everything, you'll need the following tools: paper trimmer, scissors, adhesives, acid-free pens, and hole punches and/or other assorted punches. If you have one, or know a really nice person to invite who has one, you may also want to set up a personal die-cutting system; if you or your guest isn't comfortable having guests "learn" on it (because they're not inexpensive), set it up so guests can make requests and the owner can help them or cut for them.

When it's finally time to crop, there's only one more thing to do: have fun!

Learn more about this author, Paula S. Thompson.
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