These are the essentials:
An Album - First you should decide what size
album you want to work with. They come in a variety of sizes but
the most popular are 8˝ x 11 or 12 x 12. Each one has its pros and
cons. I like 12 X 12, because I can fit several pictures on a
single page to help tell my story. However, these albums are
large. If you plan to take your albums when you visit
friends and relatives, you might want to stick with 8˝ x 11 albums.
Also, 12 x 12 pages can not be printed on a standard desktop printer,
however you can always cut out items from your 8˝ prints and paste them
onto the larger pages.
Next you need to decide what type of album you prefer.
The most common are 3-ring, post-bound or strap-bound.
A 3-ring album is the easiest to use. It
allows you to rearrange pages quickly and with little hassle, however if you want to
create 2 page spreads, the adjacent pages will be separated by the
rings when it is open. This may not be desirable for your pages
to look like they belong together.
Post-bound albums allow adjacent pages to lie
relatively flat when opened, with no separation between them. They use
the same page protectors as the ring albums, so you could have
both types of albums and buy refills that will work in either. Additional posts can
also be added for expansion, making the capacity
variable to suit your needs. Rearranging pages is not as quick and
easy as 3-ring albums, but it is not difficult.
Strap-bound albums have an expandable strap
hinge. A disadvantage of this type of album is that the album must be
taken apart to move pages. These albums, when opened, allow adjacent
pages to lie flat without the hinge being seen. If you get an album
where the page is bound to the strap, then you’ll need to get special
page protectors. Some albums have the page protectors bound to the
strap and pages can be slipped in and out through the top of the
protector.
Whatever type or size you choose, make sure the album
you get is archival. This means that it’s made with acid free materials
and any included paper is also lignin free. A word of caution here, stay
away from “magnetic” albums. They are most likely not archival and can
ruin your pictures and documents in a few years. I have always
purchased my albums on sale or with coupons. I have NEVER paid
full price for any. If you have a Hobby Lobby Store near you, be
sure to visit their website before you go shopping. I picked up a
beautiful white 12 x 12 album that sold for $16.99. Buy checking
the Hobby Lobby website, I found the coveted 40% off coupon!
$6.80, not bad!
Refill pages for your album. Refills are not all
the same. It is best to pick up a few packs when you purchase your
album so that you get the same manufacturer, size and design. This way
you will not have to hunt for the matching refills later. The
refill pages will be on sale frequently. Watch your sale flyers.
I have not found these at any bargain store yet, but I'm hopeful.
A nice sharp pair of scissors. My favorites have
very fine tips and are comfortable to hold in my hand. You want a pair
of scissors that are dedicated exclusively to your scrapbooking. This
way they are always with your supplies and always nice and sharp. Never,
Ever use your scrapbook scissors for cutting other things. Check
out a Big Lots or other Discount Store. They will offer a variety
of scissors at a much lower cost.
Adhesive. There are many, many different styles
of adhesive. To get started you want an acid-free adhesive that will
work well on both cardstock and photos. I like to use a refillable Wheel
Dispenser and acid-free glue sticks. (Don't get the colored stuff.
When you get to the end, the color is so intense that it DOES NOT
disappear!) DO NOT use Elmer's School Glue.
If you go to their web site they don't recommend it for scrapbooks.
There are other liquid glues made specifically for scrapbooking, such as
Dab'n Stic Liquid Scrapbook Glue. I like this product because of
the spring in the top. It never spills!
A glue like this is not an
essential, but on my first scrapbook I found that I needed a liquid glue
to adhere a tiny string of pearl beads to the page.
The
thrifty shopper will first head to their local dollar store. They
offer glue sticks that are acid free and come 5 or 6 to a card for $1.
The refillable Wheel Dispensers are normally sold in
hobby stores and there are many brands to choose from. Be
sure to take a mini calculator with you to help in comparing which one
offers the most tape for the best price. I have found that they
list the length of the tape in feet and in inches and even in yards.
Unless you are a math wiz, it gets very confusing to figure out how much
per foot they are charging.
Cardstock and Printed Papers. Select paper to go
with the colors you wish to accent in your photos. You will not need to
purchase a big package of 50 papers to start. Take a couple of your pictures with you to
help choose the right colors. Go to the Dollar Store!!!!!!
My local Dollar Tree sells scrapbook paper in packages that are mostly 6
-10 sheets for $1 per package. Watch the sale flyers of your local hobby and craft
stores. Michael's Crafts has paper on sale often at .25 a sheet.
I recently picked up 2 packages of cardstock that I found at a resale
shop. They were new in the plastic. When I examined them I
thought each package had about 5 sheets,
each a different color. They were priced at .49, so I got both
packages. I also had a 25% off coupon for this resale shop.
(Didn't know that resale shops had coupons? Just ask them how to get on
their mailing list.) When I got home and opened them I found that they
contained 10 sheets (2 of each color)! I was thrilled. Total cost
75 cents! The thrifty scrapbooker strikes again!!!!!
(Review the
Scrapbook Paper article for more tips on paper purchases.)
Journal Pens. Look for acid-free, permanent, pens
with fine tips for hand writing your journaling. If you wish to hand
write titles for your pages you may wish to purchase pens that have a
fine tip on one end and a wider tip on the opposite end. A single
black pen is sufficient to start. I got mine at a Family Dollar
store. It came in a package with 5 other colors. Cost? $2.
OK, those are the essentials. However, if you are
like me there is always something else that you want to add to your
supplies. Here are the ones I recommend adding next.
A 12" Paper Trimmer. I bought mine the
second day after I started scrapbooking. I used my 40% off coupon
too.
Embellishments that coordinate with your pages,
such as stickers, 3-D Stickers, buttons, and more. I have a
weakness for embellishments. It wasn't until I discovered that
Dollar Tree sold them that I went wild! I stop in that store at
least once a week just to see what they have gotten in stock. Since I
have a new Granddaughter, its pretty easy for me to pick out ones that I
know will be used soon.
Lastly I recommend A Resource Book. I went to the
local library and checked out every book they had on scrapbook making.
I spent a week reviewing them. I found that I kept going back to
the same 2 books, so I decided they would be the first books in my
scrapbook library. I chose:
Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooking Solutions: A Treasury Of Favorites
and
Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Tips & Techniques .
Check them out through these links. Not only can you get them new,
but they are also offered used. A HUGH savings. I got my
Tips & Techniques for $4.95 (including shipping.)
Remember it is only the beginning! There are
corner cutters, die cut machines, stamps, and on and on and on.
Just remember. Shop wisely, watch sales, collect coupons, visit Dollar Stores
and resale shops, and think THRIFTY.
