These days many people would like to get started in the scrapbooking hobby, but a lot of them are fearful to start because they thing of the cost. They look at all the embellishments, patterned papers and doodads; they think that they are not creative enough to start.

For those who want to create your own design of a scrapbook, the first thing to do is you have to decide on what kind of scrapbook you would like to create. You even have a budding desire to be a scrapbooker, but when you walk into a scrapbook store, you feel misplaced and don’t know where to begin.

There are so many products available in the scrapbooking industry that it is easy to feel lost or overwhelmed. You don’t need to spend a lot to make a scrapbook, you can make it as expensive or inexpensive as you want.

Here is a “Must Have” starter list; you can use this list as a shopping list when you go shopping and you will be able to focus on those things that you really need to get started making beautiful scrapbooks!

• An Album – These come in a variety of sizes and styles. Select the size album you want to work in and find a color or pattern that works for the theme of your album. Do you want a 3-ring or a post-bound album? A 12×12 inch or an 8×8 inch scrapbook? A quick run-down of the choices available and which one’s work best for which project should help make your decision a little easier. A good album is one that will let your pages lay flat when you are looking at them.

• Refill Pages For Your Album. Refills are not standard sizes, so it is best to pick up a few packs when you purchase your album so that you get the same manufacturer and size. This way you will not have to hunt for the refills later.

• A Nice Sharp Pair of Scissors; use to cut paper, stickers, die cuts, etc. One of the fine tips is the scissors must be comfortable to hold and you want a pair of scissors that are dedicated exclusively to your scrapbooking. Make sure that they are always with your supplies and always nice and sharp.

• Adhesive; use this to adhere your photos and paper to your scrapbook page. There are many different styles of adhesive. Different scrapbooking projects require specific adhesives and it’s important to be prepared.

There are two types of adhesives: wet and dry. Wet adhesives are usually referred to as “glue” and come in liquid, paste,  stick or spray form. While Dry adhesives come in the form of tape, tab, dot and photo corners. To get started you want an acid-free adhesive that will work well on both cardstock and photos.

• Cardstock and Patterned Papers. Select paper to go with the colors you wish to accent in your photos. You may want to purchase paper at your local scrapbook store so that you can select individual sheets for each page.

• Journal Pens. Look for acid-free, permanant, 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. Read Handwriting on Your Scrapbook Pages to help you get started using journaling pens.

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Article courtesy by Alexis Kenne

Scrapbooking may very well be one of the most creative hobbies that there is. Some people do it as a hobby while others only do it when they have extra pictures to put together. A scrapbook says so much more than a regular album.

With a scrapbook, you can add designs, memorabilia, and quotes that will help your pictures to come to life. There is not a better way to capture those cherished memories that you hold so dear to your heart. Scrapbooks themes can consist of a wedding, an anniversary, a newborn baby, a baby shower, a birthday, or a holiday party. If it is a time to be remembered, then a scrapbook can hold it.

When you first purchase your scrapbook, it is nice to have an idea of what type of pictures you are going to put inside of it. For example, if you are making a scrapbook for your baby’s birthday, then you might want to purchase a scrapbook with balloons and ribbons on it. You can find a scrapbook anywhere online, and basically anywhere else that photo albums are sold. There are shops that sell scrapbooking supplies in most every state in America. They are usually small businesses that are located either in a strip mall or on a main street somewhere locally.

One of the things you are going to need is a pair of scissors. Since scrapbooking involves creativity, scissors can come in quite handy. You can use your scissors to cut designs out of construction paper and you can also cut your pictures out into designs. Scissors are a great crafting tool when scrapbooking. Glue is another scrapbooking essential. Unless you plan to use tape, glue is best.

Your pictures are by far the most necessary item toward your scrapbook. If you cannot fill it up, then to do not worry. Scrapbooks can be quite large and hard to fill up. Just focus more on the creativity of the book if you do not have enough pictures. Every scrapbook is different and unique in it’s own way. That is what it is all about.

You might also want to consider the individuality that stickers and letters add to your scrapbook. For example, if your scrapbook theme is for a wedding, then you can buy stickers that have little grooms and brides in the package. You can also find lettering in most every size for your scrapbook. Lettering can save you the time it takes to cut your own letters out.

Are there any small items that you want to add to your scrapbook? Some people will take small things such as invitations or pieces of baby hair and glue them to their scrapbooks. It all depends on your preference. You can spice your pages up by adding buttons, feathers, glitter, paint, or anything else that adds a touch of artistic flair. The more the better!

Scrapbooking can be very time consuming. The fact that it is time consuming makes it a great hobby because you know that you will always be able to do it. The pages can take some time to make in your scrapbook, but once you are done, you will have a masterpiece that you will never forget.

4 Quick Scrapbooking Tips by Sharon Tulley

Scrapbooking can be a great way to share the memories of your family and friends by taking advantage of a creative medium and organizing them in a pleasing way. For many of us, the problem is getting organized in the first place!

A scrapbook is like a photo album on crack (or steroids, if you prefer to go with something less illegal. Or Red Bull, if less illicit). With a scrapbook, you’re not limited to photos; anything you have that you want to save and/or display, as long as it will fit reasonably, can be included. All of your favorite knicknacks, trinkets, and other memorabilia can make great additions to a scrapbook.

• You Need Help (Or Could Use Some) It might take hours to go through the items you want to include, but this can be one of the most fun parts of the process. You can make it even more fun if you manage to convince your significant other, spouse, parents or kids to help you.

• Theme It! The next step in scrapbooking (or “scrapping,” as some like to call it) is to design a theme or layout – there could be a recurring theme throughout the book with a different layout for each page, or you could theme every new page independently of the others – the beauty is that it’s completely up to you. Your theme can be as simple or as involved as you want it, but remember not to be overzealous; less is more in many cases.

• Use Your Tools Grab anything and everything you can think of that might be of help. Odd shapes make good stencils or borders, and trying several types of adhesives and writing implements will allow you to get the best results with your materials. You can never have too much colored paper, either!

• Get A Second Opinion This isn’t medical plan 101, I’m talking about actually asking for input from your friends on what they think. It’s hard sometimes to have tough skin and deal with any critiques or criticism someone might have, but I’m sorry to say that it’s part of being a designer! The visual appeal you are trying to create can always benefit from a second set of eyes, no matter what the application.

Scanning Photos For Your Digital Scrapbook   by Pete Fontaine

The art of digital scrapping is soaring in popularity. A quick online search will give you an idea of how many free or low cost tools, templates, and tutorials there are for the taking. It’s easy to find design concepts, creation software, and personalized help. Online scrapbooking chat rooms and communities help with technical information and ideas. It’s never been easier to produce gorgeous custom creations.

Restricting yourself to using just your digital photographs is no longer necessary. You can add hundreds of your older photos to your digital photo gallery for as little as 5 cents each. By sending your pictures to an inexpensive scanning service you can fill in those missing decades in your digital scrapbooks.

Scanning photos for your scrapping hobby has the added advantage of preserving them from deterioration due to moisture, mold, or age. Saving your photos to a DVD also allows you to store a copy in two or more places permanently shielding them from loss or damage. Scanning services make it possible to give a complete set of all your pictures to family members.

Once you’ve gotten your photos scanned for scrapping you can use them to build photobooks online and upload them to a free photo sharing site to share with your friends. Online businesses that sell photo novelties like cards, calendars, and T-shirts are easy to find and use. With a few services you can even build a slideshow with music that you can view on a TV or on a digital picture frame.

Make sure your photo scanning service will scan at 300 dpi. No more, no less. 300 DPI is the best choice for almost all photo scanning purposes, so don’t pay for more. Also make sure that your photos are saved as a high quality jpeg. You will be using jpeg files in your scrapbooking efforts, and though high quality jpegs have bigger files, you can always use your photo editing software to reduce the file size for a copy of the original.

Automatic photo enhancement can improve many of your photos. But don’t pay a lot for this service because it won’t perform miracles, and it won’t make a difference on some photographs. Insist that your photo enhancement is performed on a copy of your master scans. Manipulation of your scans causes them to be recompressed and that, if repeated, will cause quality issues. Make sure your scanning service provides both set of master scans and a set of enhanced scans.

The web is loaded with digital scrapbooking accessories, communities, and educational materials. You can find e-books and embellishments of every kind. Put these tools together with scans from an economical photo scanning service and you’re on your way!