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.

For many people, photos are at the heart of their scrapbooks and for a very good reason. We all treasure photographs of friends and loved ones, and many of us carry some with us wherever we go in a wallet or locket or keep photos on our desk at work. And if disaster were to strike and you had to evacuate your house, many people say they would save their photo albums before any other possessions!

So most scrapbooks will contain photographs. Even the most disinterested reader of your scrapbook will look at them. A picture really is worth a thousand words. Therefore, it is important to choose photographs that are of good quality and clearly illustrate your scrapbook theme.

Any photograph can be used in a scrapbook. Even instant photographs can be used in scrapbooking. Just be careful that the chemicals within the photograph do not spill out on the rest of your scrapbook. Digital pictures can easily be printed right onto lightin-free and acid -free paper.

Always bear in mind that scrapbooking is permanent. For this reason, it is probably better to use copies of your only picture of Great Aunt Betsy rather than risk ruining the original photograph forever. So just scan the picture on your computer scanner and print the image on lignin free and acid free paper.

Everybody loves looking at photos of family, friends and special places. That’s why they have such a special place in any scrapbook. It can be a lot of fun to use photos in imaginative layouts and for abstract effects — don’t feel confined just to mounting your photos as you would in a traditional photo album.

You can find inspiration for new scrapbooking ideas from magazines and visits to art museums. Just keep your eyes open and let your imagination run free!

It is true to say that a lot of people begin to get the scrapping bug after their child/children are born and usually their first attempt at scrapbooking is making a baby album.

Having a child is one of the most important events in our lives and baby first year is a busy, lively, ever changing journey of discovery. It is full of important milestones.

As parents we want to capture and record all those many memorable moments – preserving them in scrapbooks is a great way to safely keep and cherish those memories for years to come.

One timeless and extremely popular baby scrapbooking idea is to make an album that consists of firsts.

This is a relatively easy and flexible theme to follow, especially for someone new to scrapbooking and is a great way to create enchanting baby scrapbooks.

This kind of album usually consists of a scrapbook arranged in chronological order with individual layouts showing special and notable moments in your baby’s life.

New babies are so photogenic it’s hard to resist capturing all the big and little things that make up their day-to-day lives.

No doubt you will have lots of pictures to sort through; so here a small list of firsts to give you some ideas for organizing your photos:

• sleep/nap
• bottle/breast feed
• diaper change
• dressed in their first outfit
• ride in a car seat
• smiles
• bath
• trip out in the buggy
• solid food
• teeth
• sitting up
• drinking from a cup
• feeding him/herself
• crawling
• walking with the furniture
• steps/walking on their own
• hair cut
• Halloween
• Christmas

To add a little more interest to your album try and vary the layouts, for instance make some events into double page spreads. Such as coming home from the hospital or bath-time, which always presents an opportunity for some great photos!

Give your pages a personal touch by adding some memorabilia, using a pocket envelope, to your layouts – like the birth announcement or maybe a lock of hair from their first hair cut.

If you are new to scrapbooking and you’re unsure about starting out on your new album then a good choice would be to buy yourself a baby scrapbook kit. These kits contain everything you will need to begin scrapbooking and are a great shortcut to creating super layouts that you can be proud of.

You can also enhance your pages with some of the many baby-related products that are available on the market. Decorate your layout with an adorable or cute baby scrapbook paper.

Then, embellish your page with some charming baby scrapbook stickers like rattles, booties, bibs, bottles etc and when they’re done display all of your beautiful pages in a lovely baby scrapbook album.

Go on give it a go. Make yourself a baby scrapbook to savor and keep all those incredible memories. You’ll find it’s much more than just a scrapbook; it will become a precious family keepsake that you’ll treasure forever.

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