Scrapbooking Supplies for Beginners

Scrapbooking has been around for ages, but it has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity. People from all walks of life have discovered the joys of creating albums to showcase their treasured photos and keepsakes. The problem is that there are so many elaborate scrapbook techniques and embellishments available that getting started scrapbooking can be intimidating! It’s easy to look at all the cool supplies available online and in craft stores and suffer from analysis paralysis.

The truth is, anyone that can use scissors and glue can scrapbook and you don’t have to spend lots of money to create pretty pages. With some basic supplies and a little imagination, you can create lovely scrapbooks that will be adored for years to come.

What You Need to Get Started Scrapbooking

You can get started scrapbooking on a small budget. Here are the things you'll need.

An album - Scrapbooking albums come in all shapes and sizes. The most popular are 8 1/2" x 11" and 12" x 12". Letter-sized 8.5x11 notebooks typically hold fewer pages, but papers are easy to come buy and less expensive. Scrapbooking notebooks can be found at most craft supply stores, and even discount retailers, if you don't have a scrapbooking supply store nearby.

Paper - Scrapbooking paper can be found in a variety of solid colors and patterns. This will be the basis for each page. If you’re using a letter sized scrapbook, you can also find and print digital scrapbook papers.

Cutting tools - You can easily get by with just a good pair of scissors. A hobby knife (or "Exacto knife") can come in handy for detail work, and if you’re nervous about cutting straight lines you might also want a paper cutter. Instead of getting one of those huge guillotine-style paper cutters, you can get a small, folding paper trimmer that takes far less space and is safer to use.

• Adhesives - There are all sorts of adhesives you can use for scrapbooking. Glue sticks and double-sided tape, both flat and foam, are popular. Some people also like to use rubber cement or glue dots. Personally, I really like Tacky Glue, but you have to be careful with it to ensure it doesn’t cause your pages to buckle or wrinkle. Applying too much of the glue can lead to unattractive results! However, when applied sparingly, Tacky Glue works very well and the hold lasts for a long time.

Photos - You can either use old photos or take new ones for your scrapbook. People frequently theme their scrapbooks and collect pictures that fit the theme. They might make a scrapbook for the first year of their child or grandchild’s life, for example, or one built around last year’s family vacation. A digital camera and photo printer make taking and printing your own photos easy, but you can also send your digital prints to a local shop or even use pictures taken with a film camera.

Cut outs & embellishments - People spend lots of money buying die cuts, or even buying their own die cut machines, but you don’t need these things to get started! Instead, find yourself some free patterns or templates online for common embellishment shapes like hearts, circles, or stars. Print them out and trace the patterns onto your scrapbooking paper to create embellishments that are virtually free! If you have a good heart template and a star template, you’ll be able to decorate for a range of holidays including Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July!

There are many special scrapbooking pens and markers available, but you don’t have to go overboard and buy all of them just to get started. A fine-tip Sharpie pen is all you need to get started!

No mater what papers, adhesives, or pens/markers you use, it’s important to make sure they are acid-free. Have you ever seen a paperback book with yellowed pages? That happens because the acid content of the paper causes it to deteriorate. If you don’t use acid-free scrapbooking supplies, the same thing will happen to your precious scrapbook!

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get started scrapbooking. These inexpensive supplies will get you scrapbooking in no time!

Natasha is a certified high school history teacher and blogger at The Artisan Life where she shares her love of crafting and gratitude.