Scrapbooking Tips

The whole advantage to this system is that I only buy what I need or will use.  An exception to this only buying what you need is if there
is a sale on items that you use year after year.  For example, I will buy Christmas, Birthday, Camping stickers/pages if they are on sale
as this is something that our family celebrates or participates in annually.

Another tip is to find other scrapbookers and trade for items you need.  I have 5 boys and 1 girl so if I buy a pack of paper I trade away most of the pink color for blue.
--Gaye
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A lot of people who are into scrapbooking have scraps of paper or extra   stickers they are never going to use, and will sometimes freely offer them  to you (or your children!) if you mention you have taken up the hobby. 

We  have been known to use wrapping paper or even newsprint (for a nostalgic    look) cut to size as decorative paper, although keep in mind its not  acid-free. If you go in with a few friends, you can buy fancy materials in   bulk at the bigger craft stores, and split them among everyone. 

When  shopping for a book, get an expandable one, so that you can buy just  papers later instead of a whole new book. When looking for an expensive  scrap book, try eBay, especially if you want a name-brand one. I have  found the HUGE Creative Memories 
books there for as little as $12, which  are expandable. But even discount places are carrying medium quality scrapbooks now that 
are half that price, though they may or may not be  expandable. 

Make friends with a scrapbook materials dealer or consultant,
and let him or her know you want to know when (s)he puts things
on  sale/clearance to get rid of inventory.
--Amy

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And use every last little piece.  Small scraps are great for punches, when matting photos, cut out the centre of the mat. It will be under the photo, so no one will know.  This makes your book lighter (a plus) and you can use that piece for something else.

A few good quality pens will go a very long way.  You can use them to draw borders, journal, make titles.  Very inexpensive when you consider a $4 pen could last you years (mine have).

If using a 12X12 album, make a ten inch square out of cardboard.
Position this on the page at an angle and trace - voila, a great border.
Reposition it slightly and trace again - now you have a fancier border.
You can add little stickers, or make pen dots/squiggles to accent it.

Your photos are the treasure in the album, along with your writing.  Let these be the focus, and then add embellishments as you can. 

Swap with friends, form a little group and each buy one tool, then share the different tools on a crop night.

There are so many ways to be creative without spending money and without worrying about the safety of items you put in the album. Sharing tools, swapping stickers (or leftovers,even) buying a few pens, using the Michaels or local scrapbook store coupons can be a huge moneysaver in the long run.

Remember, you make these albums to treasure them, so always be aware of what you put in them.  It's not a money saver if you ruin your photos with unsafe materials.

--Jackie
 

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