Due to the economic situation we are all in now, we have compiled some tips on how to scrapbook on a budget. You may find that you have more ideas to save money too! Please add your tips by clicking on the “comments” button.
- Use any and all materials you have on hand in the house first
- Buy seasonal embellishments during “off time” of the season you are working in. (i.e. buy Christmas embellishments a week or more after Christmas, etc.)
- Seek page layout ideas from the internet, as opposed to buying high priced scrapbook ideas books at the book store.
- Swap tools and embellishments with your friends and family who are not using them now.
- Only buy your supplies when they are on sale.
- Don’t overstock yourself on embellishments in advance…you may be building up inventory that you may never use again.
- Build a “scraps” collection of unused or “extra” scraps of paper of unused materials. You can always make use of these scraps later.
- If you use stamps, contact your scrapbooking “buddies” and trade use of your stamps for theirs and swap them back.
- When getting photos reproduced, don’t over order duplicates thinking you are going to use all of them. Plan in advance and only order the photo prints you are going to actually use.
- If you are going to use a lot of a particular embellishment, get your scrapbooking buddies to chip in money to buy them and share the embellishments with them.
- Contact your scrapbook buddies and ask them if they have any embellishments or materials that they don’t intend on using and ask for them.
- Always be on the lookout for discount coupons at art stores like Michaels. You never know when you will have need for them in a moment’s notice!
- “Shop” the internet for scrapbook supplies….quite often they are cheaper than you could buy at a local store.
These are just some ideas to make a scrapbook on the cheap. There is always creative ways to make scrapbooks. The main expense on any scrapbook project is going to be the binder. Don’t sacrifice on that….you want the binder to last for a very long time. As always, use acid free paper for mounting photos.
Here is a very interesting video telling you how to make 3-D flowers for your scrapbook page. All you need is a die cut machine and colorful paper. Great video.
This post will talk about the many different items you can add to your scrapbook. The most popular category is embellishments. They can consist of anything other than a photograph, page or a journal entry.
Here are just some of the materials you can add to your next scrapbook.
Buttons are most common. They can be found on hand me down clothes, or bought very cheaply at your local fabric store. Speaking of fabric, you can buy very unusual and decorative fabrics that you can use to spruce up photos, full scrapbook pages, or make shapes that accents the theme. Paint can be a very viable way of making your pages unique. Just think of what you can do with custom colored paper and then add a touch of paint from your own paint brush. Ribbons can be used to make patterns or frame photos. Rub on transfers and stickers are great to add a special touch. Stickers are available in many materials such as paper, plastic, foil, vellum and glitter, to name a few. And of course we cannot forget the many different paper and paper textures available. The sky’s the limit on how you can use paper.
Some helpful tools used to make your scrapbook are: punches, scissors, and edging scissors, knives, paste, glue, ink pads, embossing machines, die cutting machines, double sided tape, adhesives, brush markers, cutting mat, eyelets, mini drill, glue gun, laminating machine, stencils. paper trimmers, stiching machine, foil press, and acetate. Of course there are many other tools used for making scrapbooks but these are the most common.
When scrapbooking, the most important thing to know is that there is no right or wrong way to make one. There is no rule that says you have to do anything in a certain way. Actually the more you are a "newbie" to this craft, the better! Make sure you have a plan of at least knowing what the theme is and make it consistent with the theme. For example. if you are doing a Valentine scrapbook, make sure you are consistent with having the color red throughout the binder and pages.
One of the most popular of embellishments on scrapbook pages is flowers. For those of you who remember the 1960’s when flower stickers were all the rage, it seems like what is old is new again.
What is cool about flowers is that it never goes out of fashion and can be sized to fit any page or binder cover. They come in all sorts of colors, made of many different materials, and works with many different themes.
Here are some ideas using flower embellishments:
- Layer flower designs on top of each other across the page
- Use flowers to border a photograph
- Use flowers to bullet point your journaling
- Fashion your own flowers using looped ribbon for the petals
- Crochet your own flowers in minutes using a template from a Crochet Pattern
- Fold fabric flowers in half and attach behind a photo or patterned paper
- Use pictures of flowers from the Internet to make a collage
- Add a 3D feel to silk or fabric flowers by stamping them with ink and then sprinkling with embossing powder
We will have another article on flower embellishments coming soon.
Different types of paper can make a dramatic difference in the appearance of your scrapbook. Most often, paper is used as a background for mounting photos within the scrapbook binder. As mentioned before, having a contrasting color of paper behind the photo can bring out the image of the photo. You can also use paper for a frame with an opening for the photo to show through. Another use of paper is to fold it in 3-D shapes and make it an embellishment. If you fold a small brightly colored piece of construction paper like an accordian, you can add it as an embellishment that helps bring out the memory or journal story that is presented.
We have found a great source to purchase paper for your next scrapbook. The website is called "PaperAddict." This site has many different types and designs of paper specially made for scrapbooks. There are over 100 different groupings of specialty paper offered.
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Color coordination and contrast will highlight and accent your scrapbook. A well thought out color scheme can help define the theme of a page, attract attention to specific items, or detract away from mistakes. Poorly chosen color schemes, on the other hand, can cause your scrapbook page to look gaudy or mismatched.
Background colors can either be matched, coordinated, or contrasted with the colors in your photographs, mementos, or embellishments. Matching colors add to the continuity of the color scheme. Coordinated colors add depth to scrapbook pages. Contrasted colors focus the eye. In this way, color can be used to create the effect you desire.
A great way to see how colors look together is to collect and compare color wheels from your local paint or hardware store. Paint wheels are usually available free for the taking in nearly any paint department. If you do not have access to a color wheel, use your best judgement on what colors contrast the best. It is recommended to have either a bright color or dark pastel color behind photographs
For more pizazz, you might want to add more of a 3-D effect to your scrapbook.
If you want to create pages that pop up, consider creating your own pages with 3-D embellishments. Collect the items that you will need to create your embellishments. You will want to have plenty of scraps of fabric and felt, as well as wire, felt flowers, small wooden rods, fiber, yarn, die cuts, cotton, and anything else you can think of to create with. Start by thinking of the color scheme you wish to use to create your item. Then think about the page it is going to be displayed on, and choose an item to create that is in line with the page theme.
Start with a die cut and build your embellishment around it. If you are using a die cut of an animal or person, consider adding googgly eyes to it to start the process. Use fabric to add texture and bounce to the design. Be as creative as you possibly can! And do not forget about foam squares to add layers to your creation.
One of the easiest ways to create texture and depth in your scrapbook is to add fibers to the pages. Purchase fun and lively fibers for your pages. One cute idea is to use the fibers to create a look where the pictures look like they are actually in frames and hanging from the wall. The fibers create the string that the picture is "hanging from" and the background paper creates the frame. Use a brad as the "nail."
As you are designing your 3-D pages, keep in mind the safety of your pictures. You want to make sure that there is nothing that will poke or fold your photos, and you don’t want photos rubbing too hard against the facing page. Store your scrapbooks upright, as you don’t want to put too much pressure on the contents. After all, you did so much work to create those 3D embellishments that it would be a shame to squash them flat!
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The most devestating thing that happens to photos with age is fading and deterioation. You know what I mean…the old photos turn yellow, get brittle, even stick in pieces to the sheet protectors they were mounted on.
This can be alleviated by using only acid free paper and sleeves. Use sheet protectors to mount photos. Anything that can shield pictures from oxidation and constant touching by human hands is strongly suggested. Stay away from any "sticky" albums or adhesive to self mount pictures or "magnetic" cellophane. All of these materials can deteriorate pictures immediately.
When you get photo prints from a photo processing company, make sure the photo paper is acid free, lignin free and ph neutral. Believe it or not, some photo processing companies will sometimes give you prints on acid materials without you knowing about it.
If you print out photos on your own ink jet printer, make sure you check that the ink is acid free as well. Keep all images and picture surfaces away from direct sunlight, humidity and liquids.
Lastly, make sure you digitally back up all your photos on a CD of DVD. This precaution can come in handy if you should ever run into damaged photos in your scrapbook for whatever reason.
If you take good care of your scrapbooks, you will enjoy many years of enjoyment of your "prized" scrapbook!
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Scrapbook albums or binders come in 2 basic sizes…either 8 1/2" x 11" or 12′ x 12." Although you would think that 8 1/2" x 11" would be a most common size used, the 12" x 12" has been the most popular just because of the size of the pages you can work on. Think for a moment of the various pictures and journals and embellishments that would be spread out on a page, and soon you will discover that the larger would work better.
You might think that you won’t be able to find paper or sheet protectors and other items that fit a 12" x 12" album but all scrapbook stores and scrapbook supply websites have plenty of them for this particular size.
There are 3 types of scrapbook binders that hold the pages together. They are; 3 ring binder, post bound, and strap bound. The easiest of all three is the 3 ring binder because it is strong and flexible enough to accomodate pages and switching out of pages. The post bound involves three vertical posts that have screws that can be removed to add pages when needed. This type is very flexible too. Lastly, the strap bound is made up of an expandable strap hinge that weaves through each page edge. It is the least flexible of all three types.
Whatever album or binder that you choose, make sure that it is made of acid free and and the paper in it is lignin free. This will avoid any discoloration and deterioration to the contents of each page in the years to come.
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There are as much variety of embellishments that you can put into a scrapbbook as your imagination allows! When we talk about embellishments we are talking about any "non photo" materials that make your scrapbook come alive in 3-D. Some items that are embellishments can be:
Stickers, beads, silk flowers, fibers, stamps, clips, shells, chipboards, buttons, charms, chains, coins, newspaper articles, greeting cards, show tickets, locks of hair, ribbons, pinwheels, washers, and braids, just to name a few.
When you insert embellishments, you should be very selective in positioning them as not overuse them and make it balance the overall design of the page.
In the next several posts, we will show some of the uses of embellishments.
