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Scrapbooking supplies make it all happen

Your tools for scrapbooking are essential. Without the right tools, making a scrapbook will be a very daunting and overwhelming task. I’m going to go over the basic, and eventually more advanced, scrapbooking materials.

Basic Scrapbook Materials:

Scrapbook Albums – The size and type of album you decide to buy will determine everything about your scrapbook as far as how you will create your layout. You will have to stay within that scrapbook albums size, and all the paper you buy will have to be the right size. The type of album you buy will also determine the ease with which you can rearrange, add, or remove album pages. Try to find a scrapbook album that is sturdy.

Scrapbook Paper – The paper must fit the size of your album! There is a huge array of scrapbooking paper for all of your scrapbooking needs.

Stickers – These are extremely useful when trying to come up with a page layout. Stickers add appeal to your scrapbook page. There are millions of stickers to choose from. You can use letter stickers to create a title for your page, or cute stickers with images on them to place anywhere on the page. I suggest buying a package of scrapbook stickers. Also, rubber stamps can be fun and useful, too!

Scrapbooking Adhesives – Glue, tape, etc. I suggest using a tape roller, which can be found at any arts and crafts store.

Scissors – These can be used for cutting paper and photos. For your main scissors, try to find a sharp pair that won’t dull quickly. To create a textured border on photos, buy a pair of decorative scissors. A very useful tool for scrapbooking.

Markers and Pens – Use these for scrapbook journaling and writing little notes in your scrapbook. Gel pens are very popular. You should keep a few special markers and pens for your scrapbooking supplies.

Advanced Scrapbook Supplies:

These are scrapbook materials and tools for scrapbooking that aren’t essential, but should definitely be considered for making a creative scrap book.

Scrapbook Punches –Punches are a very popular scrapbooking supply! There are many different sizes and types. They even make corner punches to round the corners of mats or photos!

Eyelets – These make your scrapbook layouts more appealing. You will, however, need to have the right scrapbooking tools. Buy an eyelet setter, which usually comes with tweezers, a hole punch, and a hammer. You can buy a traditional eyelet setting kit or purchase a silent setter that is now on the market.

Embossing Tools – This is a technique that creates a raised image on your scrapbook page using embossing powder, embossing ink pads, and heat. You can emboss titles, borders, background textures, and the edges of the paper!

Paper Trimmers and Cutters – Use these to cut paper and crop photos with ease. You don’t have to worry about cutting crooked edges with a paper trimmer. A very useful tool to add to your scrapbooking supplies.

Die Cuts and Cut-Outs - Preprinted sheets in which you cut out the designs or letters to use on your scrapbook pages. Your scrapbook will look like you've devoted a lot of time to it after only minutes.

Tips for Choosing Scrapbooking Tools:

Look for materials that are acid-free, lignin-free, or photo-safe. This is extremely important because if you use otherwise, your photos will deteriorate and be destroyed over time. If the product is not labeled as such, then look for an alternative.

Scrapbook storage is very important, too. Find a safe space where you can store all of your scrapbooking supplies, photographs, and other materials that you might use. It can be a whole room, a desk, a closet, or even a file cabinet. Sometimes it can get cluttered and confusing when you start scrapbooking. This helps to stay organized and keep track of everything.