Scrapbooking On A Budget

If you’re thinking about getting into scrapbooking, but not quite sure if you have the budget for it – think again! You don’t have to spend tons of money on supplies in order for it to be a fulfilling and fun family hobby. The cool thing about scrapbooking is that it can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be, and everything in between!

Assuming you’re new to the hobby of scrapbooking, just keep in mind that getting started doesn’t require a large investment. As a matter of fact, you could easily get started for as little as $20 – assuming you have some stuff and general supplies like glue, scissors, and tape laying around the house. All you’ll need is the actual scrapbook, and some pages for it and that surely won’t put you in the hole financially.

First, the most important and vital piece of the entire operation is the actual scrapbook album. This is what holds all your pages together. A good album will be easy to open and flip through, and have a nice thick cover. When picking out an album, make sure you get one that’s big enough to hold everything you plan on putting in, and also for the stuff you didn’t plan on putting in – because once you get going, you’ll be surprised at how much you probably have to cram in there!

The pages for the scrapbook should definitely be acid free, that way it doesn’t eat away over time, and protects your priceless photos. Make sure you also get good ink that won’t bleed through to other pages, or it could turn into quite a messy mess and worst case scenario – ruin your pictures!

One of the bigger investments you’ll make (but oh so worth it) is a sticker machine. These are cool machines that turn your pictures into stickers, and you can have hours and hours of fun with it – not to mention it makes the process a lot easier. These machines are optional, but pretty common with 99% of scrapbookers. You can pick them up for as little as $20 – and if you can afford it, trust me – get it!

If you want to start with a kit, there are many good ones out there, even made by recognizable names like Martha Stewart. You can find these kits at pretty much any craft store around town, and most of the time they’re pretty reasonably priced. I’ve seen them for as low as $5-$10 depending on what size of kit you decide to buy.

The best thing to remember when starting out scrapbooking is to start small. Use decorations and things you have laying around the house before you go and spend $100 on fancy supplies from a store. You’ll find it more exciting and wonderful to use your own supplies anyway. When you get good at it, then you can go out and get the fancy decorations. However you do it, just remember that it can be a great family activity, and have fun at it!