Frugal Scrapbooking

It’s totally unnecessary to invest hundreds of dollars and hours of time to create your own special scrapbooking albums. Armed with the essential tools and supplies, anyone can get started scrapbooking right away. No need to feel intimidated as you peruse isle after isle of memory book products. Stay tuned and you’ll find out how to start preserving your favorite moments without too much muss or fuss.

First, start by selecting what photos you want to work with. Instead of choosing many photos that would fill an entire book about a family vacation, limit yourself to just a handful that focuses on a smaller event, such as junior’s first baseball game. Once the photos are selected, arrange them to get an idea of what size each should be, keeping in mind the total size of the page.

Next, choose the background paper. This can be a solid or patterned paper that reflects the theme of the page you are creating. If you would like to highlight the photos, them mat them onto cardstock. You are welcome to use as many or as few colors as you’d like. Photos can have a uniform frame all around or they can be matted off center. For added interest, use scissors with a decorative edge to cut the mat. Take care that all paper and card stock is lignin and acid free.

Once, the photos are in place, you might consider adding a border on some or all the sides of the page. Simple strips of paper or ribbon would work as well as borders cut using decorative edge scissors. You get to be as creative as you want.

Next, come up with a title or name for this page. Both the color and style of the lettering will add a lot of character to the page. Use alphabet stickers to spell out the title, die-cut letters, or ready-to-use title strips that you simply peel and stick. Stickers should also be acid and lignin free.

Now, grab your special pens or markers and write about the event, note important dates, names and descriptions of places and activities. If you want to be extra careful, write on a separate piece of paper and apply it to the background paper when it looks just right. Only use pens that use pigment ink.

When used strategically, embellishments can turn a nice looking page into a really spectacular one. Embellishments are considered anything that is decorative such as ribbons, buttons, tags, stickers, eyelets and charms. Remember that less is more so resist the urge to use them all.

Keep in mind that until you get more practice, it’s best to lay out all the components of the page and play around with them before deciding on the final layout. Once your satisfied with the result, then it is okay to start gluing things in place.

If you just can’t get started, there are tons of books, magazines and websites you can look at for inspiration. These precious creations even can be created on and printed from your computer. Whatever method you choose, you’ll be sure to enjoy it because every page is a unique creation.