Scrapbooking means to create photo books that not only contain the photos but also all kinds of memorabilia. They are intended to present your memories in a beautiful way and some people would consider them art.
A scrapbook page usually consist of one or more photos, a title and one or more journaling spots which tell the story behind the pictures.
So scrapbooks is just another word for photo albums.
Scrapbooking Supplies
When it comes to scrapbook supplies the possibilities are endless. From rubber stamps over all sorts of patterned paper to embossing folders and ink pads. If you really start scrapbooking (or scrapping) you will be amazed how much space that can take up. Hence good scrapbook storage methods are very important but more on that later.
If you are just starting out here are a few things that will make your life a whole lot easier without overwhelming you.
Scrapbooking Supplies For Beginners
Photos are the main component of scrapping. Hence you will need a stach of photos or a photo printer to get started.
The probably most important thing is some sort of cutter. Of course you can use simple scizzors and you should really have a sharp one at hand anytime. But if it comes to scrapbooking you will have to cut stright lines and right angles all the time. Therefore I highly recommend a paper cutter.
Paper is another essential part of scrapbooking. Of course you can go the whole distance and paint paper with your own color choices and patterns. Since this is really time consuming most scrappers choose to buy a stack of patterned paper. They usually come in packs of 10 to 50 papers. I recommend to start with one or two packs to see if scrapbooking actually is something you like.
Although there are all sorts of embellishements out there and you might feel tempted to buy all of them these three things are your essential. Now that you have the most important parts you still need to put them together. The last thing you really need to scrapbook is some sort of adhesive. Although you can use any kind of adhesive like hot glue, common glue and even tissue tape, I recommend using repositional adhesive. Foam adhesive can be used to creat some depth.
You will also need some sort of pen to draw your title, write your journaling and maybe even for adding some embellishements.
Advanced Scrapbooking Supplies
What most people can’t live without is a corner rounder. It takes the harsh edges and creats a smmoth overall appearance. Other punches like hearts, borders and flowers might come in handy as well.
Rubber stamps are a great way to embellish your layout without adding bulk to the page. If you decide to use clear rubber stamps you will also need an acrylic block as well as ink pads in various colors. If you can’t decide which colors to start with I would go with black first, then maybe some brown and some green. If you like stamping a lot you can then still get pink and blue and yellow and each color you wish. In combination with rubber stamps I recommend baby wipes for cleaning and you might also choose to get some brushes and some sort of sponge for even more creative ways to apply your ink.
Than you might want a pasta machine (or the professional embossing correspondant) to die cut various shapes and to emboss some pieces of your layout.
Furthermore you can use embossing powder to enhance your stamping.
Scrapbooking Ideas
Most people like to scrapbook with standarf 12×12 pages. But you can do any size. You can even create so colled minibooks. Some of them are not larger than 5×5 inches, some look like purses and some look like a wizard book of spells. Be creative.
Scrapbook ideas for embellishements:
Buttons
Ribbons
Paper strips
Flowers
Borders
Rubons
Tags
Fethers
Stickers
Lace
Playing cards
All sorts of memorabilia
Digital Scrapbooking
If you love your PC you can even do scrapbooking with it. Digital Scrapbooking is an art on its own. Most commonly used is Photoshop. You can buy all sorts of digital paper or you can create them yourself. Same goes for all sorts of embellishements. And if you like your layout you can simply print it out and have a hardware copy to show off at your next family gathering.
Scrapbook Paper
If somebody talks about scrapbook paper she is most likely refering to some sort of heavy patterned paper. You can find scrapbooking paper with polkadots, stripes, flowers, sheet music, writing, animals, any kind of motif you can think of and even more.
HOW TO CHOOSE PATTERNED PAPER:
At first you should choose your main paper. It can be busy, it can be colorful, it can be anything you want. You can try to match it up with one or two colors on your photo which you want to emphasise. Then you might add about two accent papers. Those should have very basic patterns and should be monochromatic so that the patterns of the paper don’t start to compete against each other.
Scrapbook Layouts
If you want to create your own scrapbooking layouts you can sketch them on a piece of paper or you can just imagine a ruff idea and start crafting. It’s recommended to start with a simple layout which means few – preferably one – images and three or four patterns of paper.
Find a place for your picture, matt your photo and then layer the different papers on top of each other. The fun part is to get creative and embellish as long as you feel something is missing.
Scrapbooking Quotes
If you need inspirational quotes for your scrapbooking just head over to inspirationalquotes.info to fill your scrapbook albums with something to dwell on.
Scrapbook Page Ideas
Once you started scrapping you will probably be overwhelmed by all the possibilities. Try to find a project that you love, like a baby scrapbook or a wedding scrapbook and just be creative. There is no right or wrong and if you put your heart into it everyone will appreciate it.
Scrapbook Storage
If it’s just about the scrapbook storage itself then there is not much to be said. You store them as you would any other photo album. But if it’s about scrapping – well, it’s very easy to get caught by the “How cute I have to have that!”-fever. Try to cut down to what you really use regularly and organize what you already have.
If you have a special craft room or even scrap room, you’re golden. If not try to set aside a scrap cupboard or at least a special drawer. It’s best to store your paper in some sort of file drawer for easy access, same goes for clear stamps. Think about “How am I going to store it” right when you think about buying something new. And if you figure that you don’t know how to store it, go ahead and do a little research. There might be a similar product with much better storage design.
How To Scrapbook
Now you know the very basics about how to scrapbook, but there is so much more to learn. Just be creative and have fun – the sky is the limit.
