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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

How To Buy Scrapbook Supplies Locally

scrapbooking supplies locally
Are you interested in starting a scrapbook? If so, is this your first book? If it is, you may be unsure as to what scrapbook supplies you need, as well as where you can buy them. You will be pleased with your options. There is not only a wide range of scrapbook supplies available for sale, but many of your local retail stores should carry them.

TIP! Don't have inking stamp pad to add emphasis to your edges? Use a fine-tip black pen and draw lightly on the edges to create an inked look.


To get started with this hobby you need to have a blank scrapbook. These books average between $5 and $10 each. Acid free markers and glue sticks are recommended as well. These will average around $10 combined. These are items that you must have to scrapbook, but other optional supplies are available for sale. These items include photograph borders, cardstocks, themed background sheets, stickers, and other accessories.

Before shopping locally for scrapbook supplies, it is recommended that you check your supplies at home. Although specialty scrapbook scissors are available for sale, you can use your scissors at home. This helps you save money by reducing unnecessary purchases.

As for where you can shop locally for scrapbook supplies, your best bet is craft stores. Three popular craft stores in the United States are JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, and AC Moore. Many of these stores have entire shopping aisles devoted solely to scrapbooking.

When shopping at a craft store for scrapbook supplies, you will find the largest selection of products. You may not always find the best deals. Therefore, be on the lookout for great sales. Many nationally operated craft stores have weekly newspaper inserts. They not only outline sales, but may include a moneysaving coupon.

Your next best option for buying scrapbook supplies locally is department stores. Two popular department stores in the United States are K-Mart and Wal-Mart. Both sell scrapbooking supplies, among other craft supplies.

TIP! Handwrite your journaling on cardstock. Cut it into strips and adhere them to your layout with glue or staple them in order. Give your page a random, fun look.


Department stores are built with one-stop shopping in mind. Since there are thousands of items inside, selections are small. The larger the store, such as a Super Center, the more supplies you should gain access too. Although it is rare to find sales on these supplies, they are usually offered at already low prices.

Discount stores also sell craft supplies. Although some refer to the above mentioned department stores as discount stores, there is more. In the United States, your two most popular options include Family Dollar and Dollar General. Both sell craft supplies, but their sections are very small. What you can do is look around for other supplies. Although a package of Easter stickers may not be classified in the store as scrapbooking stickers, they can do the job.

Dollar stores are another location that tends to sell scrapbooking supplies. In fact, the nationally operated Dollar Tree has a small section devoted to the hobby. As for locally owned and operated dollar stores, it tends to be hit or miss. Dollar stores operate on a “we have it until it is gone,” basis, so stock up when you see great deals.

The above mentioned retail locations in the United States are just a few of the places where you can find scrapbooking supplies locally. You also have the option of shopping online. Although you pay shipping and handling, you may be pleased with the low prices and great selection of products that can be found with a standard internet search.

Great Ideas For Scrapbook Albums And Pages

individual scrapbook pages
Are you an avid scrapbooker? If you are, you may like it when a special occasion arrives, as it is a great opportunity for you to scrapbook. Overtime, you may find yourself with one large scrapbook or a collection of individual scrapbook pages. So, what should you do with them?

TIP! For fast page accents, simply cut out designs from patterned papers. Adhere these cut accents to your page and you're done! Saves money too.


If you create a scrapbook album, you have a number of different options. First, is your scrapbook for your own personal enjoyment? Have you highlighted important moments in your life, such as the purchase of a new home or the birth of your child? If so, keep your scrapbook. Throughout the years, you may enjoy reviewing it. When the time is right, pass it on to your children.

In keeping with a scrapbook album, did you create a scrapbook highlighting the life of your child? If so, pass that scrapbook onto them. When doing so, you may want to wait until the right time. This time may be when your child is old enough to appreciate their gift or at a milestone in their life, such as their high school graduation or a move to their own home. This scrapbook is one that can be passed on for generations to come.

Although many individuals create scrapbooks of events pertaining directly to their life, others opt for events or places. Did you create a scrapbook of landmarks from your hometown or games from your high school’s football team? If so, consider donating that scrapbook to the appropriate organization, as it may be appreciated and put on display.

In addition to having full scrapbook albums, you may opt for creating individual scrapbook pages. Individual scrapbook pages are good for picture perfect moments, but picture perfect moments that may not last long, such as a child’s first haircut. If creating just a scrapbook page is not something you have tried, you should consider it. Many are surprised to learn how many ways a scrapbook page can be used.

TIP! To add more visual interest to your flower accents, add a brad to the flower center. And brads can help you fasten the flower to the page.


A scrapbook page can be framed. When compared to a traditional framed photograph, you will find a framed scrapbook page to be better. In fact, it will look like a work of art. If creating a scrapbook page of moments from your life, display your frame in your home. If you created a scrapbook page for another event, such as a friend’s wedding, frame the page and give it as a gift.

Scrapbook pages can also be turned into a quilt. Over the years, photo quilts have increased in popularity. When taking this approach, you have two options, handing over your scrapbook page to a professional or making your own quilt. If you have sewing experience, this is very easy to do. Scan your scrapbook page or else create a digital scrapbook page. All you need is an ink jet printer and fabric sheets.

In addition to making a photo quilt, there are many other neat items you can make with fabric sheets. This includes a fabric tote bag, pillow, throw blanket, and so forth. When using fabric sheets, for whatever the project, an ink jet printer is recommended.

As you can see, there are a number of uses for scrapbook albums and individual scrapbook pages. A scrapbook is not something that should be tossed into a drawer, hidden from view. Instead, a scrapbook or even just a scrapbook page is something that should be treasured and shared.

Finding Free Scrapbooking Supplies Online

scrapbook supplies online
Do you enjoy scrapbooking? If so, you may easily find yourself addicted to this great hobby. You may want to spend hours at a time perfecting your scrapbook or you may wish to have the latest supplies. In this aspect, scrapbooking can turn into an expensive hobby, but there is good news. That good news is that you can easily find free scrapbook supplies online.

TIP! Looking for a way to add a romantic feel to your page? Tear off some of the edges of your paper block and curl them up.


Before focusing on how you can find free scrapbook supplies online, it is important to highlight what you will find for free. The major items, such as the blank album, scissors, and glue sticks, are all items that you will have to purchase yourself. These are not given away free online, unless you are lucky enough to find and then win a contest with them as the prize.

One common supply used in making a scrapbook is that of themed paper. This paper is usually colored or themed with a décor, such as wedding bells for a wedding theme. These pages are usually used as a background for a scrapbook page. They can, however, be cut into smaller pieces and used. These pages can be found for free online with a standard internet search. When performing your search, use phrases such “free printable scrapbook pages,” or “scrapbook pages to print free.”

Similar to the theme paper mentioned above, you can also find free printable scrapbook borders. These borders do come in a number of different formats. You may find full pages with a border along the edge. In this case, you simply just glue that to the scrapbook page and start decorating. There are also borders available for print for photographs. Just choose the border that matches your photograph size and print. These can be found with a standard internet search containing the phrases “free printable scrapbook borders,” or “free scrapbook borders.”

There are also free scrapbook fonts available for download. Fonts are lettering styles, which come in hundreds of different types. They are great for scrapbook pages with headlines. Many scrapbookers use fonts if they have poor handwriting. When using a font, you write your message in a program such as Microsoft Word or Works. Then print. These fonts can be found with a standard internet search. Before doing so, check Microsoft Word or Works, as they have a large number for you to choose from.

All that you need to purchase, when printing the above mentioned free scrapbook supplies, is a blank sheet of paper. Computer paper can be used, which you may already have. If you are willing to buy sticker paper, which has adhesive backing, you can find free scrapbook stickers online. These stickers are printed on the sticker paper and then cut to size. These stickers can be found online also with a standard internet search. Do, not just limit yourself to just scrapbook stickers. Your internet search phrase should be “free scrapbook stickers,” or “free stickers.”

TIP! Want a more airy look to your page? Leave ample white space on your page. Just remember to make sure there's a strong focal-point photo on your layout.


Making a scrapbook by hand is nice, but you may not have the time or you may prefer using your computer. The good news is that you can find free digital scrapbook software online. This software comes in a number of different formats, but you essentially choose a background and insert your picture in the openings. For advanced users, other customization is possible. To find free digital scrapbook software online, perform an internet search. You should have a few free programs to choose from, but if you are not pleased with your choices, software is available for sale too.

As a recap, there are a number of free scrapbook supplies that can be found online. The best way to find these is with a standard internet search. Along the way, you may find websites that charge you a monthly or yearly fee or even a per item fee. If you find something that is nice or something that you must have, make the purchase. But, to help keep scrapbooking an affordable hobby, always check the free websites first.

Easy Ways To Enhance A Scrapbook

enhance a scrapbook
Have you just started scrapbooking? If so, you may be looking for ways to spice up your scrapbook pages. You will be pleased with all of your options. There are an unlimited number of easy ways for you to enhance a scrapbook.

Themed Background Sheets

The first step in starting a scrapbook is to create a page background. When doing so, many beginners opt for a solid color sheet of paper. Yes, this approach works, but it might not enhance your page or make it standout from the rest. That is why themed background sheets are recommended.

TIP! Make extra mileage out of scrapbooking sketches. Besides using sketches for scrapbook layouts, you can also make cards based on the scrapbooking sketch!


Themed background sheets, also known as print backgrounds, come in a number of different formats. They are available for sale locally and online. No matter what your scrapbook theme, you should be able to find matching backgrounds. For example, for a football themed scrapbook, you can find a page that resembles at football field, with the yard lines highlighted.

Stickers

Many new scrapbookers only associate scrapbooking with photographs. Yes, pictures play an important role in scrapbooking, but they are not the only component of it. Stickers can add fashion, flair, and professionalism to a scrapbook.

In addition to “traditional” stickers, you have the option of buying foam stickers or foam 3-D stickers. These are not just limited to kid’s stickers. A 3-D foam sticker of a sun may have holes that you push out yourself. 3-D stickers are nice, as they tend to jump off the page.

Die Cuts

At first glance, die cuts look like stickers. In fact, they may be. Some die cut shapes are sold with adhesive backing. A die cut is a great enhancement for a scrapbook, due it its real-life look. For example, a die cut of a baby bottle will look more like a real baby bottle than a sticker of one. Due to their slight elevation, die cuts also standout on a scrapbook page.

Photograph Borders

When just starting, many new scrapbookers simply just glue their photograph onto a background sheet. Yes, this is okay to do, but you have so many options. One of those options is to use photograph borders. When properly positioned around a photograph, they make it standout. It will look like a picture frame, but on paper.

TIP! One way to add a whimsical look to your black-colored background is to freehand little circles to form a magical trail across the page using different-colored pens!


When utilizing photograph borders as a scrapbook enhancement, you have options. Decorated and precut borders are available for sale online and in craft stores. You can also make your own. A thick piece of cardstock can be cut a little bit larger than the photograph. Then, cut out the inside, creating a frame-like border.

Photograph Backgrounds

The first step in creating a scrapbook is with a page background. In addition to using a whole page background, you can create a photograph background. In fact, this is a great alternative to the above mentioned photograph borders. Take a thick piece of cardstock and cut slightly larger than the photo. Glue the two together. You can add extra layers for even more enhancement.

Using themed background pages, stickers, photograph borders, and photograph backgrounds are just a few of the many ways that you can enhance your scrapbook pages. With that said, these are the easiest steps for beginners to take. As you gain more experience in scrapbooking, try new approaches. You may not even need the internet to research. By this time, your creativity should be flowing.

5 Reasons Why You Should Scrapbook

reasons you should scrapbooking
Do you wish you had a unique way to document your family’s memories? Do you have beautiful pictures of your children that look plain sitting in a traditional picture frame? If you do, you should create a scrapbook. In fact, five reasons why you should at least give scrapbooking a try are outlined below.

1 – It Is Easy

Scrapbooking is considered a craft. With that said, many misconceptions surround it. Remember that crafts come in all different formats, some easy and some hard. Fortunately, making a scrapbook is very easy. In all honesty, the hardest part of making a scrapbook is deciding which of your hundreds of pictures to use. In fact, you may want to use them all.

TIP! Another journaling tip is to start your page by asking a question in the page title and build a page that answers the question.


When making a scrapbook, you purchase a book that is similar to a photo album. Inside that book, you will find blank sheets of paper. Use can use markers, stickers, scissors, construction paper, or special scrapbooking sheets to create a catchy display. It really is as simple as that.


2 – It Makes a Great Hobby

Many beginners claim that scrapbooking is not only fun, but addicting. You will enjoy creating your book so much that you won’t want to stop. That is why scrapbooking is a great hobby. Overtime, you will enjoy scrapbooking even more, as you see your quality improve.

Not only is scrapbooking a good hobby for adults, but children as well. With a little bit of help, even a preschooler could make a scrapbook. So, if you are a parent who enjoys scrapbooking as a hobby, get your children involved. It is a fun, safe, and creative activity for them to enjoy.

3 – Scrapbooking Supplies are Affordable

As previously stated, crafts come in a number of different formats. Yes, it can be expensive to build a dollhouse, as you could spend hundreds of dollars just on the furniture. You will not have that problem with scrapbooking. In fact, you may be surprised just how affordable scrapbook supplies are. These supplies can be purchased from craft stores, dollar stores, department stores, and online.

TIP! Look to your photos for elements of design, such as lines or shapes that you can repeat on your layout. Repetition of lines or shapes will help the eye movement across the page.


If you are new to scrapbooking, know that you do not need to have the huge kits often advertised on television. Beginners are advised to start small and expand after practice. For that reason, visit your local craft store and spend $5 to $10 on a blank scrapbook. While there, pickup acid free glue and markers, which should total less than $10 combined. As for backgrounds, printed sheets are available for less than $1 at most stores, but you could easily make do with construction paper.

4 – Your Scrapbooking Options

Your scrapbooking options are another reason why you should give this activity a try. Scrapbooking has modernized with the times. When many of us think of scrapbook, a lot of cutting and gluing is involved. Yes, this is true, but not if you opt for a digital scrapbook.

Digital scrapbook software is available online for purchase and free of charge. You will find hundreds of background pages to choose from. With the right software, you can add in your own pictures and words. Digital scrapbooks are nice as they are easy to make and share with friends.

5 – Scrapbook Uses

If you are new to scrapbooking, you may create a scrapbook for your own personal use. That is not your only option. Are you a new parent who is documenting the life of your child in a scrapbook? That scrapbook will make for a great graduation gift for them. Other occasions in which a homemade scrapbook makes a great gift include anniversaries, high school sports, high school and college graduations, and weddings.

So there you have it! Five great reasons you should scrapbooking. Remember, photographs do look nice when framed, but there is so much more that you can do with them. Scrapbooking provides you with a unique and eye-catching way to treasure your life’s greatest moments.

What To Do With Excess Scrapbook Supplies

excess scrapbook supplies

TIP! Create a photo bar by punching out squares out of your photos and lining them up for a long page border. It's a great way to add lots of photos to a page!


Do you enjoy scrapbooking? Whether it has been a hobby of yours for months or years, you may have acquired quite the collecting of scrapbook supplies. These supplies can include anything from expensive stamp sets to cheap themed background pages. Unfortunately, you may find that you have so many supplies you don’t use them all. So what can you do with your excess scrapbooking supplies?

Trade. Do you still scrapbook? Many look to give away supplies after they quit the hobby, but you may just be taking a different approach. Have you finished a scrapbook with a sports theme and moved on to the holidays? If so, your best option is to trade. Find others who scrapbook and offer to trade supplies. This is easy to do online or in person with your friends and family.

If you want to trade scrapbook supplies online, have a digital camera. This allows you to photograph your supplies, which should increase your chances of finding another scrapbooker to trade with. If you want to trade locally, but don’t know anyone who scrapbooks, you can start a scrapbooking club. That club can take place in your home or at a public place. Advertise online, on community bulletin boards, or in your local newspaper. In addition to trading supplies, members can share tips.

Sell. Selling your excess scrapbooking supplies not only helps to make more room, but it allows you to recoup expenses. Many scrapbookers want to hold onto their supplies, even if they don’t need them, because they cost money. When opting to sell your supplies, this should not be an issue. You could recoup a percentage of the money you spent or you can even make a profit.

If you opt for selling your excess scrapbook supplies, you have a number of options. Selling online is quick, easy, and convenient. You can use a public online marketplace, like eBay.com. There are also scrapbooking communities online. Some have a buy, trade, or sell section. You can list your scrapbook supplies for sale here.

TIP! Choose photos that show communication with your loved ones in everyday context. These photos will remind you and your loved ones of your daily loving interactions.


Donate. If you have new scrapbook supplies, such as a package of stickers that are unopened, consider donating. When doing so, you have options. The Salvation Army and other non-profit organizations may accept your supplies to sell in their stores. Schools and churches also need craft supplies for projects or fundraising ideas. Consider donating your unused or unopened scrapbook supplies to them.

In addition to donating your excess scrapbooking supplies to a local school, church, or non-profit organization, you can give them free to someone you know. Has a friend or family member expressed interest in scrapbooking? If so, give them your excess supplies. This gives them a good starting point, but it also clears space for you.

Now that you know what you can do with your excess scrapbook supplies, it is important to focus on them. You know that supplies and accessories come in a number of different formats. Use your best judgment. Unless giving away for free, do not try to sell a sticker sheet that is over half empty. An alternative and more professional approach is to cut each sticker out and place in a ziplock bag.

If opting to sell, the scrapbook supplies that sell the best are those that can be reused. For example, scrapbooking scissors, die cut stampers, and rubber stamps are popular. They can be reused multiple times. These items are best to sell, as opposed to give away, as they are expensive. You are able to recoup a percentage of your cost, while your buyer is able to save money with buying used, instead of new.

As a recap, you can trade, sell, or donate your excess scrapbook supplies. Although it can be hard to part with your supplies, even if you know you will not use them again, there are a number of benefits to doing so. The biggest benefit is the saved space.