Scrapbooking Tools Starter Kit

Scrapbooking is an a relaxing and fulfilling hobby. To get you started in Scrapbooking you will need various tools depending on what you would like to achieve. In this post we will look at exactly what should be in your scrapbooking tool kit. Plus some extra tools you can buy that come in handy but are not essential

Discover the best Scrapbooking Tools and gather your supplies in these ideas for a Scrapbooking tools starter kit.

What is a scrapbook?

A scrapbook is a book that contains photographs, memorabilia, and other items that are arranged in a creative and artistic way. Scrapbooking is a popular hobby that allows people to preserve and share their memories and make them visually appealing. The items in a scrapbook can include photos, ticket stubs, greeting cards, postcards, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia.

The pages of a scrapbook are typically decorated with colorful paper, stickers, embellishments, and other decorative elements. Scrapbooks can be used to document a wide range of occasions, such as weddings, vacations, baby’s first year, family reunions, and more. They are also popular gifts for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations, and retirements.

What scrapbooking supplies do I need?

If you’re just starting out the scrapbook are you will need to get the right Scrapbooking tools for the job. Here is a list of basic tools as well as some extras that come in handy when you’re starting your first scrapbook page. You need a few tools to get started with a basic kit. Then you can achieve lots of different Scrapbooking pages and different ideas.

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Scrapbook album

You will need a scrapbook album to store your photos and layouts. You can choose from various sizes and designs. Scrapbooking albums come in different sizes the main being 12×12 here a re some more sizes of albums :

• 12 x 12 in post bound or D ring
• 8.5 x 11 n post bound or D ring
• 8 x 8 n post bound or D ring
• 4 x 4 n post bound or D ring
• Traveller notebook size
• Spiral bound scrapbooks

You can also get spiral-bound scrapbooks which feature cardstock where you can scrapbook straight into the book itself. D ring Scrapbooking albums are a really good choice as you can buy purchase page protectors and add pictures anywhere throughout the album depending on what order you might mean. Post bound are fixed albums requiring you to take out your pages from the protectors and move them manually.

Page protectors

Page protectors are plastic sheets that cover your page to protect them when they go in your album. I will also stop any embellishments falling off. You can can fit them anywhere in your the album provided it’s a D ring.

Card stock

Card stock is one of the basic scrapbooking supplies you need. This will form the basis of all of your pages and scrapbook layouts. You can purchase card stock in a variety of sizes including for 12 x 12, 8 x 8, 4 x 4, A4 and if in America, 8.5 x 11. I love the Do crafts huge pack of 12 by 12.

Card stock comes in a variety of different textures. One of the main Scrapbooking card stops in the USA is Basil card stock however, you can use any card stock of choice and any colour you like

Patterned Scrapbook paper

Pattern paper is the night one of the main staple of Scrapbooking . There are so many different brands to choose from so many different designs from floral to stripes, and even themes. Choose a variety of patterned and plain paper to use as the background for your layouts.

Here are some of the best Scrapbooking patterned paper brands on the market;

• Simple stories
• We are memory keepers
• American crafts
• Doodlebug design Inc
• Echo Park
• Prima Marketing
• 49 & market
• Coco Vanilla Studio
• Pink Paislee
• Me and my big ideas
• Graphic 45
• Carta Bella
• Pink Fresh Studio

Adhesive

One of the most important Scrapbooking Tools Is glue! You will need a good quality adhesive to stick your photos and embellishments to the paper. You can use glue, double-sided tape, or adhesive dots. Starting scrapbooking is easy but there are few things to bear in mind you will want your photos to last the test of time so it is imperative that you use archival quality materials and acid free glue. Glues and tapes should all be acid free to stop the corroding or discolouration of your photos. You can see my full list of tried and tested glues here

Scissors

A pair of sharp scissors is an essential Scrapbooking Tools for cutting paper and photos. Scissors are a vital piece of your Scrapbooking tool kit. You can use scissors to cut paper, card and your photos. You can use scissors to fussy cut pictures and flowers from patterned paper and create a whole range of ideas and patterns. Some of my favourite brands at the monument are Beadative.

• Ranger non stick
• Fiskers non stick
• Beadative scissors

Paper trimmer

A paper trimmer is an essential part of Scrapbooking. It’s enables you to cut large pieces of card and paper in perfectly straight lines. It’s also perfect for trimming your photos and gutting Scrapbooking pages. One of the most popular paper trimmers is the Fiskars paper trimmer which you can purchase in 12 inch (this might go to). There are lots of other paper trimmers on the market, including paper guillotines which can cut multiple pieces of paper at one time.

Embellishments

Embellishments can include stickers, die-cuts, stamps, and other decorative items that you can use to add interest to your layouts. Most of the main scrapbooking paper brands to embellishments to coordinate and match with their papers. You can also try these things found around the home to embellish your scrapbooking page;

• Buttons 
• Satin Ribbon 
• Paper brads 
• Cut out items from patterned paper
• Die cuts
• Computer clip art
• Sequins
• Badges ( flair Badges )
• Embroidery thread
• Water colour Paint
• Stamps
• Wooden die cut outs

Pens and markers

You will need pens and markers to write captions, journaling, and other details on your layouts. Journaling pens with a fine nob are great to get you started. Black like a uniball pen can be used for journaling and doodles. You can also use brush pens and water colour pens.

Other Cutting tools

Once you have a paper trimmer and scissors you could also invest in a craft knife and cutting mat. This can help you cut paper and photos precisely. The cutting mat will protect your table.

Ruler

A ruler can be useful for measuring and marking your paper and photos. It is also useful to be used with craft knife you will need a steel ruler for a craft knife.

Rubber stamps and stamp ink pads

Rubber stamps and ink pads are a great way of adding pictures and coloured images to your page. You can get a variety of different rubber stamps and different ink pads. My favourite are Ranger distress oxides.

A electronic cutting machine such as a Silhouette or Cricut

You can invest in an electronic cutting machine such as a Silhouette or Cricut. By doing this you can create and cut your own embellishments and titles using cut files. There are many different machines on the markets starting at the smallest the Cricut Joy and Silhouette Portrait to larger Silhouette Cameo machines.

Photos and printers

You will need photos to create your scrapbook layouts. Choose photos that are meaningful to you and that tell a story.

You can either have your photos printed online professionally where you can put them at home on your own printer. I personally love the Canon selphy which makes 6 x 4 photos. You can also make them smaller than 6×4 if you use the canon selfie app although they may be more expensive per print. It’s very easy just to print out a couple of photos exactly when you need them.

Inspiration in the form of scrapbooking ideas and sketches

Look for inspiration from scrapbooking magazines, online resources, and other scrapbookers to help you get started and to spark your creativity. I regularly go back to my old layouts for Inspiration and scrapbooking ideas. Another great way of finding inspirations by using a Scrapbooking sketch. You can find Scrapbooking sketches all over the Internet. They are great for getting started on your first page for a guide on where to put your photos title and embellishments.

Now you have your Scrapbooking essential tool kit it is time to create your first page.