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Scrapbooking on a Budget
Memories are priceless, but the cost of preserving them can be
high. Here are nine tips for making the most of your scrapbooking
budget.
1.Be on the lookout for scrapbooking supplies everywhere you
go. I once made the cutest shabby chic card with the corrugated
cardboard liner in a light bulb box. Another example: you can buy
100 brass brads for less than a dollar at the local discount
store and then customize them to match your layout with acrylic
paint and/or sandpaper. Or look in the clearance bin for ribbon,
fiber, and fabric remnants - or bouquets of silk flowers, which
you can take apart and attach to your cards and layouts with
brads, eyelets, bottlecaps, or button. You'll find all kinds of
treasures at office supply, hardware, and dollar stores, as well
as flea markets and garage sales.
2. Keep your supplies organized. When your papers and
embellishments are logically arranged and easy to find, you'll
always know what you have, which means you'll buy fewer
duplicates. And you don't need expensive racks for storing your
paper. The large 14" Ziploc bags are perfect for storing 12x12
paper. You can even hang the labeled Ziploc bags from skirt
hangers to maximize your space. A few inexpensive baskets or
plastic containers can hold your adhesives, pens and trimmers.
And a common tacklebox is great for small embellishments. Or use
resealable Ziploc bags to organize brads, eyelets and other small
embellishments by type or color and store in a shoebox.
3. Here's a little known secret. You can join a scrapbooking
direct sales company, simply to get the discount on your own
supplies. Of course, you'll need to make sure the monthly
minimums are low enough that you'll be able to meet them with
your purchases alone. Here is one such company with monthly
minimums of just $25 wholesale per month. Details are here:
http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/wholesale-scrapbooking-supplies.htm
4. Use your scanner to create a unique patterned paper,
perfect for your layout. Scan items of clothing, for example,
that match the clothing in your photographs. Print the paper and
use as part of your background or as a tag or other
embellishment.
5. Do a google search for "free fonts" and "free
scrapbooking." You'll find thousands of free templates, fonts,
and other free resources for scrapbookers.
6. Check your local paper for 50% off coupons at large
discount crafting stores. Save these coupons for your larger
purchases. Subscribe to Joann.com's email newsletter at the
store's website: http//www.joann.com. This store frequently
offers special discount codes to newsletter subscribers. But keep
in mind, when you are shopping the sale aisle, a good deal is not
a good deal if you never use the product. Buy only those things
that you love - and know you'll use.
7. When shopping for tools, keep quality and versatility in
mind. Investing in quality tools will ultimately save you money,
because you won't need to replace them very often. You'll also
want to look for trimmers and cutters that allow you to replace
only the blade - and not the entire cutting system. The Coluzzle,
by Provocraft, is one of the most versatile cutting systems
available. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang
of it, you can cut a huge variety of shapes and alphabets, as
well as envelopes and tags - all with very inexpensive
templates.
8. Save and organize your scraps. It's amazing when a small
scrap is perfectly suited for a card of scrapbook. And you can
always use the backside of white-core cardstock or patterned
paper when you need white. Or give your scraps to your children.
My kids are constantly making friendship cards out of my scraps.
They each have a basket on the family scraptable, and at the end
of a project, I divvy up all my scraps in the three little
baskets. They love the new art supplies, and I love to share my
love of scrapbooking - and my time spent scrapbooking - with
them.
9. Network with other scrapbookers for more low-cost ideas.
Arrange a supplies swap with your scrapbooking friends. And read
through the scrapbooking magazines for more money-saving ideas.
In the last few issues of Scrapbooks, Etc. and Memory Makers, for
example, I've read (and then used) the following ideas:
(1) Take photos of interesting signs and cut out the letters
for fun, eclectic alphabets.
And (2) make your own stamps from your favorite font or images
with a computer printout and some foam board.
You can subscribe to these magazines at significant discounts
online. I've compiled the best deals on the industry-leaders
here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/scrapbooking-magazines
or see if you can check out current issues from your local
library. Scrapbooking magazines often feature sweepstakes,
drawings, and layout contests, in which you can win free
supplies, as well.
You can also save on scrapbooking idea books and techniques
books by shopping online. Overstock.com often has these books at
an even greater discount than amazon.com, and their shipping is
usually much less, too. http://www.overstock.com
Copyright 2005 by Susie Cortright
About the Author: Susie Cortright is the founder of
momscape.com - http://www.momscape.com and
Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking
- devoted to helping visitors record and preserve their cherished
memories. Susie also trains and supports new scrapbooking
instructors with a new and rapidly- growing direct sales
scrapbooking company. Find out how to join her team here:
http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/business.htm
 MORE RESOURCES updated Fri. September / 29 / 2023
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