Just because you have a limited budget, you don’t have to give up scrapbooking.  You can come up with fantastic and beautiful scrapbooks without spending a fortune. The cost is one of the major things that prevents many people from scrapbooking.  Scrapbooking can be very expensive if you feel that you have to buy all of the fancy items and the different accessories that many people use to decorate and embellish their scrapbooks.  However, with some creative thinking and some work, you can create fantastic and beautiful and meaningful scrapbooks on a limited budget.  You don’t have to have tons of money in order to preserve your precious family memories. Here are some ways to help you make your materials go further when scrapbooking.
Ideas for scrapbooking on a limited budget
1.  Make your own stickers
You can create your own stickers by using clipart that is either already on your computer or that you find online.  You can print out the pictures on special sticker paper that you can find at any craft store or scrapbooking store, or you can save even more money.  You can simply print out the pictures on regular or glossy cardstock or even regular paper.  Then just glue the pictures–with archival-quality adhesive–onto your scrapbook page.
2.  Go shopping for your scrapbook supplies in untraditional places
You don’t just have to go to expensive stores that are dedicated to nothing but scrapbook supplies when you are shopping for your scrapbooks items.  If you only shop at those stores, you’re going to be spending a fortune that you don’t have–and that you don’t need to spend.  Instead, go to a thrift store.  Look for small items that will look cute as accents on your scrapbook pages.  You can also go to a fabric remnant shop or any close-out stores to buy bags of buttons, bags of ribbons, or other trinkets for your pages.  Fabric remnant shops will also sell all kinds of cute appliques and little gemstones for dirt-cheap prices.
3.  Make use of your trash
Before you throw away that old calendar, look carefully at it.  Is there anything in it that you can use?  Are there any cool labels on any boxes and cans in your house that would look good in your scrapbook?  What about old greeting cards?  Only use patterned paper–it’s more expensive–as accents on pages, since it’s more expensive than solid paper.
4.  Save your mementos
Don’t forget to save your mementos.  You can fill your scrap with important items such as business cards, brochures, programs, tickets, and more. Some great new scrapbooking techniques that anyone can do
5.  Be creative with new techniques
Don’t forget to be creative!  Using new techniques in your scrapbooks can help you save money and will help spice up your scrapbooks without spending a ton of money.
Peek-A-Boo pages
You can use these peek-a-boo pages for any title page in your scrapbooks or for a multiple page layout inside your scrapbook.
Materials needed for peek-a-boo pages:
– album pages or cardstock
– a ruler
– a circle cutter
– a circle cutter template
– an exacto knife
– a pencil
A peek-a-boo title page will use 2 album pages or 2 pieces of cardstock.  Design your layout on page 2 with the pages that you have decided you want to show through the title page (be the peek of the peek-a-boo).  Decide on the shape that you want the hole for your peek-a-boo to be.  Use either a window or a light box and your pencil in order to determine where your holes will be in the first page.  Trace the shape of your hole onto the page with your pencil.  Then use either a circle cutter or regular scissors to cut away the paper where the hole will be so that the picture behind can peek through the top page.  Then add the title and any journalizing to your pages and add a page protector.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Mon 25 Feb 2008 No Comments 

Having a scrapbooking habit can be expensive.  Even for a very simple scrapbook, the supplies are not cheap.  So where can you go to buy wholesale scrapbook supplies?

Your options locally will depend on where you live.  Sometimes there are places like Costco and Sam’s Club that carry a small selection of scrapbook supplies that can give you a great deal but not a great selection.

Another great place to look locally is at any craft store or scrapbook store that is going out of business.  They will be trying to get rid of all of their merchandise and it will all be marked down a lot.  They usually ask for what they paid for it when they are going out of business, that way they break even and they aren’t losing money in the end.  You might also find great organizers there too, they will most likely be trying to get rid of all of their displays and shelving.

Going online is your best bet for wholesale scrapbook supplies.  There are many websites out there that have wholesale scrapbook supplies.   Just a few of the ones that I found were: www.scraptrends.com, www.scrapbookclearance.com, and www.wholesale-scapbooking-supplies.com. 

Going over each website I found that there were very few repeats between the websites, meaning that each site had a different selection.  This makes it great for finding just what you are looking for.  Keep in mind that there was shipping and handling charges with most of the sites. 

There are a few things to consider when buying wholesale, starting with the quantity of your purchase.  If you are buying wholesale there is a god chance that you have to buy a lot, whether that is 500 sheets of paper or 3,000 of the same eyelet.  This can mean that even though you are paying less for each one, you are paying a lot more over all.

It also means that with that many of the same thing that your scrapbook will become redundant, you will be using the same things of every page.  You definitely have to think ahead before you buy wholesale.

One way to fix the quantity problem is to shop with friends.  Whether in store or online, have friends with you that you can share with.  You can all pick out the things you want and share them around.  This will lessen the quantity of what you have to use and give you a bigger selection than you could afford to buy.

Another wholesale problem you might come across is that some wholesale places are strictly for business owners who are buying for resale.  If you come across these places then you will need to either be a business owner or know one that can go with you.  But chances are if you know a business owner then they are going to want your business at their store!

Buying wholesale is great before a big scrapbook party or convention.  If you are going to be getting together with a group of scrapbook buddies then you can share the deals that you found.  Everyone loves a bargain!

When you aren’t paying a lot of your supplies, it is not as big of a deal if you mess up!  When you paid $3 for a piece of paper, there is a good chance that you only bought one, but if you got the same paper of $0.25, then you probably bought a few of them.  Now you can just start over with a new piece of paper instead of trying to find a way to fix what you did wrong.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Tue 29 Jan 2008 No Comments 

Scrapbooking is quickly becoming one of the most popular hobbies of women and men today.  Even kids and teens love to scrapbook.  And why wouldn’t they- it’s a fun, relaxing and productive activity.  But choosing where to buy your scrapbooking supplies can be a tricky task.  Scrapbooking materials can be expensive, and naturally, you want to get the best deal you can.  That’s why choosing a scrapbook supply store is an important task; so here are some tips to help you do so.

When you’re starting a new scrapbook and are thinking about running off to the craft store for some supplies, it’s a good idea to first stop and think about what kind of book you’re creating.  Choose a topic or a period of time you’d like to cover in your scrapbook.  Have a general idea of the pictures you’d like to use for the book.  Once you’ve narrowed that down, go through the current scrapping supplies you have lying around the house.  Get an idea of the kinds of things you might need for your new book.  Make a list of exactly what you need to get.  Only after you’ve done those things are you ready to go to the store.  With list in hand, you can wade through all the lovely supplies and decide which ones are most appropriate for your scrapbook.   Then you won’t be overwhelmed by selection options and you might even have a good time looking through scrapbooking supplies. 

Now, you have three options open to you for purchasing your scrapbook supplies: a traditional craft store like JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts or Michael’s; a local scrapbooking specialty store; an online scrapbook supply store.  All three of these will have what you need.  However, there will be some differences. 

First, let’s talk about price.  Local scrapbooking stores are often a bit more expensive because they are locally owned and can not offer the same discounts that a nationwide chain can.  A big craft store that sells a little bit of everything will probably have the best prices on most scrapbooking items.  They are also more likely to have sales where you can get a killer deal on various materials.  Online scrapping stores will vary in prices.  Some of them will be discount stores where you can get a great deal for your supplies.  Others will be more like the local scrapbooking store that sells an excellent product, but charges a bit more.  Remember that an online store will also charge you shipping for anything you buy, so you’ll need to figure that into your total charges. 

Next, let’s talk about value.  Local scrapbooking stores can be great because they sell some unique products.  You will be able to find the same type of products in big chain stores like Michael’s and JoAnn’s.  Local stores may have paper or embellishments that the owner has designed or purchased from a local supplier.  This can add a very unique element to your scrapbook.  However, if you shop at a chain store you know that you will always be able to find the same products at any time (if, for example, you run out of a product that you really need, you’ll be able to get it again at a chain store).  A local store is more likely to run out of your products and not be able to get them again.  An online store is probably the least reliable in this respect.  You never know how long something will be for sale or if you’ll be able to find it again.  You can, however, find a very wide variety of supplies online that will be unique to your scrapbook. 

Basically, it’s up to you.  The best idea of all is probably to shop at a variety of stores until you find a place that you prefer, or a price that you can afford. 

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Sun 30 Sep 2007 No Comments 

If you have been doing any kind of scrapbooking or any kind of craft projects you have probably already heard of the term metallics. But if you have not here is a brief summary of what metallics are. Metallics are basically a coating of some type that is made up of some metal components which is what makes the coating shiny. When it comes to crafting and scrapbooking there are a variety of things that are considered metallics. Some of the most popular metallic items that are used in scrapbooking are ink and paper. But that is only the beginning because other embellishments are quickly taking center stage when it comes to metallics.

Here are some reasons why you should use metallics in your scrapbooking.

Reason one:
One of the main reasons to use metallics in scrapbooking is that the metallic paper is a great way to make things stand out. You can actual use metallic paper to print your photos on, both digital and traditional pictures. The benefits of using metallic paper for your pictures it gives the picture a near 3D quality. It also makes the colors more vibrant and gives the print a strange depth, not to mention the fact that it lasts a lot longer than regular paper and it is also acid free.

Reason two:
Metallic inks are also available for you to use with scrapbooking and one of the best things about this ink is that it gives the written words a whole new look. The ink rather than being plain and boring is actually really shiny and it stands out which makes it easier for the viewer to see what it has been written. But another benefit to using metallic ink is that it is the best style of ink to use if you are going to be using black paper. The reason for this is that metallic ink stands out from black paper; where as other ink will not work as well on black paper because it won’t show up.

Reason three:
Another great reason to use metallics in scrapbooking is because it adds color and texture to your embellishments. The perfect example of this kind of use is with eyelets and brads. These items are made out of metal and are covered with a metallic coating that makes them colorful and makes them stand out from the background you are using because they are shiny. You can use eyelets and brads for a number of embellishments, including photo corners, nails in fences, spots on a bug, etc. The possibilities are actual endless.

Reason four:
Another reason why you should use metallics in scrapbooking is because it adds an elegant touch to certain kinds of scrapbooks. If you are creating a scrapbook for a wedding or an anniversary you want it to look different from other scrapbooks you want to do everything possible to make it stand out. You can add metallic strips or you can use metallic paper as your main color, most wedding and anniversary albums use a metallic white, gold or silver because those are the colors most associated with weddings and anniversaries.

Just remember that no matter what kind of scrapbooking you are doing using metallics is a great way to make your scrapbook stand out from others. You can use all sorts of things that are metallic including paper, ink, embossing stuff, strips, brads, eyelets, etc. The best part of using things that are metallic is that it adds a shine to your scrapbook pages that you can’t get with ordinary embellishments.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Mon 24 Sep 2007 No Comments 

If you are interested in scrapbooking then you probably already know what a die cut machine is, if not a die cut machine is basically a machine that uses either cartridges or computers to cut out pre-made shapes. The Cricut die cut machine is just a brand of die cut machines that uses cartridges to cut out pre-made shapes from either cardstock or paper.

Difficulty rating:

Step one:
The first thing that you are going to need to do is to set up your Cricut die cut machine so that you can use it. Keep in mind that the Cricut die cutting machine will cut a variety of paper up to .5 mm thick.

Step two:
The second thing that you are going to need to do is to buy any cartridges that you are going to need to cut out the shapes that you want. Different cartridges have different designs and fonts for you to use.

Step three:
The next thing that you need to do is to load the paper into the Cricut die cutting machine. The recommended size to use is 6" x 12" but you can use other sizes as long as you set the paper size to the correct setting before cutting. To load the paper you are going to need to put the paper on the cutting mat, the mat is used to hold the paper in place, and align the corner of the paper with the align paper corner icon in the lower left corner of the mat. You need to press the paper down onto the mat so that sticks to the mat.

Step four:
After you have put the paper onto the cutting mat you are going to need to load the cutting mat into the machine. To do this simply insert the mat into the machine with the arrow pointing toward the machine. Once you have it in place you will need to hold the mat firmly and press "Load Paper" key on the keypad, the mat should then load.

Step five:
The next thing that you need to do is to select the shapes, letters, or phrases that you want to cut out from the cartridge that you have installed in the Cricut die cutting machine. You can select up to 16 objects to cut out, keep in mind that letters count as one object and they will be cut out as single characters.

Step six:
After you have selected what you want to cut out you are going to need to select the size of your objects. To do this you will need to use the size dial and select one of the settings. The sizes on the machine range in size from 1" to 5.5" inches.

Step seven:
Now you are ready to cut your shapes, letters or phrases. To cut these out all you are going to need to do is to press the cut button that is located on the keypad. If for any reason you need to stop the cutting process all you need to do is press the stop button on the keypad.

Step eight:
Once the machine has stopped cutting you can unload the cutting mat and paper from the machine by pressing the unload paper button on the keypad.

Step nine:
Once the paper has been unloaded you are going to need to remove the images from the cutting mat. You can lift them off the mat, but if you find it hard to remove them by hand you can use a craft knife or the tools for the Cricut machine that are sold separately to remove the images.

Step ten:
Once you have removed all of the images you will need to make sure that you remove all of the other scraps of paper that were left on the mat so that you can use the mat again and again.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Products on Sun 16 Sep 2007 No Comments 

Many people use eyelets and brads as embellishments for their scrapbooking pages. But what some people don’t know is how to use the correct scrapbooking tools to put in an eyelet or a brad. What they don’t get is that some of the same tools are used to put in both eyelets and brads, with the exception of the hammer, brads because of the way they are made do not require the use of a hammer, but you can use one to make sure the ends are flat against the page.

Difficulty rating: Moderate

Step one:
The first thing that you are going to need to do is to make sure that you have the right scrapbooking tools to put in the eyelet or brad. The tools that you are going to need as a hammer, hole setter, and a good strong and durable work mat, a rubber craft mat will work great.

Step two:
The next thing that you are going to want to do is to determine where it is you want to put the eyelet or brads on your scrapbooking page. Knowing where everything is supposed to go ahead of time will make this job a lot easier to do, plus you have a smaller chance of messing up and starting over again.

Step three:
Once you have decided where you want your eyelets or brads to go you are going to want to place your scrapbooking page on your work surface face up.

Step four:
Now you are going to want to put the hole setter on your page where you are going to want to place your eyelet, you can also use an ordinary hole punch to put in the holes for your eyelets.

Step five:
If you are using a hole setter the next thing that you are going to need to do is to lightly tap the end of the hole setter with your hammer a few times. You are going to want to do this until a hole is created. Keep in mind that a faster way to put in eyelets is to punch all of the holes you are going to need at the same time, one right after the other.

Step six:
After you have punched all of the holes that you are going to need you are going to need to set the eyelets or brads one at a time.

Step seven:
In order to set the brads you are going to need to insert the brad through the hole, you are going to want to make sure that the top of the brad is facing the correct way, meaning the top of the brad is on the front of the scrapbooking page.

Step eight:
Once you have put the brad in the hole you are going to want to fold down the ends of the brad so that they are on opposite sides of the paper. But be careful how you fold down the ends of the brad so it doesn’t puncture your scrapbooking page.

Step nine:
To set the eyelets the first thing that you are going to need to do is place the eyelet upside down on your work surface. The reason for this is if you hammer the top of the eyelet you could cause the paint or eyelet to chip and dent.

Step ten:
Once the eyelet is in place you will need to place the scrapbooking page face down on the eyelet so that the eyelet goes through the hole that you have created.

Step eleven:
If you are using eyelets that have a pre-split back, called quicklets, then you will be able to use just the setter, you will not need a hammer. But if you are using regular eyelets what you need to do is place the flat end of the setter over the back of the eyelet and gently tap the end of the setter with the hammer until the eyelet begins to bend outward.

Step twelve:
Once the eyelet begins to bend outward you can remove the setter and hammer the back of the eyelet directly until the eyelet is flattened into place.

Step thirteen:
Now the last thing that you need to do is to turn the page over and look at the work that you have done.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Sat 15 Sep 2007 No Comments 

If you are new to scrapbooking you might be unaware of what electronic die cutting machines are. Regardless of is you are using manual die cutting machines or electronic die cutting machines for scrapbooking the machines allow you as a scrapbooker to cut out perfect shapes and letters from paper, cardstock or any other light weight materials. Electronic die cutting machines are a more sophisticated version of the old manual die cutting machines, which by the way are still available. The manual die cutting machines used downward pressure on the die blades which caused the die shapes to be cut out in a stamping action.

Electronic die cutting machines were actually borrowed from the sign making industry but they were adapted some so that they could be used for scrapbooking. But basically electronic die cutting machines are die cutters that use software and computers to control the cutting blade. If you were to see an electronic die cutting machine you would notice that it looks very similar to an inkjet printer, in both size and shape. With electronic die cutting machines two main types have emerged which are: cartridge based cutters and computer compatible cutters.

Cartridge based cutters:
As the name suggests these electronic die cutting machines require that you insert a cartridge before you can do any cutting. Each individual cartridge stores a library of pre-set shapes and letters that the machine will be able to cut. In order to cut out the pre-set shapes and letters you will need to insert the cartridge and select a shape or series of shapes to be cut, set the speed and the depth of the cut (which is the pressure that the blade will use) and then press go to begin cutting. Here are some of the more popular styles of cartridge based die cutting machines:
 Xyron Personal Cutting System (XPCS)
o The personal cutting system is priced around $160 dollars and comes with a 1 year limited warranty. It also cuts shapes, fonts and images in 3 different sizes and comes with a basic font and shape book. You can buy additional books for the machine. The machine also comes with a removable cutting blade, self-adhesive replaceable cutting mat, power cord, and a shape removal tool. Not to mention that it is easy to use and portable, which means you can take it with you to your scrapbooking get together.
 Provocraft Cricut Machine
o This personal cutting machine retails for around $300, but many people find it worth the price. The reason for this is that there are numerous cartridges that you can buy in addition to the cartridge that comes with the machine. Each cartridge that is available has over 250 designs that come in 12 different sizes, the sizes range from 1" to 5 ½".

Computer compatible cutters:
These are basically light weight versions of the vinyl cutting machines that professional sign makers use. These machines are connected to a computer through a USB cable and the design software allows the user to draw and trace the shapes and fonts that are then sent to the machine for cutting. Most of these styles of electronic die cutters do not need or require cartridges, but some series does provide cartridges for people who do not have the ability to design their own shapes. Here are some of the more popular styles of computer compatible cutters:
 Xyron Wishblade
o This cutter is compatible with both PCs and Macs and comes with two software programs. One software program offers Print and Cut technology, drawing tools, and has an auto tracing feature for images and allows for the cutting of any True Type Font. The second software program enhances the die cutters functionality to include welding words and creating outlines for text and images with the click of a mouse. The second software program can be used alone or with the original software.
 The Creative Cutter Mini
o This cutter is a home version of the Creative Cutter. You simply hook it up to your home computer and you are ready to go. The cutter includes software that will allow you to create your own designs or you can choose from thousands of images available online or from a CD that is offered from Pazzles!

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Sun 9 Sep 2007 No Comments 

If you are involved in scrapbooking you have probably heard of the term brads, but perhaps you are unfamiliar with how they play a role in scrapbooking. Brads are used in scrapbooking for a variety of purposes, but all of the purposes are some type of embellishment for your scrapbook page. Two of the best things about brads are that they are cheap to buy and they are very easy to use. In fact to use brads all you need to do is punch a hole in the scrapbook page and insert the bard into the hole and then fold down the sides of the brads so that it is secured to the page.

Here are five of the greatest uses of scrapbook brads.

Use one:
One of the best things that brads can do to your scrapbook page is that it can give your scrapbook page texture and color, not to mention visual interest. The reason for this is that brads come in many different shapes and sizes, not to mention colors. And because brads are raised off the surface of the paper they give it the extra texture. In fact you can find brads that are designed for almost any kind of scrapbook page, from baby carriages to birthday candles. And all of the shapes and sizes come in every color that you can think of.

Use two:
Another very common use of brads in scrapbooking is to use the brads to hold a bunch of ribbon together. Whether you are creating a string of ribbons to accent your title or you are hanging a bunch of ribbons to represent streamers you can use a brad at the top of the ribbons to hold the ribbon into place. The way you do this is to punch a hole through the ribbon and the paper and then line everything up. Once you have the ribbon lined up with the hole in your paper you simply put the brad through the hole you and then secure it in place by folding back the ends. You can also put the brads at the end of the ribbon to make sure that it doesn’t move if you wish.

Use three:
Another great use of brads is to place it in the middle of your object to serve as part of the object itself. Some great examples of this would be the center of a flower, the hubcap of a tire, the middle of the pinwheel, etc. You can use the brads as the middle of your object in silk objects, paper objects, hand drawn or even die cut objects.

Use four:
Another great use for brads is to outline your letters. This will help your letters to stand out from the rest of the page, which makes it perfect for a title or something you want your viewers to notice. You can also use brads to dot your lower case letters just to make your page look different.

Use five:
With brads you can use them to embellish objects that you are including on your scrapbook page. What this means is that you can take certain objects and then use brads to replace certain features of that object, such as eyes, buttons, spots etc. Some examples of this would be the buttons on a dress, spots on an animal, eyes on an animal or doll, buttons on a snowman, etc.

Basically with brads there are endless possibilities with what you can do, all it takes is a little creative thinking and your imagination.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Sun 9 Sep 2007 No Comments 

Exchanging scrapbooking materials and ideas with friends. Scrapbooking is a great way to build camaraderie with family and friends. There are so many different fun ideas that when you experience them, you will want to share them with your friends and family.

There are several different ways that you can work on exchanging scrapbook materials and ideas. The best way is to start up a group. That can be either a virtual group on the Internet or a group in your home. That way you can update the information on a regular basis. This will also give family and friends the opportunity to share their ideas and materials with the other people in the group.

If you set up a virtual group, it is a good idea to have a really good website to help to present the ideas, instructions and other cool things that will help you and your friends communicate.

If you are creating a real life group, then you will want to set up a time per month to get together for sharing materials and ideas. This is a great way to start a fun sharing program and it is also a good time to share yummy food ideas.

When you start up your group, there are different ways that you can set up the group for sharing the materials. This can be on a voluntary basis. Where each person brings to the group, their own materials that may be extras from what they have for their own. Or there can be a signup sheet that allows for each person to chip in with materials that they will be able to use to show others their ideas.

As you start your group, it may be a good idea to do a vote to help on the decision of how sharing materials should happen.

If there are specific plans set up for a project to occur for all of the family and friends who are in the group, then you may want to split up the items needed on the list.

The same basic plans will work for ideas. However you can also set up several different ways to share ideas. There can be a web site set up for ideas. There can also be a scrapbooking idea book, that allows for the ideas to be put as a journal entry and documented for future use.

It is also a fun idea to assign each person in the group to bring some type of new idea to the group on a periodical basis. This way, you will get new ideas coming into the group regularly. Even if these ideas are small, and only something that will accent the base ideas out there, you will still have new ideas to keep the meetings exciting.

Another way to set up for sharing ideas, and materials with friends is through chat rooms or monthly fliers. These both work well because the information is in writing and can be distributed on a wider basis.

With a chat room, you can have different times that would be open for discussing new ideas once a week. In addition to the chat room available for all friends to talk to each other when in need for scrapbooking help.

With the flyer, you can create one flyer per month that has all the new ideas that came up, and then you can send it out to everyone in the group either email, or snail mail.

Using these means should make it easier to exchange scrapbooking ideas and materials with your friends and families on a regular time frame. Giving you and others the ability to create more beautiful works of art.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Sun 9 Sep 2007 No Comments 

Just like other embellishments scrapbook stickers can be a great way to make your scrapbook page stand out. If scrapbook stickers are used correctly you can really embellish your page, but you need to be careful that you don’t use too many stickers. If you use too many stickers you are going to end up taking away from the main focus of the scrapbook page, which would be your pictures.

One of the great things about using scrapbook stickers is that they are actually very easy and cheap to buy. The reason that stickers are so easy to buy is because they come in a large variety, they have many different styles, sizes, shapes, designs, and colors of stickers. In fact you can actually find just about anything you want in the form of a sticker. You can buy 3D stickers, quilted stickers and many other kinds of stickers. And the best part about buying stickers is that when you buy stickers all you need to do is find the stickers that you like and being buying them, many craft stores will sell stickers in sheets or on a roll, which means you can buy as many or as few as you want. But keep in mind that when buying stickers you are going to want to buy various sizes so that you can get the most use out of your stickers as possible.

Here are five great ways you can use scrapbook stickers.

Use one:
You can actually buy letter stickers and use them in your scrapbook pages rather than handwriting or using printed fonts from your computer. This is great because if you want to give your journaling a jagged look you can do this without having to cut out every single letter. You can also use letter stickers for your spice up your title or cover of a scrapbook.

Use two:
You can also buy sticker layouts for scrapbooking. These layouts come with everything you need to design your scrapbook page, all you need to do is put the layout on the scrapbook page as you like and then add photos to spice it up.

Use three:
If you are going to include bullet points on your scrapbook page you can actually use small stickers as your bullet points. This will help to embellish your page and will not draw focus away from your pictures, but at the same time it will make those little facts of information stand out so that the viewer sees it.

Use four:
The most popular way to use scrapbook stickers is to embellish your page; this is a great way to make your page stand out. But like it was mentioned earlier you need to be careful with how many stickers you use because you don’t want to move the focus of the page from your pictures. You just want to carefully place the right stickers to add something to your page.

Use five:
Another great use of scrapbook stickers is to choose stickers that match the theme of your scrapbook page and then add them to your title. What this means is if you are doing a page on football you can use football shaped stickers in the title "football" for the letter "o" in the title or you can use bigger footballs on either side of the word to accent the title.

Just remember that like using other embellishments using stickers only requires a little creative thinking and a lot of imagination. Just be careful not to overdo it with the stickers, unless you are going for the clutter look.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Fri 7 Sep 2007 No Comments