Have you decided that you would like to start a scrapbook? If so, you will soon buy supplies. The good news and the bad news is that you have so many items and accessories to choose from. With all of your options, you may find yourself spending a lot of money and acquiring too many scrapbook supplies. So, how do you prevent that from happening?

Look for supplies at home first. Many people are surprised how many items inside their home can be used as scrapbooking supplies. To get started, look at the main supplies. These include adhesives and scissors. Scrapbook scissors are nice, due to their varied cuts, but they are not required. If you do not have money to spend, use your scissors at home. The same with purchasing glue; don’t buy it if you have double sided adhesive tape at home.

In keeping with looking for supplies at home, remember to think outside of the box. Scrapbook embellishments, also known as accessories, come in a number of different formats. Instead of buying a sticker of a flower, let a flower dry from the bouquet your husband purchased for you. Not only does this look nice, but it adds sentimental value to your album.

Talk to those you know. Do you have any friends or family members who also enjoy scrapbooking? See if you can borrow some of their reusable supplies, such as rubber stamps, scrapbook scissors, or die cut stampers. This saves you money. Rubber stamps can be expensive, but if you borrow them all you need to buy is the inkpad.

Buy cardstock in bulk. Cardstock is colored sheets of paper that are thick. In fact, they resemble the material used to make a greeting card. This paper can be used for many purposes. So, buy in bulk, as you will likely use it.

In keeping with cardstock sheets, you can use them to create backgrounds and borders for your photographs. This is much cheaper than purchasing already designed and sized borders. For a background, cut the cardstock a little bit larger than your photograph and glue the two together. For a border, cut a shape, like a square, out of the middle and position around your photograph.

Buy only what you need. Only buying scrapbook supplies that you need can help you save money and reduce clutter. But, what if you find a great sale? Of course, you can stock up, but be wise when doing so. Stick with your theme. If your scrapbook theme is weddings, only purchase background pages, stickers, and other embellishments that are directly related to it. Don’t buy scrapbook supplies, even those on sale, if you only think could use them later.

Know what you have. Since it is not uncommon for scrapbookers to have a large collection of supplies, it can get difficult to determine what you have. This is common with stickers and themed background sheets. Create a list. Under the section of stickers, write the type of stickers you have, such as new baby stickers, Christmas stickers, and so forth. Before or during shopping, consult your list. This will prevent you from buying duplicates or more scrapbooking supplies than you need.

By implementing a few of the above mentioned steps, you can enjoy the fun hobby of scrapbooking. You can do so with the less the mess and less the costs.