Save Cash on Memory Book Products With These Ideas

Making scrapbooks can be a costly obsession. From decorative paper, accents, embellishments, and cardstock, the costs can mount up fast. I've been scrapbooking for about 7 years and at first, I went to all the expensive specialty scrapbook supply outlets, where products are more costly. Since then though, I have found some great ways to save money.

Scrapbooking-

Materials at a discount. The most obvious way to save money is to locate a place to shop that sells scrapbook accessories at a discount. I have found that Internet outlets in fact have lower prices than brick and mortar outlets. One example is they carry the Hermafix Dotto Glue Refill for $3.99, this is a whole $2.00 less than at the two local scrapbooking outlets near my home. The only downside of buying your scrapbook accessories online is that you will have to wait a day or two... or more. So I wanted to find an online shop that ships same day. Another thing to look for on a scrapbook accessories website is free shipping. Good sites will offer free shipping if your order is over a predetermined figure. The lower that number, the better! The lowest I have seen is $25 and that is pretty darn good.

Curtailing Paper Costs-

Another way to save money on scrapbook accessories is by using 12x12 paper. You get more square inches of paper for the money than when purchasing 8 �" x 11" paper. It also goes a longer way{ in that you can use the scraps in creating trappings. Also, there are a wide variety of cardstock colors. You can always use cardstock on a layout. Sometimes, that's all I use. That way, you don't use and therefore you don't need to buy patterned paper. This cuts down costs a lot as patterned papers are fairly pricey.

Saving on Adornments-

A way to save more cash is by reducing the number of scrapbook accessories, like embellishments. The real focal point of pages is understood to be the pictures. You won't have to spend your cash on a lot of little thingamabobs and you'll save time too by not having to make something special.

If you just can't go on without using embellishments, buy generic embellishment materials that can be used on various layouts instead of purchasing embellishments for use on one individual page. For example, get fibers in a package that has several different colors. Tags are another nice embellishment that will look nice on any layout.

Becoming a scrapbooker does not have to be costly. Remember that the whole idea of scrapbooks is the photos and the memories you have of them, not how much money you spent!

NOTE: Use of this article requires links to be intact.

Although Debbie Luker has enjoyed making memory books for several clients, she is now more focused on getting her work published online and in trade magazines. Having been on two different design teams for suppliers, the most recent being the ScrapbookPal.com which sells discount scrapbook supplies. See also Scrapbooking-Jobs.com.