Scrapbooking on a budget

• Use what you have first. This is simply common sense. If you have alot of colored paper, stickers, etceteras, use them BEFORE you buy more.
• Get page layout ideas for free on the Internet. There are so many page layouts on-line these days for free that there is no reason to pay for layouts on line or to buy lots of idea books. If you need help with page design, buy Core Composition and forget about the idea books.
• Find a scrapbooking buddy and pool resources. If you scrapbook together with a good friend or family member you can share tools, magazines and Idea books. (After all, how many circle cutters do you REALLY need!)
• When buying a new type of product only buy one. For example, if you see some really cute templates and you are a new scrapbooker or you do not have any templates yet, resist the urge to buy one of every design. Instead, just buy one, then see if you REALLY use the item. This works for tools and supplies and will help you to invest only in the tools and products you LOVE.
• Buy in bulk and split the product with a friend. If you find supplies that are cheaper in bulk, don't just buy them and have them sit on a shelf waiting to be used SOMEDAY. Split the items with a friend or friends and split the cost.
• Always shop around for the best processing prices. Remember quality processing is necessary for longevity of your photos, but there is a BIG price difference. Southern California Scrapbookers should check their local Costco, Sam's Club and Wal-Mart stores for great pricing on photos.
• If you are doing a family album or have more than one child ALWAYS get double prints. If you have 2 or more children, shop around for a developer that has good pricing on triple prints, they are usually cheaper than re-prints.
• Buy film in bulk..The "Kirkland" film featured at Costco is AGFA film which is considered a very good quality film. There are many companies that sell film in bulk to photographers. Bulk pricing is available when you order as few as 6 rolls. Do not order too much film, as it can get "old"- check the use by dates.
• Get together with your friends for free workshops. If you are looking for scrapbookers in your area check The Scrapbooking Idea Network for people in your area.
• Join a scrapbooking club (check here on TSIN for more info on clubs in your area)
• Start a scrapbooking club scrapbookers that would benefit from pooling resources and leftover supplies or borrowing tools. BTW, there is an area on the TSIN discussion boards to help you find people in your area.
• Get together with friends and swap tools or supplies you do not use
• Don't buy a light box- use a glass top table or make your own light box from scrap lumber
• If you have a limited budget, spend your money carefully. I would rather see a person have NO albums and lots of photos AND lots of notes than take few photos in order to afford putting them in an album.
• Do all your journalizing in pencil for now.
• Skip the stickers (for now at least)
• Try and barter for supplies- I know a CMC whose "maid" gets paid in supplies. Could you baby-sit, clean house, run errands, do bookkeeping, cater a workshop, or ???? that a consultant might need?
• Buy your supplies on sale. Stock up while your favorites are on sale
• Look for Michael's 40% off coupons *Michael's has recently expanded their scrapbooking section in most stores.
• Host a Creative Memories class, a DOTS or Stampin Up demonstration or a Life & Times class. You 'll have fun and earn free merchandise, too. ( Deborah Mundorf)
• If you love the DOTS and Stampin' Up catalog, but hate to buy them. This is the time of year (summer) when DOTS and Stampin' Up come out with their new catalogs. Check with your consultant and see if she would like to sell you last year's catalog for a discounted rate.
• Make a wish list and distribute it to your family (Kris Starfira)
• Buy acid-free lignin-free cardstock at your local stationary store or business supply discount chain for a FRACTION of the price a scrapbooking store charges for it.
• Minimize waste: If you make a mistake on a page do not throw it away. Instead re-do the page- cover the mistake with colored paper or use Zig Opaque white pen as a safe white out.
• Do not buy die cuts and stickers too far in advance, you may decide that you do not need them.  Save your scraps of acid free lignin free paper and use them for punches
• When using rubber stamps in your albums- first do the page and then stamp the desired images on plain white acid-free lignin-free paper or cardstock. That way if you make a mistake or do not like it, you will only be throwing out a small piece of paper, not an entire album page.
• Be a minimalist- Be really choosy about the photos you use. After all do you REALLY need 20 photos of your one year-old eating cake at the first birthday party ? Choose the really great ones and use the rest for another album, to mail to relatives or to keep in a photo-safe box for later use. Use journalizing to fill the empty spaces on your pages. Twenty years from now, your kids will NOT say, "Gee, Mom, I am SO glad you used that sticker in my book.", but they MIGHT say "Gee, Mom, I am so glad you wrote all of this stuff down for me."

These tips compiled by Jennia Hart

• If the tip of your Stabilo pencil is always breaking, place aquarium tubing or the lid from a makeup pencil over the tip.
• Recycle diecut letters & numbers - Acquire a complete set of letters & number diecuts and punch a hole in one corner. Bind them with a ring and use the stencils to make the letters and numbers over and over again.
• Frames from die cuts can be used again as a template to trace the shape onto paper and cut out. They can also be used as a mat for a photo or as a die cut itself. The frame can also be used as scrap paper for small paper punches
• Use fonts and simple clip art on your computer in place of diecuts. Print out colored clip art in place of stickers. (Jamie Fischer)
• Use a fingernail clipper to round edges of pictures in place of a corner rounder. (Nancy L.)
• Make your own wavy rulers with the cardboard that comes with your album pages packaging. (Nancy L.)
• Make your own stencils using a coloring book or books with simple shapes in them. Cut out the shape with an exacto knife on cardboard or plastic lids (from containers of butter, cool whip, etc.) (Elizabeth Oday)
• Frames from alphabet stickers an be applied to fancy (patterned) paper and cut out and used as new alphabet stickers when adhesive is applied to the back.(Denise Cross)
• Use a pigment ink pad and a cosmetic sponge to sponge stencil shapes on your page in place of die cuts. Sponging can also be fun with pigment ink pens. Dampen a cosmetic sponge lightly, squeezing out most of the water until nearly dry. Draw any shape on the sponge with the pen, for example: dots, snowflakes, squiggles, etc. Lightly press the sponge onto your page. You can also cover the entire surface of the sponge with a solid color and sponge over a stencil or die cut.
• Use a pigment ink pad and a cosmetic sponge to sponge stencil shapes on your page in place of die cuts. Sponging can also be fun with pigment ink pens. Dampen a cosmetic sponge lightly, squeezing out most of the water until nearly dry. Draw any shape on the sponge with the pen, for example: dots, snowflakes, squiggles, etc. Lightly press the sponge onto your page. You can also cover the entire surface of the sponge with a solid color and sponge over a stencil or die cut.
• Make your own patterned paper using pigment ink , a brayer , and stencils.

These tips compiled by Debbie Hewitt