Related Links:
All Dream Team Topics:
- inspired ideas (232)
- arts and crafts (91)
- boredom busters (51)
- inexpensive ideas (43)
- healthy fun (39)
More Dream Team Tags
Scrapbook Savings
Rated by 5 members
I was enjoying the quiet of a rare lazy Sunday when my daughters burst in the room, disturbing my solitude.
"We're bored. Can we go get scrapbook supplies?" they asked. "We want to work on our albums."
Why not, I thought. Scrapbooking would keep the girls busy for the afternoon.
A quick trip to the craft supply store, though, proved to be expensive. Within a few minutes, Brittany and Ally had picked out a few paper packages and stickers that added up to more than $40. Yikes, I thought. At that rate, those albums were going to cost more than $100 each when completed.
"Girls, let's scale back what we buy and think of other things we can use for scrapbooking," I said. "I think some of our art supplies at home could work."
After purchasing a limited amount of the chosen supplies, we headed home to look for other materials already on hand.
"Hey, we could probably use this construction paper," Brittany said, as she dug into our art supplies. "And there's a lot of stickers in here. There's flower stickers from Easter and heart stickers left over from our Valentines. We could definitely use these."
As we dug further for markers, colored pencils, and stencil sets, Ally had a great idea.
I'm going to look in our wrapping paper box," she said, running upstairs.She returned with a variety of wrapping paper sheets bought at the dollar store, colored tissue paper, and curling ribbon.
"Look at all the pretty paper. We could make our own borders with this," Ally said, holding up a blue-and-pink squiggle pattern. "This will make a pretty border."
Brittany even remembered our tin of miscellaneous, mismatched buttons and rhinestones in all sizes and colors.
"I bet these could be glued to make some cute pages," she said.
The girls seemed more excited about finding these "hidden treasures" than actually getting started scrapping. We also went online and found free printable borders and scrapbooking tips.
We now save wrapping paper scraps and remaining art supplies from other projects in a special box for scrapbooking. It helps us recycle things we already have and cuts down on the cost of the creative hobby. And the girls now have enough supplies to keep them busy every Sunday without me needing to open my wallet.
Member Comments On…
Scrapbook Savings
When the kids are working on scrapbooks as a fun afternoon project we use the same "found" supplies. Instead of using original prints of photos we take them to the copy shop and have color copies made (or just print them out since we most of our photos are digital). This keeps us from having our "good" photos in the books that may not last forever, and keeps me from spending a small fortune on their books.
1 |
I agree...one has to be penny wise when working with little ones on a scrap project. My boys 5 & 7 ejoy working with older sister (13) and myself on our projects. While I do share some of my more "scrap-approved" and expensive supplies with my DD, my boys still get some of the craft paper and embelishments that may not meet the scrap world's quality control standards. One tip I do love that I can share, print those photos on Avery full sheet lable paper from your printer. Saves on glue and adhesive mess and you can have them pick the pictures they want to use! If you are lucky enough to have a scanner at home, scan the finished project page or pages they created (once it has dried) and you can then print up their created pages and put it in your scrapbook in an photo safe way for them to see years down the road. Really...will they be saving ALL of their scrapbook projects anyway???
4 |
Why not make your scrapbook pages with the cheap/free stuff then scan them and have them made into "photo books"? My guess is that it will end up costing about the same in the long run and as a bonus you could make several books to give to the grandparents as gifts. Just a thought....
2 |
I am a Creative Memories Independent Consultant. If you're doing the scrapbooks as a fun craft, go for it & put anything you want in the scrapbooks. However, if you want these scrapbooks to be archival, regardless of what "stickers & stuff" that you use, I would definitely use Creative Memories scrapbooks & adhesives, which are guaranteed for life. CM spends over a million dollars a year to ensure photo safety. CM album pages are acid/ligin free (lignin is what turns paper brown & newspapers are something like 97% lignin free). The pages are buffered (this mean that as long as an item on your scrapbook is not touching the photos, any acid on memorabilia won't leak onto & harm the pictures. I did a scrapbook in high school & the pages turned brown & the corners were starting to shred & the household tape didn't last.
2 |
Construction paper, wrapping paper and other "recycled thing" often do not belong in a scrapbook - if you want to keep that scrapbook for any length of time. Paper that is not phot safe will actually degrade photos. I hate seeing anyone, especially kids, put a lot of effort into a project, only to see it fall apart a year later because the glue has completely tried so nothing is sticking to the paper anymore or the paper color has faded...use the correct tools and supplies for the job, just plan ahead and stock up when the quality products are on sale.
2 |
Actually, I save money by digiscrapping. It is cheaperto purchase and you can use the graphics over and over, as well as the pictures. Even better is that you can scrap a page and share it with grandma and grandma and Aunt Sally and Aunt Betsy--you get the idea, with minimal effort.
Digiscrapping is not difficult and you can find many graphics online for free. The ones you buy are still much less expensive than traditional paper scrapping. I can recommend several good sites to get you started.
2 |
wow, the consensus is unanimous, in upstate NY Michaels crafts has sals where you can get supplies for 50-70% off, watch the ads...
1 |
LOL! I was just going to pop in and say the very same thing!! :) Be careful what you put in your scrapbooks!!
You can also purchase archival spray, that will treat your other papers and items to make them ok to use.
3 |
I was going to say the same thing. You will not want to use construction paper in your scrapbooks :(
watch stores like Target for their Dollar spot and you can find some great scrapbooking treasures in there! The dollar stores will have some great items in their scrapbook section also :)
it would be a shame to put a bunch of time and effort in a book to have it be discolored and ruined in a couple years.
4 |
I have to jump in as a true scrapbooker. Keep the supplies acid/lignin free & photo safe. Adhesive, paper, pens, protectors and embellishments. You will be sorry years down the road when the beautiful works turn the photos a nice deep orange, the art work has faded from the page & the paper has turned a strange shade! I teach classes & design pages for our local scrapbook store it is an expensive hobby but worth spending the extra to actually preserve the memory. Creative pages can be made on a budget using the correct supplies, using punches and diecuts from cardstock & good archival pens. To save newspaper or art not from archival materials laser color copy onto archival paper and place in photo safe page protectors. I am all for saving $, this is one area we don't scrimp. Instead look for the proper items on sale.
9 |
