I have so many boxes of pictures I brought down from my attic. I like to get into scrapbooking. I hear it is quite expensive to do one scrapbook. I don't want to spent so much in making these scrapbooks. I don't really know how to start one and need help. Does anyone here know how to start a scrapbook without spending so much money?

You can start by grouping the pictures according to what they represent
Sometimes you can buy a kit (watch for sales)
I have bought some templates at Staples and they were a lot cheaper then some of the crafts stores. Also, if you have a dollar store , that is a good source of some of the items you need
If you have left over wrapping paper, you can use that as a background for your pictures also
Take family pictures from Holidays like Christmans and glue them on left over christmas wrapping paper.!

I do scrapbooking, but I do it over the computer and print out my pages 12x12 at a photo printing place. There are tons out there. It usually costs about 5.00 a page and you get to use the graphics over and over again instead of one time. Google digital scrapbooking and you can get a ton of tutorials on how to start.

I personally do not scrapbook, but my mother does. One thing you should keep in mind is to use only acid free products. This is what keeps your pictures in good shape longer.

Thanks, I will keep that in mind

I am also just getting started in scrapbooking. I LOVE it, and am sure you will too. I am on a very limited income, and do not have the money to spend on it like I would like to. I found this ona site...The 5 steps to getting started.
S- Select photo
C- Choose colors (take from pictures)
R- Render Mattes (add colors)
A- Add Title (keep simple,use lt.card stock)
P- Place embellishments
I hope this helps you as much as it helped me. I use all kinds of things I have around the house for the embellishments. Once you get going, your mind will run with ideas.

I have started my scrapbooking and found all these ideas helpful. Thanks

Just wanted to let everyone know that I went to our Dollar Store yesterday. I found tons of things for scrapbooking. I was very pleased with everything I got, and it was so much cheaper. They had a good variety also. Hope this helps for ones like myself that are on a budget.

Keep all the cards you receive during the year, you will be amazed at how much you can cut out and use from them on your scrapbook pages. Also never throw the paper away that they wrap fragiles with in the stores these can be colored , crushed dipped and used in so many ways and don't forget the kids coloring books and books with colored pictures from tag sales and used stores. I use all of these things and my pages are well received and cost almost nothing to make. Also look at your buttons on things your are discarding,cloth makes a beautiful background. Hope this gives you some ideas to get started, once you do you will see things every where you can use.

I am a serious scrapbooker. I have an entire room dedicated to it in my home and I have spent a lot of money on tools, paper, embellishments etc. Stores dedicated to scrapbooking and craft giants like Michaels offer beginner classes. My best advice is to buy products for each project. It is a very addictive hobby. You can also go on many websites related to scrapbooking to look at examples and get advice. Michaels, Joanne's and AC Moore offer coupons 40-50% off one regular item in their ads for tools or kits if you really want to get in to it. If it is important for you to hand these scrapbooks down to the next generation you have to be careful as previous poster's have mentioned about the products you use for the long term. Acid Free, Lignin free etc. Dollar stores as also mentioned are a great source of photo friendly products at reasonable prices.
Hope this helps.

Hi. i found tons of scrapbooking stuff at Dollar General. Not sure if you have one there but it is like a discount store with new stuff. I found packs of sb paper in quantities of 10 or more for $.75 to $1.00.

quote:

Originally posted by Justnoww:
I have so many boxes of pictures I brought down from my attic. I like to get into scrapbooking. I hear it is quite expensive to do one scrapbook. I don't want to spent so much in making these scrapbooks. I don't really know how to start one and need help. Does anyone here know how to start a scrapbook without spending so much money?

I have found that if I know what themes I am planning on scrapping, that I will use my coupons from the Sunday paper at local arts and crafts stores to buy only the supplies I'll need for those particular themes. That way I am focused and only buying exactly what I need. It takes a little planning, but I have saved so much money on scrapbooking supplies, whereas before I was just buying embellishments, paper, etc. just because "it was cute" and then never ended up using it. Also, when my friends and I get together to scrap, we will pool supplies together and put them in a spot where we can look through them and use whatever we find. That way, what may be unusable to me, may be exactly what you're looking for! And remember, sometimes simple is all it takes!

Scrapbooking is also one of my favorite hobbies. I also started with "shoe boxes" of photos. Started with my parents old photos when they were growing to marriage. In the next book, was myself & my brother growing. It took 2 books for my children growing, and still have to do the present ---- all grown, grandchildren, etc. Acid-free pages are the only safe way to protect the pictures. Dollar stores are good, Costco had cheap backgrnd. ppr., even magazines for good colors & pictures. Scrapbooking websites are great for ideas. Any plan that suits you is a good plan. Enjoy !

When I started scrapbooking, I signed up to be a Creative Memories consultant JUST to get all the basic stuff pretty much at cost, the cutting tools, albums, corner rounders, etc then traded back all the stuff I wouldn't use, like the catalogs, to my recruiter and she gave me product for it. This year I joined Stampin'Up for same reason but that I do take orders for so I can keep getting more at cost or for free!!