Budget and sustainability

It doesn't have to be. With an album, a pair of scissors, photo-safe glue, some cardstock and a good pen, you can already make lovely pages. The costs mostly add up through all the extras, like new collections, stickers, stamps and machines.

Start small and see what you really use first. Many scrappers notice after a few pages that they keep reaching for the same things. Only buy something new when you miss it for a specific page. Use leftovers and free materials from around the house too. That way it stays an affordable hobby in the long run.

Read also: What you really need to start scrapbooking

Save on decoration, not on anything that touches your photos. Cheap glue or poor-quality plastic can make photos discolour or come loose after a few years, and you can't undo that.

This can be cheaper:

• embellishments and stickers: make them yourself or use leftovers
• patterned paper: a paper pad is usually better value per sheet than single sheets
• tools: a pair of scissors, a craft knife and a cutting mat will last you a long time

Better not to cut corners here:

• glue: acid-free and photo-safe
• page protectors: PVC-free
• your pen: a pigment pen that doesn't fade
• paper that sits directly against photos: acid-free

Read also: Scrapbooking on a small budget

More than you think. A lot of what you'd normally throw away is free scrapbooking material, especially for junk journals and holiday albums. Think of:

• entry tickets, train tickets and museum tickets
• clothing labels, tea bags and packaging
• envelopes with a pattern on the inside
• old sheet music, maps and book pages
• cereal box card for tags or a cover
• buttons, ribbon and fabric from old clothes

Much of this material isn't acid-free, so it's best not to put it directly against photos. Till receipts are usually printed on thermal paper and fade. Make a copy or take a photo if the text matters.

Read also: How to make a journal from recycled materials

Keep them sorted by colour, and you'll actually use them. A folder with plastic sleeves or a tray per colour works well. What you can do with them:

• use narrow strips as a border or under a title
• punch or cut shapes, like little flowers, circles and bunting
• make tags and journaling cards
• lay out a background of small squares, like patchwork
• make cards or artist trading cards (cards of 6.4 x 8.9 cm, 2.5 x 3.5 inches)

Scraps that really are too small can still go into a collage in your journal or be used as filling in a little envelope.

Read also: How to store scrapbook supplies: paper, stickers and washi tape

Many designers put free paper, labels and journaling cards online to show off their work. Search for terms like 'free printable', 'scrapbook freebie' or 'free digital paper', or have a look on Pinterest. Designers' newsletters often come with free samples too.

Do keep in mind:

• preferably download from the designer's own site, not from collection sites that repost files without permission
• read the terms of use
• if a download link sent by email doesn't arrive, check your spam folder

If you're printing them for a paper album, use sturdy matte paper or photo paper.

Read also: Hybrid scrapbooking: print digitally, finish on paper

No, you can scrapbook perfectly well with a pair of scissors, a craft knife with a ruler and a cutting mat. A paper trimmer is handy for straight edges, but you don't need one to get started. Die-cutting machines and cutting machines are fun for shapes and letters, but they're a luxury, not a basic.

Without a machine, you can do it like this:

• print shapes or letters and cut them out
• trace a template or cookie cutter onto paper
• only buy a punch for shapes you use often

If you're unsure, try out a machine at someone else's place or at a crafting afternoon before you buy one yourself.

Read also: Choosing cutting tools: paper trimmer, scissors and cutting mat

With paper scraps, card and things from around the house, you can make lots of decorations yourself. Embellishments are all the extras on your page, such as tags, flowers and buttons. A few ideas:

• cut tags from a cereal box, with a hole and a piece of string
• make flowers from rolled-up paper strips or stacked punched shapes
• cut shapes from thin card as a cheap alternative to chipboard (thick pressed board)
• use buttons and ribbon from old clothes
• reuse labels from clothes or packaging

If the card isn't acid-free, don't stick it directly onto a photo.

Read also: How to choose and place embellishments without the clutter

Yes, with stamps, stencils or paint you can turn plain cardstock into your own patterned paper. That way you can match the colours exactly to your photos. A few ways to do it:

• repeat a small stamp in a regular or random pattern
• apply ink or paint with a stencil and a sponge
• stamp paint with bubble wrap, the end of a toilet roll tube or a cork
• make splatters with watered-down paint and a brush
• colour paper with ink or cold tea

Use sturdy paper for wet techniques, otherwise it will buckle.

Read also: Using stencils: ink, paint and paste without bleeding

The easiest way is to print on sticker paper, but you can also make cut-out pictures sticky yourself. You have three options:

• sticker paper: choose a type that suits your printer, inkjet or laser
• double-sided tape or a tape runner on the back of a cut-out picture
• a transfer with wide packing tape: stick the tape onto a laser print or magazine page, soak the paper in water and rub it away

An inkjet print won't work for that last method, because the ink dissolves in water. If a white haze is left behind, gently rub away a few more paper fibres with a wet finger.

Read also: How to make your own stickers, with or without a printer

Yes, but newsprint is acidic and yellows quickly. It can also pass those acids on to photos lying against it. Magazine paper and maps are often a little better, but usually not acid-free either.

Here's how to use them safely anyway:

• place a sheet of acid-free paper between the clipping and your photo
• use a copy or scan on acid-free paper if it's mainly about the text
• treat clippings with a deacidification spray

In a junk journal or art journal without original photos, you can use them without worrying.

Read also: Acid-free and lignin-free: what it means and when it matters

Usually not. Free almost always means: for personal use only. You can print the file and use it in your own album, but you can't pass it on, post it online or resell it. That also applies if you change it a little.

If you want to sell something you make with it, like cards or tags, check the terms of use. Some designers allow limited commercial use, sometimes up to a certain number of items, others don't allow it at all. If nothing is mentioned, ask the designer. If you want to share something with friends, send them the link to the original page.

Read also: Can you use this? Copyright for scrapbookers

Just after a holiday or season, when themed supplies go on sale. Christmas paper in January or summer stickers at the end of summer are often heavily reduced, and a year later you can use them just fine.

More ways to buy for less:

• older collections get cheaper when new ones come out
• a paper pad is usually better value per sheet than single sheets
• make a list beforehand and set yourself a budget, so you don't buy on impulse

In the sales, only buy what you really think you'll use. A drawer full of unused bargains costs money too.

Read also: Scrapbooking on a small budget

Yes, it often gets you lots of supplies for little money. Scrappers who are stopping or clearing out sometimes sell whole boxes through second-hand sites. In charity shops you'll regularly find stamps, paper and albums.

Do keep in mind:

• old stickers and tape can lose their stickiness
• ink pads may have dried out
• yellowed albums or old plastic sleeves are best not used for photos

Swapping works too. Bring supplies you don't use to a crafting afternoon or arrange a swap with other scrappers. That way they get a second life and you have something new again.

Read also: Scrapbooking together: crops and crafty afternoons

It can be, because you don't need to buy paper, glue or decorations, and you can reuse digital paper endlessly. There are free programs, such as GIMP, and online design tools like Canva often have a free version that's enough for simple pages. There are also lots of free digital kits.

The costs are in the printing: a photo book or single prints at 30 x 30 cm aren't free. You also need a computer or tablet. If you mostly look at your pages on a screen, that's the cheapest option. A middle way is hybrid scrapbooking: designing digitally and finishing on paper.

Read also: How to get started with digital scrapbooking

That depends on how quickly you use up your supplies. A monthly kit gives you paper, stickers and decorations that go together, plus a regular moment to sit down and scrapbook. That's handy if you have little time to put things together yourself.

The downside: if the kits pile up unused, you're paying for a growing stack. So try a single kit first, and check whether you can pause the subscription or skip a month. Cancel it if you fall behind. It's also worth working out whether you could buy the same things separately for less.

Use sturdy cardboard from shipping boxes or cereal boxes for the cover and bind paper in between. For a sturdy cover, glue two layers of thin card together.

Here's how to go about it:

• cut two covers slightly larger than your pages
• cover them with wrapping paper, an old map or a piece of fabric
• bind the pages with book rings or an elastic band through the fold, or sew them through the spine with a simple stitch

For pages, you can use old envelopes, paper bags, drawing paper or leftover cardstock. An album like this is perfect as a junk journal or holiday book.

Read also: How to bind your own scrapbook or journal

In the print window, choose 'fit to page' or 'scale to fit', so the whole square stays visible. A 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inch) page will then be about 19 to 20 cm wide on A4, with white margins. If you choose 'fill', part of the design gets cut off.

Always check the print preview first. If you want the page at full size, have it printed by a photo service that offers 30 x 30 cm. Squares up to about 19 x 19 cm fit on A4 at full size. That's handy for a mini album.

Read also: How to print digital pages and make a photo book

Yes, pretty wrapping paper makes great patterned paper for backgrounds, photo mats or little envelopes. Open presents carefully, peel the tape off slowly and smooth the paper out straight away. Store it rolled up or flat in a box, and it will stay crease-free.

You can iron out creases on a low setting without steam, with a sheet of baking paper in between. Don't do this with foil or glossy paper, as it can melt. Wrapping paper is often thin and not acid-free. Stick it onto cardstock to make it sturdier and don't put it directly against photos. Paper bags, tissue paper and brown kraft paper are useful too.

Read also: How to make a journal from recycled materials

Yes, the shiny silicone paper behind your stickers is reusable, because almost nothing sticks to it permanently. So don't throw it away. You can use it like this:

• keep half-used stickers and loose letters on it
• stick pieces of washi tape on it as a swatch card or a small stash
• place stickers and tape on it temporarily while you plan a page
• as a work surface for glue, because glue barely sticks to it

An old sticker book with sheets like these is also handy for storing your collection of loose stickers.

Read also: How to store scrapbook supplies: paper, stickers and washi tape

An awl or a thick needle will get you a long way. Put your paper on a cutting mat, a piece of cardboard or an old mouse mat and pierce through it from above. For a bigger hole, twist the awl around or carefully snip with the tip of a pair of scissors.

Here's how to keep the holes neat:

• make a template from a strip of paper with the holes in the right places
• pierce through all the layers at once, so the holes line up exactly
• reinforce the hole with an eyelet or a circle of card, so it doesn't tear

A hole punch is handy, but you don't need one.

Read also: How to bind your own scrapbook or journal