Scrapbooking tools for Scrappers

Beyond Scissors and a Glue Stick - Scrapbooking Tools for Every Occasion

As a beginner, you might have one or two tools you use to create pages for your scrapbook. As someone who’s been doing this for years, I, on the other hand, own so many tools that I could write a book about them, let alone an article. If you too aspire to own ridiculous amounts of scrapbooking tools, here’s some of the few ways you can begin adding to your collection. Tools aren’t cheap, but watch for the sales, and in no time your scrapbooking space will be overflowing with products to help you invent any page your imagination creates.

The most basic way to start collecting tools is to upgrade your scissors. For as low of a price as one dollar, you can find decorative scissors that will cut in designs rather than straight lines. The possibilities are endless, so start with the basics, such as a scallop, and work your way up to more elaborate decorative scissors. Moving beyond straight lines, you can also purchase tools to help you cut perfect circles. These can be a little tricky to use at first, but it’s much easier than tracing around a glass and trying to cut perfectly on a line. Remember that you’ll need some kind of a cutting board to use some of these cutting options, or you’ll wind up with circles cut out of your tablecloth or marks on the wood.

Another way to cut paper is to use a paper punch. Punches can be used in two ways. First, you can punch out sections of paper and glue the pieces to your page. However, for a different look, use the negative of the punch. For example, cutting the edge of a paper with a decorative scissors and then using a small punch along the border creates a lace effect. Punches come in all sizes and shapes, with some even made especially for punching borders.

Rubber stamps are also popular tools to use with scrapbooks. The stamping industry started as a separate market, but now acid-free inks and stamps made specifically for scrapbooks, such as frames, are available for scrapbookers to use with their albums. Stamping takes some time and skill, and the stamping world has its own sets of tools to create beautiful work, so take some time to learn about stamps before you jump into a project.

These are just a few of the many tools available for scrapbooking. Others include special markers and paint, paper crimpers, die cut machines, and computer programs. The possibilities are endless. All you truly need to begin a simple scrapbook is some scissors and glue, but exploring the selection of tools at your local craft store will help you become more creative when designing pages.

Acid is a Scrapbookers Worst Enemy

Acid - A Scrapbooker’s Worst Enemy
by Nan Wood

Everyone advertises their scrapbooking products to be acid-free and photo safe, but what exactly do these terms mean and how do these types of products help protect your photographs? To put it plainly, photography is a chemical process, so the reintroduction of other chemicals to the surface of your photograph is what causes them to discolor, warp, and become brittle. If you’ve ever pulled yellowed photographs out of a shoebox from under your grandmother’s bed, you know what I mean. Creating scrapbooks takes a long time and a lot of money, so using materials to protect your photographs will help save your album for many years.

Acidity is rated on a pH scale. Items that are pure and “acid-free” have a pH level of zero. Anything above zero indicates acidity. Of the items on your page must have a pH level of zero to fully protect your photographs. Acid migrates over time to neutral items, much in the same way as a cupful of hot water dropped into a bowl of cold water will disperse over time to create a medium temperature. Products that act as buffers between acidic items and photographs are available on the market, but these are not as safe as manufactures make them out to be. Over time, these papers cannot absorb the acid in most items, and it will eventually migrate to your photographs. A safe way to buffer acidic items from your photographs is with mylar, or polyester. This is the product most companies use to make page protectors, for that very reason.

One of the major problems in the scrapbooking market is that there is no set standard a product must reach before being termed “photo safe.” Therefore, that phrase is used very loosely, often at the consumer’s expense. Your best bet is to use products labeled “archival quality,” but even then only buy products from manufactures you know and trust. When buying from a new company, it is important to research the company first and even call customer service to ask about their product quality. Don’t be shy; doing this will help protect the investment of time and money you made in your scrapbook. If you want to test your products, pH pens are now becoming readily available on the market. By making a mark on the back of your paper and comparing its color to a guide, you can tell if your paper is truly acid-free or not. Bottom line is, consumer beware.

Nan is an Accountant and Business Writer with an online research and information site Scrapbooking

So You think you want to Scrapbook

So You Think You Want to Scrapbook…
by Nan Wood

Learning to scrapbooking is something that takes commitment, just like learning any art. If you think that it’s a craft you’d like to enjoy, there are a few basic tools, supplies, and skills you will need to get started. Creating albums takes time, but the projects are rewarding and the end result is a family heirloom that can be enjoyed and then passed down to your grandchildren, along with your love for scrapbooking.

To get started, you first need pictures. Almost everyone has boxes or photo albums full of pictures, and you may notice that some of these are discolored or warped due to their poor storage. The world around us in our homes is full of acid and moisture, which breaks down the chemical balance used to produce photographs and causes them to change appearance. By scrapbooking with acid free supplies, you can protect you pictures for many years to come.

There are only a few basic tools you need to begin. Every good scrapbooker needs a cutting tool. Sharp scissors will work well, but there are also tools on the market to cut scalloped edges, perfectly straight lines, and circles, among other things. You will also need some form of adhesive. Beginners may find that the easiest products to buy are photo mounts, which are tiny pre-cut pieces of tape, and glue dots, which are pressure-sensitive strong spots of glue to hold larger embellishments. Beyond a cutting tool and adhesive, you really don’t need any other tools to get started, but if you want to create fancier pages, many options are available including rubber stamps, paper crimpers, and punches. Start with a few smaller items and increase your inventory as you learn more and more scrapbooking skills.

You will also need a few basic supplies before you begin, the most important of which is the album itself. Make sure whatever you purchase is large enough to hold all the pictures you want to include; two to five pictures will fit on a standard 8 ½ x 11 page with cropping, with the most balanced layouts having three pictures. You can also choose from larger or smaller albums. The only other supply you need to get started is paper. Most albums come with a white piece of paper in each sheet protector, but there are many colors and designs to choose from to help spice up your album. Other supplies that add interest to your pages include paper dolls, stickers, die cuts, and three-dimensional elements.

Most of the skills you need to start scrapbooking can be easily learned by mimicking pages you see in magazines or on the Internet. However, if you are still unsure how to use your tools extremely well, you can attend or host a scrapbooking workshop. Stores and companies offer this option for people who are new to the craft, and it is the best option to help you create your first page. Remember that learning to scrapbook is a process, and you will learn new skills as you fill your album with pages.

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