Before getting started with creating your scrapbook, you will need to gather all the essentials. Some of the supplies and tools you will need as a scrapbook artisan are:
Adhesives
There are multiple choices when it comes to glues for scrapbooking. Some of the options at your disposal are liquid glue pens, glue sticks, foam dots, photo tape, and more. When selecting your preferred glue, please make sure it’s acid-free and photo-safe.
Albums and Sheet Protectors
While albums come in varying sizes, most beginners prefer using the standard 12 x 12 inches. This size will allow you to use multiple photo sizes and still leave room for supplementary scrapbooking elements.
The page protectors should be either polyethene, mylar, or polypropylene. Other page protectors will damage or fade your scrapbooking pages with time.
Cutting Tools
You will need small and large straight-edged pairs of scissors. Other alternatives include paper trimmers, shape cutters, and decorative scissors. If you are practising advanced scrapbooking, the ideal option is the digital die-cut machine.
Die Cuts
They are cut and shaped papers that artists can add to the scrapbooking pages. Die cuts are premade and retailed in packages.
Paper
You will need a variety of patterned and solid-colored paper. The paper will come in either 8.5 x 11 inches o
r 12 x 12 inches. You should only purchase lignin-free and acid-free paper for scrapbooking. Acid-free paper has undergone effective treatment to remove the acids found in wood pulp. On the other hand, Lignin-free means that the paper was processed to get rid of the acidic parts of the wood pulp.
Pens
It would be best if you only used pens with pigment ink because it is colorfast, waterproof, and fade resistant. It is recommended that you practice writing with the pen on a separate piece of scrap paper before writing on your scrapbook paper layout.
Photos
This is an essential element in any scrapbook page. You should make sure that the photos are in focus and well-lit for the best results.
Punches
These are essential tools used to cut out various shapes from paper.
Stamps
You can use rubber stamps to beautify or add interest to your page. To give the stamp print dimension, use embossing powder alongside a heating tool.
Stickers
These embellishments are essential to scrapbook pages. Visit any craft store, and you will get thousands of sticker themes, shapes, and designs.
Templates
These are stencils that will help you make perfect borders and shapes. Place your template on the piece of paper to trace out the shape before cutting it out.
