So, the good news is you visited several different scrapbook stores and you found different scrapbook kits that triggered your desire to be a budding scrapbooker. The bad news is you also learned that these kits, scrapbooking magazines, and materials can be quite expensive and you aren’t sure you can afford to be a scrapbooker. Well, don’t despair, if you’re interested in scrapbooking but don’t have the initial budget to buy the expensive materials and scrapbook guides, read on for a simple guide for getting started with Do-It-Yourself scrapbooking. 

Focus on the Basics

Just as in doing artworks and crafts, scrapbooking does require a lot of materials and supplies, but this doesn’t mean that you have to spend a huge amount of money to begin scrapbooking. Today, many different products are being offered by the scrapbooking industry and I think these products can be very beneficial when you are scrapbooking, However, when you are first getting started they can also be quite expensive.

If you are just a beginner, don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by these products. Instead, just focus on buying the basic scrapbook materials and supplies like:

• Papers and Cardstocks (the foundation of the scrapbook page)

• Album and Sheet Protectors (comes in different sizes and colors)

• Scissors or Paper Trimmers (allows you to cut lines without hassle)

• Adhesive (that is inexpensive but easy to use)

• Photo Tabs / Photo Splits (keeps the back of the photos clean and easily removed)

• Journaling Tools (such as a wide variety of pens)

Don’t forget… all your supplies should be acid-free and lignin-free to ensure safe preservation of your photos.

Learn the Basic Scrapbooking Techniques

Scrapbooking magazines can be quite expensive since they are created for a special segment of the market. If your budget is tight at the beginning but you still want to create scrapbook, it will pay to start pumping out your creative juices and creating your own style.

Although you do want to create your own style, you can still get some great ideas from the Internet about the basic techniques used in scrapbooking. Here are some basic scrapbooking techniques that you can use in creating your D-I-Y scrapbook.

Inserting Eyelets

Eyelets are a great means of attaching things to an album or a page, or to add color and embellishment to your pages. Eyelets usually come in various shapes and sizes that can help focus attention to a point in the page.

To insert an eyelet, you need a puncher, an eyelet setter, a hammer and a mat. Select the place where you would want to insert the eyelet and lay the paper on the mat face up. Hold the punch upright and use the hammer to hit the top of the punch. After this, you can now insert the eyelet and turn the paper over. You can also place the eyelet setter on top of the eyelet and then tap the top of the eyelet setter using the hammer to flatten the eyelet ridge.

Paper Piercing and Using Patterns

Another basic technique that you can use for your D-I-Y scrapbook project is paper piercing and the use of patterns. To use patterns, lay a piece of tracing paper over the pattern. Draw over the outline with a pencil and transfer the pattern to paper. Now place the tracing on the patterned paper and slip the transfer paper underneath to draw over the lines. To create a paper-pierced embellishment, just follow the steps in using patterns then cut out the pattern pieces.

In addition to the two techniques mentioned above, using chalk and vellum papers can also create some wonderful scrapbooks.

As you can see, you can get started scrapbooking and not break your budget. So get started and enjoy yourself!

For more information and tips on scrapbooking, visit my website at http://www.scrapbooking-advisor.com and sign up for my weekly newsletter.  Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Burke