Many people would love to start scrapbooking but are simply unsure where to begin.  Those boxes of photos may seem overwhelming and walking through the aisles of supplies may be intimidating.

I’ve found there are five simple steps you can followto get started scrapbooking.

1. Gather Your Supplies. No, you don’t need one of everything. Start simple. Choose an album, a few sheets of acid-free paper, acid-free adhesive, maybe some stickers, rubber stamps or embellishments and the pens you’d like to use to add captions or journaling.

2. Organize. Take out your photos and memorabilia (if you want to use them) and sort through them.  Discard any photos that you simply cannot use. Next you’ll want to choose which ones you’ll include in your scrapbook.

You may also want to take a little extra time to sort other photos into shoeboxes or organizers for future scrapbooks.

3. Take a Class. Taking a class is an excellent source of inspiration and motivation.  You’ll also learn techniques that are sure to make your first scrapbooking experience more enjoyable and memorable.

4. Be Creative. You’re scrapbooking for fun so go ahead cut away, hearts, stars, whatever you like. And don’t be afraid to crop your photos.

You may even want to try a pair of edgers to add some decorative edging to your photos.  Add some stickers or try out rubber stamps. Then lay everything out and play with your arrangements until it’s just the way you want it.

You may want to check out some of the layouts that can be found in galleries on scrapbooking web sites. Remember, it’s your scrapbook, so why not make it what you want it to be. There’s no right or wrong way to make a scrapbook, the choices are personal.

5. Take Your Time. Set aside a little time every day, or a couple times a week, to work on your scrapbook. Doing this you’ll be less likely to lose interest since you’ll be able to see your scrapbook coming together with each session. Equally you’ll be less like to rush through it and end up disappointed.

Shopping for scrapbook supplies online is much like shopping for anything else online.  However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when you start browsing the web to restock your supplies or make a completely new purchase.

First and most important, follow all the same safety precautions in making scrapbooking purchases that you would when shopping for anything else.  Just because the
scrapbooking community is generally close-knit and honest, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still people out there waiting to take advantage of you. Look for BBB logos, VeriSign, or other safety or security logos on the websites you’re considering.

Next, take your time and read through the information on the websites. Don’t be in such a rush to make a purchase that you overlook things like shipping times, methods and
costs.  If you’re in need of a particular tool for a crop that’s 3 weeks away, you surely wouldn’t want to find out after you’ve made your purchase that you’ll have to wait a month or more. 

Likewise, you wouldn’t want to pay an exorbitantly high shipping charge for a tool that only costs five or ten dollars.

Some people don’t mind shopping at several places to get what they need, while others are much happier to find one or two places to get everything. 

When browsing for online sources for your scrapbooking supplies you would be wise to
spend the extra time to look over the entire site, one site at a time.  You’re much more likely to find the sites that meet your needs the best when doing this.

There are a couple of sites that I would recommend you check out when considering purchasing scrapbooking supplies from the web. 

Shopping online for your scrapbooking needs is not that unlike shopping around town.  You want to make the smartest purchase possible and like your shopping to be convenient.  If you take time to get to know sites on the web like you do your local shops, you’re sure to have a pleasant shopping experience online.