As a start..

When I first thinking about going into this scrapbooking hobby, I've been searching high and low for what is exactly needed to scrapbook. I mean in terms of the basic tools. I'm so desperate to go into it because I'd planned to give it as a gift to my baby's babysitter who is moving out of town. Thanks to Yatie who gave me some advise on where to start. I've also found the article "Supplies Needed to Get Started Scrapbooking" from About.com. For those who is like me, just starting scrapbooking, hope this will be the guidelines for you to start of. And as for me it will serve as a reminder when I'm stocking up my scrapbooking tools gradually (it is not a cheap hobby.. budget..budget..).

Must Haves:

1) An Album - Select the size album you want to work in and find a color or pattern that works for the theme of your album.
2) Refill pages for your album. Refills are not standard sizes, so it is best to pick up a few packs when you purchase your album so that you get the same manufacturer and size.
This way you will not have to hunt for the refills later.
3) A nice sharp pair of scissors. My favorites have very fine tips and are comfortable to hold in my hand. You want a pair of scissors that are dedicated exclusively to your scrapbooking. This way they are always with your supplies and always nice and sharp.
4) Adhesive. There are many, many different styles of adhesive. To get started you want an acid-free adhesive that will work well on both cardstock and photos. A couple of my personal favorites are: 3L Click 'n' Stick Mounting Squares, Herma Dotto Removable, and Herma Vario Wheel Dispenser.
5) Cardstock and Printed Papers. Select paper to go with the colors you wish to accent in your photos. You may want to purchase paper at your local scrapbook store so that you can select individual sheets for each page.
6) Journal Pens. Look for acid-free, permanant, pens with fine tips for hand writing your journaling. If you wish to hand write titles for your pages you may wish to purchase pens that have a fine tip on one end and a wider tip on the opposite end.

Those are the essentials, but as with any craft, there is always more that you may want to add to your supplies. Here are the ones that I would add next.


Very High on the "Want" List:

1) A 12" Paper Trimmer.
2) Embellishments that coordinate with your pages, such as stickers, 3-D Stickers, buttons, and more.
3) An Idea Book. My personal favorites are all from Becky Higgins. Take a look at Becky Higgins' Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking.


Additional Items to Consider When Budget Allows:

1) A Die Cut Machine with an Alphabet Set of Dies.
2) Full Set of Journaling Pens.
3) Circle/Oval Cutter.
4) More, more, more. Once you get started it's hard to stop. You will find yourself wanting more paper, more embellishments, and eventually more albums!