If you are like me, you like to save money. Scrapbooking is fun but can be expensive. I invite everyone I can find to my crops but often run across people who say "I just can't afford it right now". Myself and most of my friends are in the same boat so I figure a lot of you out there are too. Here are some of the ways I scrapbook and save money at the same time. If you have any hints or ideas to add, please let me know!
I love the look of charms on my pages but they can be very expensive. I go to the local dollar store and purchase charm bracelets and necklaces with lots of charms and cut them off the necklace to use on my pages. Works great!
I use every piece of picture and paper. When I am cutting out a picture for a dimensional effect, I usually am using just the middle of the picture. I try to cut so I have two full corner pieces of the picture left. I then use those two pieces in the diagonal corners of my page. This gives it a puzzle effect and looks great!
Another great use for your leftover pictures and paper pieces is to cut out small squares. Either with a punch or scissors. Use these pieces to embellish your page. I have a great page with a picture of my daughter and it is embellished this way with a tiny pic of her shoe, another tiny pic of a messy plate in her room, etc.
Start a scrapbooking group. With a group of just 3-4 people you can meet once or twice a month and pool all your supplies. This way the cost is spread out and everyone gets to try new papers, embellishments etc. Everyone has different scissors and tools and sharing these things makes it easier on everyones pocketbook.
Join a scrapbooking company. There are a lot of companies that let you join and start up with a very small fee, as little as $25.00. Once you have joined you can take advantage of deep discounts on products. Check this out.
Yard Sales! I pick up buttons, fibers, miniatures and anything else that looks like it might be helpful. I recently bought two brand new boxes of artists chalk and a new box of watercolor pencils for a total or 75 cents. The chalks are a little different than what we usually get for scrapbooking but I found if I crush a piece really fine I can still apply it with cotton balls and Qtips when I need to.
Become a preferred customer. A lot of stores have programs and send you coupons regularly. One store in particular sends out their advertisment twice a month and if you are on the mailing list you will get a coupon for 40% off in each ad. I use this coupon to buy my albums or tools.
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Check with your local paint stores to see what they do with their old wall paper samples. These have a lot of uses and you should be able to get them free for the asking! You will probably want to spray them with a protectant. Some people say they are acid free and others disagree.
Work at home moms and dads. Start your own scrapbooking business. Scrapbook layouts, scrapbook instructions, scrapbooking ideas.
