Supplies
Nice-to-have Supplies
Walk into any scrapbook store and you’ll see—there are a million fun products to add creativity to a page! Once you get the basics, these are some of my favorite “toys”:
Stickers: These are great—they’re inexpensive, fun to use and they’re available in just about every look, style and theme.
Tags: They may look a bit like shipping tags, but they’re really not! You can buy plain manila tags and decorate them yourself, or purchase pre-decorated tags such as Paper Pizazz® Tag Art, Tag Art #2 or Tag Art #3 collections. These you just cut out and add to your scrapbook page.
Cut-Outs™ and Punch-Outs™: These are another product line from Paper Pizazz®; what’s nice is that they’re designed to work with Paper Pizazz® papers so you can easily create a coordinating page. Cut-Outs™ are images on paper (tags, alphabet letters, laser lace borders) that you just cut out and glue to your page. They come in a book so they’re inexpensive and easy to store. Punch-Outs™ are the same type of paper embellishments; these ar
e perforated so you simply punch them out of the book they come in.Punches: Punches are tools used to punch shapes out of paper. They come in shapes of all sizes, from large circles to small flowers, alphabet letters to corner edgers and small borders. You can find them at craft stores in the paper section; they’ll sell for $5.00-$10.00 each. As a beginner, you’ll want to pick the most versatile shapes. My favorites are large and small stars, small heart, snowflake and a 3/8”, 1/8” and 3/8” circle. To use, simply slide the paper in the metal slit, then punch down, keeping your hand flat on the widest part of the punch. I’ve found that you can lubricate a stiff new punch by punching through wax paper. To sharpen a dull punch that’s been frequently used, punch through a piece of tin foil. Handheld hole punches are another good investment. My pick is a 1/16” hole punch, which I use to punch holes at the top of tags and to set eyelets.
Embellishments: You can decorate your pages with all sorts of embellishments, which you can easily find at a scrapbook store. Buttons, fibers (fancy yarns and threads), metal accents, beads, craft wire and fabric ribbon roses can all safely be used on a scrapbook page. I like to use Glue Dots™ to attach them. These are super-sticky adhesive dots that come on a roll; just press your embellishment onto the dot, then lift it off the roll and place it on your page. Brads are another good choice: these fasteners come in shapes like hearts, circles and stars. Simply poke them through the paper, then spread the prongs apart to secure. They’re perfect for attaching vellum to paper or layering papers.
Chalk: Decorative chalks, like those from Craf-T, come in a set with lots of different colors. The set comes with two applicators, and you can also apply the chalk to paper with your fingers or Q-tips. They’re nice for adding a touch of soft color to a paper, or shading and highlighting a Cut-Out™ or die-cut. They are also acid-free.
Eyelets: These are great for attaching vellum to paper, decorating a photo mat or making a border. To use eyelets, you’ll need a setter and a hole punch, plus a pounding mat and a hammer. Many companies, such as Making Memories, offer eyelet toolkits that include all of these. Here’s how to set an eyelet: First, punch a hole in your paper the same size as your eyelet. The standard size is 1/16” circle. Then insert the eyelet into the hole and turn the paper over so the flat side of the eyelet is on your pounding mat. (Be sure you protect your table with the pounding mat!!) Insert the pointy tip of your setter into the long end of the eyelet. While holding the setter upright and steady, tap the end of the setter with your hammer. Remove the setter and “finish” the eyelet with another tap from the hammer. Do be aware, though, that eyelets are all different and some will require only a gently tap while others need a good firm whack. Eyelets come in different sizes, colors and shapes—like hearts, stars and flowers. I’ve found I get the most use from classic gold, silver and colored round eyelets.
Rubber stamps: While stamps are a bit of an investment (they’re usually about $5.00-10.00 each) they can also do double-duty for making handmade cards. When shopping for stamps, look for designs you can use on lots of different pages. A stamp that says “Father’s Day” might not be as versatile as a flower stamp. To stamp, you’ll also need an inkpad (black is a good color choice). Here’s how to use it: Tap your stamp on the inkpad, then press the inked stamp onto a piece of paper. Don’t rock the stamp; press it firmly and evenly. Color the image with colored pencils or pens. Do be sure to test a stamp on a scrap piece of paper first.
Die-Cuts: These are paper shapes that come in all sorts of colors and themes. Often made from cardstock, you buy them individually for 25-90˘ each; often, craft and scrapbook stores will have a die-cut machine where you can cut your own. The store usually charges you for the paper and a usage charge on the machine. (Accu-Cut and Ellison are two kinds of die-cut machines.) You can chalk or embellish die-cuts to give a little more color and dimension.
Laser die-cuts will cost you a few dollars each; they’re made of a laser paper that tends to dress up your page a bit more. Li’l Davis and Deluxe Cuts are two companies I like for laser die-cuts. The great thing about die-cuts is how you can usually find a shape for any theme—so if you can’t locate horse paper for your daughter’s riding lesson page, you might opt for a horse die-cut instead. To add a die-cut to your page, just glue it on or attach with foam tape for dimension.
Embossed Paper Charms: I love these little metallic paper cut-outs from Paper Pizazz®. They’re acid-free so they won’t tarnish your pages, plus they’re lightweight and flat. Simply cut them out and glue them onto your page, or attach them with foam mounting tape for dimension. They give the look of metal charms without the weight and possible abrasion of regular metal charms. I like to make a small hole with my 1/16” hole punch and use quilting thread to dangle the tags on my album pages.
Templates: These are ideal for unique embellishments that make your page look great. Try the Tags Template for tag shapes or the Nested Shapes for three-dimensional accents. They’re easy to use, yet the results look anything but easy.