What are my MUST have’s for scrapbooking? I am asked this all the time. So here is my must have list! Complete with many PERSONAL favorites!
Cardstock – this is the base of all pages! You must have cardstock. My favorite is Bazzil Basics! Great texture and fun to use! Cardstock is the one necessity in scrapbooking next to the photos!
Patterned paper is an absolute no-brainer. However I am choosy. I don’t buy anything that is busy, or “gender” specific unless I have something in mind already. I also try to buy paper “packs” so I get the most for my $$ – an important key if you are a frugal scrapbooker! (love those Michael’s Slabs!)
Scissors – I use the Fiskars Softouch® Micro-Tip® Scissors and I have THREE pairs! That’s how much I love them! They are easy to use and have a comfortable grip. There are many scrapbookers who don’t like them at all, but I really do like them for all sorts of projects.
Paper trimmer – I use the Falcon Cutter – the reason I love this cutter is that
- It cuts 12 x 12 pieces of paper without any bunching at all.
- It uses REGULAR razor blades that my frugal self can purchase at Wal-mart and occasionally see at the dollar store!
- It was the first cutter I was introduced to, and I’ve tried all the rest and have been very disappointed.
- The handle lifts up so you can put your paper down and then line it up before ever closing the handle.
I love my different Hole Punches. The 1/16th is smaller than the standard hole punch you’d get at an office supply store. I use brads a lot to decorate my pages, and it’s much easier to insert a brad when you’ve punched a little hole first. And the other uses for the different sizes are limitless. You can get some ideas for using your hole punch by checking out this article.
A Pen Set – for journaling – another probable “no brainer”. If you use your computer that is acceptable too, but I do suggest using your handwriting at some point. You have no idea what emotions the sight of someone specials handwriting can evoke!
A black or brown permanent ink pad/or walnut ink. You don’t have to be a rubber stamper to get a lot of use from an ink pad. I use it to edge my matted photos and journaling piece before placing them onto my patterned background paper, or I’ll tear a piece of paper and ink the edge, then place it down as a border. It gives me a nice, finished look and gives the effect of having matted the piece on black paper—without actually using black paper! To ink the edge, I simply hold my paper in one hand, my ink pad in the other and run the ink pad along the edge of the paper. Start with a light touch because you can always add more.
So these are my must-have items that are always available to me when I scrapbook. What are some of yours?