Scrapbook Supplies for Beginners
Hey everyone! I first posted this on my personal blog, then thought it would be better suited to this one! If you’re looking to start scrapbooking and not sure where to start in terms of supplies, look no further! Here’s my list of recommended scrapbook supplies for beginners!
Full disclosure: most of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I get a commission if you use these links to purchase something, which comes at no extra cost to you. If you have questions on my affiliate links, you can view my full disclosure here.
I love scrapbooking, probably more than any other craft I’ve tried. It’s relaxing, fun, and allows me to really exercise my creativity! My plan is to add scrapbook tutorials to my YouTube channel, so you’ll be able to use these supplies to follow along!
I’ve listed everything below, so you can jump to the list at that location.
If you find something I’ve missed, or something you absolutely have to have, let me know in the comments below and I’ll add it! Here we go!
Cutting Tools, Papers, and Adhesives
The most basic supplies needed are something to cut with, something to cut, and something to stick papers together.
Paper Trimmer
A paper trimmer allows you to cut paper or cardstock perfectly straight and perfectly sized, without having to try to use scissors! The one I love the best is this one, from Fiskars, currently priced at around $30 as of the time of this post. While there are both more expensive and less expensive versions by Fiskars and other manufacturers, I like this one the best because it gives a good-sized work surface and it’s still very portable. You can also get replacement blades for it, which are easy to swap out. For replacement blades, make sure to get ones that are compatible with the TripleTrack system.
Paper and Cardstock
Paper is a basic essential! Scrapbook “papers” come in a multitude of weights, patterns, and styles. I usually prefer a light weight or medium weight cardstock to structure my pages, though you can layer on thin papers on top. If you use paper, be careful of the adhesive you use because you don’t want wrinkles or stretching due to the adhesive being too wet. The standard scrapbook page size is 12″ by 12″, so most of the packs I’ve linked below will work well to have one page for your background, then you can add decorations by cutting other papers or cardstock to various sizes.
Joanns, Michaels, and Amazon all have a wonderful variety of cardstock. This pack from Amazon is great to get started with. It is two-sided, so you can use the opposite side for a different color, and it has a white core. This means when you cut it, you will see the “inside” of the paper is white and the paper itself is textured. This presents some fun opportunities to tear it for effect. If white core paper is not your thing, look for “solid dyed core” cardstock. This set of search results will give you an almost-bewildering array of options for solids, patterns and designs to choose from.
If you’re just starting out, I recommend starting with solid colors with a few simple patterns as accents. I have always found mixing and matching patterns effectively to be complicated, so most of my page designs are solids with a few patterns mixed in here and there. You can buy papers a page at a time from places like Joanns and Michaels as well.
Adhesive
As with papers and cardstock, there is a huge array of adhesives. There are three that I like the best when it comes to just attaching paper and cardstock to other papers and cardstock.
3-in-1 Glue
The first is 3-in-1 Glue. It works great for cardstock, paper, and even lots of other materials. A little goes a long way! Make sure you’re purchasing the type that is actually from Beacon (the manufacturer). I use this to adhere cardstock, paper, ribbons, basically anything I want to stick on the page.
Glue Runner
If you don’t want to use glue that gets on your fingers (and can get on your project!) you can use a glue runner. I like this one from Tombow because you can get refills. Just start the tape, then run it on the back of the piece you want to adhere on your page. This works great for attaching photos, paper, and cardstock, but won’t work well for other types of materials.
Foam Mounting Squares
If you want to add a three-dimensional effect to your pages, you can get little foam squares that raise your shapes and other attached materials up off the page a little bit. These ones from Scrapbook Adhesives work really well for that.
Glue Eraser
If you DO get glue on your project, this handy gadget will help get it off! I forgot this on my original post, but it is something I use often! It’s a rubbery eraser which you can use on glue smears or drops on your paper. It picks up all the glue residue and doesn’t leave a mark on your paper! You should wait until the glue is dry before using, though.
Paper Scissors
If you also work with fabric, you already know you don’t want to use your expensive fabric shears on paper! But you do want something you won’t mind using on paper. You can get any kind of scissors really. I recommend having a small pair with sharp tips to trim and clip small things, and a larger pair with blunter tips for making larger cuts. These are two I use myself and like a lot.
Table Mat
Let’s face it, scrapbooking is sometimes messy. And, if you’re using anything like an X-Acto knife or anything similar, it’s really easy to damage the surface you’re working on. You can use a table cloth (I use plastic backed painting drop cloths sometimes!) but having a table mat will help keep your surface protected even from cuts and pokes.
This set is pretty awesome because it folds up for easy portability, it’s magnetic to keep any little metal embellishments from rolling away, and comes with a ruler that is also magnetic! It helps keep your papers and stuff in place really handily. One thing I will note is that at first the hinges create a little bit of a buckle in the surface, but it’s not too bad and it does work itself out with time.
Embellishments
After the basics, you can add some pizzazz and visual interest!
Brads
Similar to paper and cardstock, there are a ridiculous amount of embellishments out there. When I first started scrapbooking, I bought all kinds of stickers, 3-D shapes, letters, you name it. Nowadays, I keep it more simple. The one embellishment I use in almost every page I make are brads!
These are decorative little metal brads, just like you may have used during craft day in elementary school. You push them through the paper and spread the little arms on the back side of the paper to hold them in place – no adhesive needed! I like to put these in corners of photos and other places in my pages to add a little interest.
This set of search results will give you a huge array of options. Personally, I like the ones that are copper or silver looking (this pack is one I use often), but you can choose from a wide variety of finishes.
Brad Setter and Piercing Tool
Adding brads to your pages will be much easier with this handy tool. You use the point for poking through the paper, insert your brad through the hole, then use the wedge shape on the opposite end to spread the brad arms and press them flat on the other side. I use this ALL THE TIME. The point is sharp though, so don’t, likeā¦poke it in your eye or anything.
Piercing Mat
Piercing the point through your paper can scratch or poke holes in whatever you have under your paper though (including your fingers)! My mom has a cool thick cork board she uses to put under her paper. Piercing the paper sinks the sharp pointy end safely in the cork and protects the surface under the paper. I don’t know where she got it, unfortunately, but these cork coasters will do the job as long as you don’t press too hard and poke entirely through the coaster.
There are also foam piercing mats you can use for a similar result. I finally broke down and got this one since I can’t find a nice cork one like my mom’s. It has a soft top for if you want to use it for stamping, and the reverse is rough and can be used for piercing.
Translucent Vellum
Translucent vellum is a thicker, translucent paper that you can lay over parts of your design. How I like to use this is to get the 8 1/2″ x 11″ size and run it through my printer! My ink jet printer will print on it just fine, as long as I let the ink dry before trying to manipulate what I printed. I’ve also written directly on it using a gel pen, but again, you need to let it dry first. I like to use this technique for adding journaling to my pages – just a little note about what was happening or a commentary on what the page is about. This pack is a good value and will work perfectly for this purpose.
Kraft Paper
Kraft paper is another item I forgot from my original list! I love using craft paper as an accent and for journaling. The edges tear really nicely and it has a fun country-ish vibe. You can easily run it through your printer, and this pack is compatible with both laser and inkjet printers.
Letters
Before I got my Cricut, I would use pre-cut and pre-glued letters to add titles to my pages, or I would print a heading on a piece of cardstock to then add to my page. If a Cricut isn’t on your radar yet (though I HIGHLY recommend them!!), you can buy a wide variety of letters to do the same thing.
The only thing I don’t like about the letter packs is that you may not have all the letters you need for your purpose, and you will always have leftover letters that you may never use. If you’re interested in letters, this set of search results may help.
Otherwise, you can get 8.5×11 cardstock and print a title from Word or Pages, using a larger font size. Or skip titles all together!
Washi Tape
I LOVE WASHI TAPE. It comes in yet more designs, styles, and colors. I use it to add borders to photos, random strips for visual interest, to make little tabs on flip books, the uses are endless! As are the options: this set of search results will give you way more options than you should ever need.
Photos
Of course, one of the main purposes for scrapbooking is to create a fun and interesting way to display photos! Obviously you can get photos from just about anywhere, but I’d recommend Shutterfly (not affiliate link). Their quality is great and if you use their phone app, you can get unlimited 4×6 prints and just pay shipping. I don’t know how long this promotion will last, but as of the time of this post, they’ve been running it for years so I’m hoping they keep it up. They also offer a bunch of other items you can get printed using your photos as well, including photo books!
Storage
Now that you have all these awesome materials, you need a place to put them! Here’s a list of the storage essentials I have in my own craft room.
Photo Keepers
This photo keeper is an absolute must for me. I have so many prints and photographs that I had to have a place to put them, and THIS IS RAINBOW! I have seen this in stock on Amazon off and on, so the last time I saw it, I bought two! They also usually have a clear version if you’re not into the colors.
You can also use the inserts to store lots of stuff, not just photos! Think ribbons, letters, stickers, anything small that you don’t want to get scattered all over.
Brad and Small Embellishment Storage
For a long time after I first started scrapbooking, I tried to keep all my little brads and things in separate containers, like those you might use for pills or other small items. That worked okay for a while, but soon I needed a different solution because I like to keep all my little bits separate for easy finding and I had way too many little containers rolling around. For that reason, I recommend getting something like this for your small brads and embellishments.
Washi Tape Storage
If you end up like me, you will have TONS of washi tape. This storage box is good for storing washi tape, chalking inks, or any other medium sized supplies in, and it’s pretty portable!
Miscellaneous Storage
When I go to someone’s house or other event, or even if I want to set up shop temporarily somewhere in my house other than my craft room, I like to have a tote that keeps all the stuff I’m working on plus all my odds and ends together.
I can’t find the current box that I have, but this one is the closest I think. I actually like this better than the one I have because it is a little more compact and it comes with separate boxes I can access separately (mine just has a big hinged lid).
Paper Storage
There’s a bunch of different options for paper storage. You’ll need something that will hold 12×12 papers. In this area there are three types I recommend.
Vertical 12×12 Storage Boxes
For in your craft room, I love these vertical storage boxes. I have a Kallax cube bookshelf from IKEA, and these vertical paper boxes work perfectly in the cubes. Four to a cube, with a little room left on the side. I put a photo below of these boxes in action! Just make sure you get 12×12 storage, once I bought a 10-pack which I thought was 12×12 but it was only 8.5×11 – I ended up using most of them, but it was a bit of an expensive mistake!
Plastic Storage Case
For transporting your papers and projects, I recommend anything like this plastic storage bin. It has a handle and fits 12×12 papers, so you can put all the materials you’re working on in one spot. This particular link is a six-pack, and you may not need them all like I did, but you can find single pack options as well.
Freezer Bags
For a cheap and easy way for keeping multiple projects separated within your bin, I recommend Ziploc 2 gallon or Hefty 2.5 gallon bags! They are just big enough to allow 12×12 papers, and it’s a GREAT and cheap way to keep all your stuff for a page in one place!
Albums
Once you make some beautiful pages, you’ll want somewhere to store them! Again, there are a ton of options. Many albums come with a few sheet protectors, and can be expanded to accommodate more pages than you’d think. Below is one of my favorite albums and a couple pages I made, so you can see that you don’t need a bunch of fancy materials to make pretty pages. I did use the Cricut for these, though.
Scrapbook albums are typically sized for 12×12 pages, though you can use a regular three ring binder for 8.5×11 pages. A scrapbook album will typically have posts that hold sheet protectors, which in turn hold your scrapbook pages. You sometimes have to unscrew the posts to separate the front and back of the album in order to insert your sheet protectors, so I recommend buying extra sheet protectors and add them in all at once so you don’t have to take the book apart more than once.
Here’s a search for albums, and as for sheet protectors, I recommend these. Before getting sheet protectors, be sure to check the posts on your album. Some have three, and some have more! You don’t want to end up with three-hole sheet protectors for a seven-post album (another expensive mistake you can avoid)!
Whew!! That was a monster list! I hope you found it helpful! If you make some pages, I would love to see them! And if you need any help or have any questions, let me know, I’m standing by!
As promised, here’s those vertical storage boxes! Maybe someday I will do a tour of my craft room, but just now it’s a mess!! As promised, here’s those vertical storage boxes! Maybe someday I will do a tour of my craft room, but just now it’s a mess!!
