10 Hotspots at Home for Scrapbooking Supplies

 Women Are Gatherers or so they say. Over the recent years I have been exercising my natural gathering skills in finding scrapbooking supplies.

You’re correct if you’re thinking buying. But I think it goes further to include browsing, collecting, and saving as well.

And when the things you need to gather come to you for free: perr-fect!

Scrapbooking is a simple and cheap hobby to begin. I’ll tell you why. Most of the tool and supplies you need to begin with-you already have. Yes, it’s unlike other hobbies when you need to start your hobby at the craft shop with a shopping trolley and a mota purse.

So hit the brakes-we are not going out shopping yet. Instead, I invite you on a gathering trip through your own home. Really, you will be amazed by the basic scrapbooking supplies you already own.

To make it easy, I have mapped out the different areas where we will go treasure hunting at home. Don’t worry if you can’t move an item to your scrapbooking station now, just make a list of the scrapbooking supplies in the house for you to use when you need it.

So gather your baskets, let’s go gathering!

  The Homework desk

There’s a wealth of basic supplies you can pick up from this stationery stash.

a) Scissors

Cutting is an ongoing process in scrapbooking, so it’s worth finding a good quality scissors that works for you. School kids normally have the small blunt-nose scissors. You might also find the brightly- coloured decorative craft scissors that cuts patterns-a great resource to add detail to your scrapbooking layouts.

b) Ruler

Paper and photographs trimmed in proportion is pleasing to the eye. A long ruler and a pencil will help with measurements and markings before snipping away. (Both inches and centimetres will work). If you find a metal ruler lying around at home-Grab It! They have become soo pricey. Or take care of that plastic ruler that you add to your scrapbooking supplies.

c) Pencil Box

I first started with my son’s old plastic pencil box that had his name and other scribblings on it that never washed off. It then became too small for my stationery and odd tiny bits so I moved to my daughter’s pretty shoe box. You can add an eraser, sharpener, coloured pens and a marker or two. Keep it pretty empty for now…there’s lot more cheap scrapbooking supplies to go in.

Kitchen

Yes, the hub of your home…your kitchen.

a) Transparent Ziploc/zip pouch bags

These bags are ever-handy. They are great for storing your photos and sorting them into themes and sub-themes. When you are planning a layout, you can put all the small pieces like matching ribbons, mementos, photos and your little notes in one bag. So when you actually start your page, it’s much easier to have a few items already put together and secured. Believe me, it’s a pain to search for that one matching button you just know you had among you scrapbooking supplies!

b) Cookie Cutters

Actually, use anything that looks like an interesting shape. They make great templates for cutting out shapes to use in your layouts. Different glasses or katoris put together can get you a set of circles in varying sizes.

c) Storage containers

While you are here, keep an eye out for any transparent plastic containers or glass jars that you can use later for storage as your scrapbooking supplies grow.

Oh, make a note of that strong kitchen scissors too.

Toy cupboard

Did you ever feel disheartened when the toys you bought or lovely gifts your kids received are forgotten and just pushed in some corner? Now is your chance to put some of the money spent to use.

a) Playdough tubs

When I throw out the dry dough, I send the containers for washing. I especially love the ones with the lids that seal so well. Great for storing embellishments like tiny buttons. Also, try to spot other little containers with lids.

b) Art & Craft Projects

Aah…this is my endless treasure chest for ideas on scrapbooking. I loved it when the kids used to get any arty- craftsy gifts. I’d give their excitement a ‘cooling down’ period, and then tackle the box. From wool, glitter, sequins, lace, kundan dots, metal embellishments, dots, cut outs, colour paper and cardstock to the instruction manuals.

Best of all, I convince my daughter to complete a mini project for me…she’s soo eager when she feels she’s been sub-contracted to design something for mum’s scrapbooking!

c) Punch, Paper, Scissors

Oops, no rocks, but you will definitely find paper and scissors. Kids love the decorative scissors and the paper punches too. These punches are cheap and seem to be on sale everywhere-you’re sure to find one at home.

Sewing Box

It’s a wonder what I keep in my sewing box.  See if you find any of these scrapbooking supplies:

It’s a wonder what I keep in my sewing box.
Let’s see if you find any of these:

The bathroom

a) Vanity case

I know you have a pair of tweezers in there.

Trying to pick up and place small gluey pieces is a hassle.

Tweezers, though not very high tech, allow you to move pieces without touching them.

If you don’t have any chalk, old eye shadow will do.

You can use a cotton wool ball to dab some colour onto plain paper, to create a pattern of different shades of colour.

 

b) First aid kit

See if you have a spare syringe that you can use. They work great in pick up small amounts of glitter to fill a space that has already been glued up first.

c) Scissors

Your husband’s moustache scissors is ideal to cut small, hard-to-manoeuvre nooks and corners…like fancy letters. But you will be in serious trouble if you make it blunt by cutting paper. I used to use his ‘old’ moustache scissors when I started off.
I admit I could not resist my new ‘golden scissors’ I discovered at Crawford Market later on.

Hall/Dining Room

There’s some little drawer that has a stash of invitations (shaadi cards of special people, or those too beautiful to get rid of). And greeting cards too. Slowly gather all of this in your basket…we will make wonders later on!

When anyone in the family unwraps gifts, they know by now to leave mummy to pick up the wrappings. Those pretty pieces of ribbon and the reverse side of gift tags and greeting cards form great inspiration for scrapbooking.

Even a gift tie-on from the used gift bag comes in handy. A scrapbooking idea would be to simply matt the tie-on with card stock and add it to your page.

Your child’s cupboard

Old clothes (and especially kids’ clothes and shoes) have lovely buttons, zippers, rivets, tags of material, ribbons, or just a pretty logo on the inside of the garment. Cut them off when your kids outgrow the clothes.

My kids love to see themselves in a scrapbooking layout where I have embellished with the same flower/buttons that are on the clothes they are wearing in the photo.

Store Room

All sorts of handy items can be dumped here, so keep a look out for scrapbooking supplies. Plastic crates and boxes with lids are great assets for storing your papers, photos and other supplies.  They are great for keeping out that Ravan called humidity.

Try to find a clean bin/bucket that’s pleasing on the eye-you need a small waste –paper basket to put your waste cuttings and paper into.

Tool Box

Or where ever the men keep the tools. Little items like metal washers are superb for “masculine” pages and also cards for the men and boys in your life.  An ‘exacto-knife’ is perfect to use as a craft knife for precision cutting and for those difficult to cut materials too.

Your Bedroom

Lastly, take your time and look for all those special trinkets, chocolates tins and decorated gift boxes kept lovingly in your room. They hold your precious memories, your keepsakes that you have treasured all these years. It-is-time.

Time to get these mementos out, and let them help tell your story.