Inexpensive Products Part 1

Hello Friends,

I cannot believe it is already Thursday! The week has just gotten away from me! So far, we have covered Scrapbooking tools and storage ideas. Today we will be concentrating on the fun stuff! THE STUFF! The stuff is what the scrapbooks are actually made of. The Stuff is the most fun to buy! I will do my best to keep things to less than 5.00 but sometimes the good stuff is just a teensy bit more.

 Georgia-Pacific White Cardstock! I get my packages from Walmart and I pay about 5.00 for 150 sheets. I haven't found white cardstock anywhere else for this low a price. It is 110lb and ACID FREE! That means it will not yellow as it ages! It is also good for use in laser, multi-function, and ink-jet printers. The only thing is that it comes in 8.5"x11" which is okay with me since I just have a standard printer. If you need something printed in 12"x12" size, I would seek out a scrapbook store or get it printed online vs trying to invest in a HUGE printer for only a couple of items. *Uses: I use white cardstock in just about EVERYTHING I make. I like to use my printer to type cool quotes or journaling because I am not so in love with my handwriting. I definately recommend purchasing this!

Big Bag Of Buttons! These can be found in any sewing department of any store that has a sewing department! They usually come in HUGE amounts and cost a lot less than getting buttons from the scrapbooking section. For some reason, they think they can charge more because it says SCRAPBOOK BUTTONS on it. I also save all the buttons that come with jackets and shirts as well as any that get eaten by my washing machine. Before you know it, you'll have your very own big bag o' buttons and it will not have cost you a thing. Be sure to ask around. My grandmother had buttons from the 60s when she made my aunts and uncles clothes then.

Ribbon spools. If you buy them from a craft shop such as Hancock Fabrics, Joann's, or especially Hobby Lobby, they tend to be on sale often and usually for 50% off. If they are not when you go in, wait till next week because they will be then. So why pay 3.99 for a spool for ribbon when tomorrow you can get it for 1.99? I love the Ribbon Boutique spools at Hobby Lobby because they have them in nearly EVERY color you could want and they also have wide ribbon that matches the thin ribbon which is great for coordinating pages or invitations.

STICKERS!! YAAAY!!! Stickers are the one thing that is most associated with scrapping and most craft stores have rows and rows of them to prove it. Stickers will make an appearance again in a later post titled something along the lines of "Things I wish someone would have told me NOT to buy" because I have wasted many many dollars on them. When I say wasted I mean bought because they were cute, cheap, on sale, etc and had no plans with what to do with them. The majority of them sit in ziplock baggies either in a plastic tub or tucked away in a drawer. My advice when it comes to stickers is to plan your page. Do you have a page that has a theme (graduation, baby boy, etc) then make your page and leave room to add. Never stick your page down till your done so you can rearrange if you want to. Also the sticker isle goes on sale at Hobby Lobby once every other week also so it's like the ribbon. If you can wait, if not, spend the money just make sure you're buying stickers you'll actually use to avoid the, "great, now I have all these stickers and no where to stick them" epiphany. Also, word for the wise, dollar store stickers are cheap for a reason. They also tend to make your pages look cheap. There are TONS of inexpensive stickers out there that will add cuteness or humor to your page without dragging the whole page along with it.

Scrapbooking paper is along the same lines as stickers in my book. It's such a great feeling to find it onsale but then it sucks when you have to store it because you've discovered the scrapbook paper that looks like your great grandmothers christmas sweater really isn't that attractive. I say, when this happens, either put it in your SCRAP SWAP pile or let your kids go to town because either way at least it gets used instead of stored. I say, Take the picture you want to scrap with you to the store when you go to pick out your papers. That way you can see if a bright pink paper will wash out the picture of your darling daughter who happens to be wearing bright pink or if it will look just the way you want. Also, word for the wise, black and white pictures will look great on just about any background, even black and white.

And finally, scrapbook adhesives! The glue that holds the whole thing together....literally! There are sooooo many types of scrapbook adhesives out there that it is really easy to spend a fortune trying to find the one that works best for you. I hope it doesn't take you a fortune because there are really only three types I use on a very regular basis. I love LOVE GlueDots! They come in different sizes as well different types of adhesive strength (removable vs permanent). I also love that they come in different thicknesses so you can make your pictures or other embellishments 3D. VERY COOL! And usually each pack is about 3.99 and you can probably get them on sale. 

That wraps up Inexpensive Products Part 1. I hope you got some good ideas. If you have any others send them to me!

MasonJar