Free Scrapbooking Supplies

Do you love to scrapbook, but hate the expense? Check out these freebies, and you’ll be on your way to a more affordable hobby:

Garden goodies- For gorgeous botanical findings, get outside and take a walk through your garden. Dried flowers and herbs make gorgeous additions to scrapbooking pages. You can also dip natural items (flowers, acorns, leaves etc.) into paint to stamp onto pages or place them underneath a sheet of paper to make rubbings.

Sewing notions- Nearly every crafter has a sewing box overflowing with supplies. Pull that box out of hiding, and put the contents to work in your latest scrapbooking project. Glue buttons and patches onto your pages, stitch directly onto the paper, use up leftover scraps of ribbon and floss—with a well stocked sewing box and a little creativity the possibilities are endless.

Household waste- Cut down on waste and support your hobby at the same time by finding new uses for discarded items. For example, soda can tabs can be strung onto ribbons for an attractive finding, used coffee grinds or tea bags can be used to age paper and canceled stamps can be used to accessorize a page. Look around and you’ll be amazed at all of the goodies you’ve been throwing away.

Product packaging- Consumer waste is another good place to look for free scrapbooking supplies. Get in the habit of looking over product packaging before you throw it away, and you’ll be amazed at all of the scrapbook supplies you can glean. Plastic windows can be removed to create clever pockets on your pages or to cover delicate items. Handles can be removed from shopping bags to create a fun alternative to ribbon. Even corrugated cardboard can be put to good use in a scrapbook if you aren’t concerned about the acid.

Look at your surroundings with a creative eye, and before long you’ll be seeing free scrapbooking supplies everywhere.

-Erin Huffstetler

  Erin Huffstetler is a freelance writer specializing in frugal living tips and tricks. Her work has appeared in numerous print and electronic publications including Family Circle, Guideposts For Kids and Pregnancy. As the stay-at-home mom of two young kids, Erin is always looking for new ways to live better for less. For fun decorating and craft project ideas check out Erin's "Trash to Treasures" and "Bead Making Basics" courses at Suite101.com.