Getting Started/Basic Tools

Happy Friday!  Wanted to share with you some basic scrapbooking tools I use and that everyone should have to get started.  This is just the bare minimum.  As you continue you will find there will be other things you will include in your everyday crafting.  Remember there's no wrong way to scrapbook.  If you like it then its right. 

1. 12" Paper Trimmer - this is a must have in your stash.  Some people think that having scissors is enough but trimmers are essential to cut straight lines & crop your photos.  I use the Provocraft trimmer when I go out to crops.  For home I alternate with my Cutterpede which is a little bigger.  There are smaller ones out there but you will quickly want to upgrade to a 12"  especially if you decide to create 12 x 12 pages. 

2.   Scissors -  another must have in your stash as there's a lot of small cutting involved in crafting.  A small pair of sharp scissors is good enough.  I like to carry 2 of them.  One for cutting only ribbon and the other for paper.  In the beginning its fine to start out with one.  I use Cutterbee.  Very sharp and cuts great. 

3.  Adhesive - Yet another must have.  Very important for putting your creations together.  Adhere photos, paper and embellishments.  There are many many different types of adhesives.  I use the following most.  A tape runner, (no specific type, whatever is working for me at the moment.  It works best for adhering paper, photos, or lightweight embellishments to the paper. An acid free glue stick, it can be used for adhering large areas of paper.  I also use pop dots - it adheres your embellishments but adds a bit of dimension to your page.  Last I use glue dots.  (Can't live without them)  They are super sticky and help me adhere things like buttons, flowers and odd shaped embellishments that won't stick with anything else.

4.  Black Pen - a nice fine black pen really comes in handy when you want to journal on your layouts.  Putting the date and writing down the event and certain things that occurred that help tell the story. 

5.  Paper - this is not really considered a tool but in my world it is.  You can't create if you don't have the paper.  There are all kinds of paper, sturdy, flimsy, patterned, glittery, metallic...etc  You can't go wrong with a sturdy cardstock (NOT CONSTRUCTION PAPER!)  You can buy them by the page or in paper packs. 

You can get all these tools and a whole lot more at your local craft/scrapbooking store.