Thrifty Thursday - Budget Scrapbooking

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about scrapbooking on a budget.

Scrapbooking your memories can be a fun hobby, but the costs can add up - perhaps a little too quickly sometimes. Here's some tips and ideas to help keep your costs down.

First of all, you need to make sure you are organizing your supplies properly. It's easy to not only ruin sheets of paper and other cuttings if they aren't kept flat, but it's easier to forget what you have if everything is spread out all over the place. Keep all your supplies in a single safe place, away from dampness or heat, and preferably in an easy to get to place.

Hit up places like your local dollar store for fun papers, ribbons, and stickers. I've noticed Dollar Tree sometimes have some great supplies hidden, such as paper punchers, ribbons, and even papers. Other stores could have fun finds lurking too - just keep your eyes peeled. Don't overlook thrift stores and garage sales - lots of people take up scrapbooking as a hobby and then don't hang in there. You can snag some goodies at a great price! (Stampers and trimming scissors especially - I always seem to come across those!)

Purchase supplies out of season and on clearance. Stock up on holiday themed supplies after the holiday has passed - you can snag deals for up to 90% off! Don't throw away cards and wrappings/ribbons afterwards either - all of those could be turned into DIY supplies! (and you're helping keep stuff out of the landfill, a bonus perk)

Speaking of keeping things out of the landfill, look outside of the box - sometimes packages that products come in can be just the perfect addition to a layout! I've kept ribbons from gift packages, even a piece of gold liner from a box that was just perfect for one of mine.

Your computer and the internet, alongside a good printer, will lead you to a wealth of free paper designs and fonts. Make sure you print on a good quality paper, and you can have lots of fun. (Just remember to add in the cost of ink - while you could end up with some unique designs, the ink price may end up costing you more than if you went to an expensive scrapbooking store)

Sign up for email and mailing lists for craft supply stores like Michaels' and Jo-Anns. If you visit any local small stores, be sure to ask them if they have a mailing list of their own! Often you can land coupons for 30-50% off any item - use these coupons to snag more expensive items that rarely go on sale.

Keep all your scraps, and semi-organize them into a small box. (I use a plastic shoebox that I paid under $1 at WalMart myself). Sometimes these leftover pieces are the perfect trimming for another layout! (and again, no extra cost plus items out of the landfill!)