Be a Better Scrapbooker

be a better scrapbooker
be a better scrapbooker

With a new year usually comes new year resolutions. For me, it also brings a bunch of new crafts and scrapbooks. I start out with handmade calendars and new project life books. Coming up with new ideas every day or even every month can sometimes be challenging. Here are some ways to be a better scrapbooker in 2014.

1. Photo a Day Challenge

This one is a lot easier than people might think. With all of the technology we have today it can be very easy to take a photo every day. If you’ve never done a photo a day challenge I recommend starting off small. Try doing just one week or one month before you commit to the whole year. There are several free and paid apps that you can download on your phone to make this easy. I use one called Collect. It reminds me everyday to take a picture and puts them all into a nice calendar for me. Taking a photo every day will ensure you never run out of scrapbooking material.

2. Try a New Technique

Sometimes you just need to try something new. Have you ever made a 12 x 12 layout on a canvas? Have you made a mini album yet? Or what about hybrid scrapbooking, it combines printed material and traditional scrapbooking that can be fun for making custom pages. How about a mixed media art journal that includes photos and memorabilia of your daily life. There are so many different types of scrapbooks and techniques out there that the possibilities are endless.

3. Take Less but Better Photos

This was one of the more difficult things I had to learn to do. I stopped scrapbooking for a while because I was overwhelmed with photos. Every occasion seemed to have hundreds of photos and most of them were just terrible. I had to teach myself to stop taking so many photos and start taking better photos. Taking better photos took some work, first I started taking photos of unsuspecting subjects. This taught me how to wait for the right moment. I experimented with lighting and discovered that I loved natural sunlight over the flash of my camera. It took me a while to learn but I find it easier to scrapbook now because my photos look better. It may take a while to learn but it is well worth it.

4. Use Your Stash

One of my resolutions this year is to save more money but being a scrapbooker means never having enough stuff. There is always something newer, better and more beautiful than what you have. Instead of buying newer stuff I am focusing on using some of the stockpile that I already have. I am also trying to stretch my supplies farther. Using cheaper plain cardstock and accenting it with decorative paper.

5. Stockpile Simple Supplies

Have you ever been in the middle of a project and ran out of glue? This is the worst! I have begun stockpiling simple supplies like dimensional adhesive from the dollar store, my favorite double stick tape and plain cardstock. These three items are essential to my crafting and I do not want to run out of them. As an added bonus many places will give you a discount if you buy in bulk.

6. Upgrade Your Tools

While you’re stockpiling your simple supplies why not upgrade some of those old tools. A new pair of scissors, a sharper paper trimmer or maybe a new whole punch. Sometimes just upgrading one tool can send me into a crafting frenzy of testing out the new tool.

7. Use Something You Haven’t Used Before

Have you ever had something you just didn’t want to throw away but didn’t have any other use for? Maybe a lost button from a shirt, a receipt or an old label from a bottle. Incorporating these kind of elements into your scrapbooking can provide a lot of new inspiration. Try making a layout that revolves around an element that you might have otherwise thrown away.

8. Keep a Small Journal

I say a small journal because I easily get overwhelmed at the thought of writing a page a day style journal. I generally keep something pocket sized or even a calendar where I can right down a daily thought, what I did for the day or something I found meaningful that day. I usually keep these “entries” two only a couple of sentences just to sum up the day and/or how I’m feeling. I find that this really helps me with my scrapbooking as I can look back on any day and see exactly how I was feeling that particular day or what I did.

Hopefully trying some of these tips will help inspire you for the new year and beyond. What are you going to do for being a better scrapbooker in 2014, what tips would you share?

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