I remember when I first started in scrapbooking I thought I had to have one of almost everything there was to have, however I soon realised that it wasn’t really necessary.

Starting out in scrapbooking can be daunting but in all honesty you could do it right now with a few things that you have in and around your home.

First and foremost the most important tool you need for scrapbooking is of course your photos. These tell the story that you want to create. The memory that is going to be a part of your page. They are the main focal point of scrapbooking so without these you only have pages with journaling, which isn’t too bad really.

When you are purchasing equipment for scrapbooking you don’t always have to go with the most expensive item on the shelf. It is accustomed to the budget that you need to work with. Shop around and find what is suitable for you.

Remember to keep in mind that your tools also need to be acid free in order to preserve your memories. When I say tools I mean things like your adhesives. These are the items that are holding your creations together for ever and if they are not acid free then over the years things will fade and turn yellow. This is not what you want.
Tools that are a must in order to start your scrapping are;

Scissors – a good quality pair of scissors is a must I find. Something with a fine point for fine cutting is always the way to go. A great brand of scissors is the Fiskars Softouch Micro Tip Scissors. These are wonderful spring back scissors and very comfortable for use. You don’t have to get these but they come highly recommended by many scrappers.

Glue Tape – glue tape comes in so many different lengths, styles and widths. You can get it in a dispenser or on a roll. Which ever you find easy. All glue tape is double sided of course and make sure that this is acid free. If you do not get yourself acid free tape you will find in years to come that it will turn yellow. A good brand is the Xyron Range.

Liquid Glue – this isn’t a must when starting out but it is handy to have on the side. I tend to use my liquid glue when sticking down all the big bulky chipboard and flowers. Things I know that my trusty glue tape won’t hold for the duration. You will need to find a brand that you are happy with. I have found over the time there are some real crappy liquid glues and then there is some amazing glue’s. Again make sure that it is acid free.

Cutting Mat – a cutting mat is a must if you don’t want to have scoring and blade cuts into your kitchen table or your creating area. Mats come in a variety of sizes as well. I suggest getting two mats, one that you can keep at home for easy use all the time and the other to keep in your tote. As for size, I would suggest the one staying at home be bigger than 30 x 30cm so you have a decent working area and the one for your tote can be the standard 27cm x 42cm.

Paper Trimmer – this is a must have tool. This is an essential to help trim your papers and photo’s. You will find that there are trimmers of many great shapes and sizes. I would suggest having a 12” x 5” paper trimmer. You can get one of these in any brand and they range in prices. Again find one that suits you, however I suggest that getting a better quality trimmer with nice sharp blades will last a bit longer.
When shopping for a paper trimmer you will find that there are some which come with a variety of blades. These are decorative blades that will give your papers a different style cut. Handy for  people that don’t have a steady hand with the scissors, but not essential for a starting kit.

Tote – this isn’t necessary but it is ideal to have one so you can store all your belongings in and keep them handy. When I first started I used to carry everything around in a clear storage tub on wheels, then eventually I moved up to a small cube tote and now I have a massive tote that carries my whole room when I go on crops. Its awesome. But for now you only need something small.

Journalling Pens – These are ideal to have on hand for when you want to write on your layouts. Make sure that the pens you get for your journaling are acid free otherwise they wont last. A great brand of journaling pens which are acid free is the Signo Range, these pens come in a variety of colours and nib widths.

Papers & Embellishments - Besides the tools that you require you also need to have a supply of papers and embellishments but these don’t have to be in big amounts. You can buy premade kits with a bit of everything or if you like head into your nearest scrap outlet and check out what there is on offer. There is plenty to choose from and again in all price ranges so there is something to suit everyone’s budget.

I hope you have found this information useful in setting up your scrapbooking kit. The basic’s is alls you need to start out and then as time goes on and you get more comfortable and start to experiment so will your tools. You know when you are comfortable in your scrapbooking and tools when you find that you have more tools in your scrap room than your husband does in his shed. Or you have most of his tools from his shed in your room and you are using them in your scrapbooking. (especially their drills, so handy for tin work)

So there you go, that is a basic tool kit required for scrapbooking.

Enjoy & Happy Scrapping!