Free Scrapbooking

If you're struggling to keep your household budget in check, you may find ideas for free scrapbooking projects to be the perfect budget stretchers.

Customize photos using scrap-paper frames

When you're interested in free scrapbooking ideas, it's important to keep in mind a few basic tips.

For example:

• Aim for a clean and simple scrapbooking style. The more embellishments you add to a page, the more your layouts will cost.
• Look for ways to incorporate as many photos as possible in a layout, so you aren't creating a bulky album. For example, envelopes and hidden pockets are a great way to add space to hold multiple prints from a vacation, wedding, or birthday party.
• Don't feel as though you need to scrapbook every single photo you take. It's fine to burn the extra pictures onto a CD and slip the CD into the back of your album. Whether you're short on money or just pressed for time, it's perfectly acceptable to only scrapbook the pictures that mean the most to you.

Since the market for online photo processing is quite competitive, it's easy to get pictures printed for free on a regular basis. Most companies offer a promotion for new customers where you can get 10, 25, 50, or even 100 prints for free. Once you do this, you can sign up to receive email notifications for periodic free print offers. General bargain hunting sites like Retail Me Not also post free-print, coupon codes for the most popular photo processing companies. These are great for free scrapbooking projects.

Here are a few photo printing sites you may want to check out:

• Shutterfly
• Snapfish
• Kodak Gallery
• See Here
• Arts Cow

When searching for places to get your pictures printed for free, consider having your photos developed with white borders so you don't need to waste money on cardstock for matting.

Since elements can be reused indefinitely and there are many sites offering digital scrapbooking freebies, frugal digital scrapbookers can create an entire album for almost no cost. However, if you still prefer the tactile appeal of traditional paper scrapbooking, you can simply print out your favorite, digital, patterned papers and embellishments to use as accents on your layouts. See the LoveToKnow Scrapbooking article on Digital Scrapbook Freebies to start your search.

For the truly motivated, learning how to make digital elements from scratch is a great way to move towards free scrapbooking. If you're interested in learning more about how to make your own digital scrapbooking supplies, the LoveToKnow Scrapbooking tutorial slideshows, How to Create Digital Scrapbook Embellishments and How to Design Digital Scrapbook Pages, may be useful.

Graphic designers often use creative typography to add interest to brochures, fliers, and other projects. Use this same approach in your scrapbooking by searching for free fonts that can be used to jazz up your layouts. There are many sources for free scrapbooking fonts that you can download to your computer.

When scrapbooking on a budget, keep watch for ways to turn trash into treasures. Here are a few ideas for making scrapbook page embellishments from items you might otherwise throw away:

• Use the negative space around your purchased chipboard embellishments as a frame for your photos.
• Use the white borders on an empty sticker sheet as adhesive for adding ribbons to your scrapbook page. (When it's on the back side of your layout, nobody will notice it.)
• Save the ribbon off of a gift basket to make a pretty bow for a scrapbook tag.
• Add a masculine touch to your scrapbook layout by making accents from scraps out of corrugated cardboard.
• Cut the buttons off of old clothes before turning into rags.
• If you have a broken bracelet or necklace, string the beads and charms with a piece of craft wire to make a unique border for your scrapbook layout.
• Make custom collage backgrounds for your scrapbook pages by combining patterned paper scraps with travel brochures, maps, event programs, ticket stubs, and other memorabilia.

• Simple 8x8 Layouts for Scrapbooks
• Scrapbook Page Layout Designs
• Free Scrapbook Layout Ideas

• Download Free Cursive Handwriting Fonts
• Discount Cricut Machines
• Free Scrapbook Templates
• Free Scrapbook Clip Art
• Wedding Scrapbook Ideas

• General Scrapbooking Projects
• Free Scrapbook Supplies
• Free Bride Scrapbooking Ideas
• Free Digital Scrapbooking Paper
• Free Scrapbooking Stuff