Guide to Different Scrapbook Tools

There was once a time when scrapbooking was simply photos and news clippings taped in an album. Now however it has turned into a billion dollar industry. For some it has become their way of expressing their artistic side. For others it is merely a hobby and way to document their life experiences or photos of their children and family.

There are many scrapbooking tools that you can now purchase that will assist in the making of unique scrapbooks that are full of personality. Some of these scrapbooking tools are fairly inexpensive. Others will be quite an investment. The following list is just a brief introduction to the various types of scrapbooking tools.

-Embossing materials. This category includes heat guns, stylus', embossing powders, inks, stencils and light sources. This can be fairly inexpensive technique.

-Punches come in a myriad of shapes and sizes. You can purchase the standard shapes such as circle, square, triangle, etc, in a wide variety of sizes. You can also purchase different types of shapes such as leaves, hearts, stars, etc. There is also border punches and a specialty type of punch that will emboss the image instead of punch it out. Punches can end up being an expensive investment. The individual punch may not cost much but over time depending on the amount you purchase it can become expensive.

-Stamps come in three main types; Foam, Rubber, and Clear. Foam stamps are relatively inexpensive however tend to have less definition then other stamps. Rubber stamps are more expensive but provide a clearer, crisp image. The downsides to rubber stamps is that it can be hard to get accurate placement, and they are difficult to store. Clear stamps are better for precision placement and storage.

-Specialty scissors are relatively inexpensive. They are a cheap way to add visual interest to any scrapbook page.

-The Crop-A-Dile will set you back about $30-40 depending on the kind you get. The Crop-A-Dile is a hole punch and eyelet setter. There are now two kinds; the regular and the Big Bite. The regular will only go the depth of a normal hole punch. The Big Bite will go 6 inches onto your page.

-Binding Systems can be a good investment if you plan on making a multitude of miniature albums. They can however be expensive to purchase and require the purchase of the binding wires and chipboard albums.

-Die Cut Machines are a good investment for the serious scrapbooker. There are many different kinds that range anywhere from $50-$500+. You can purchase non electric ones. You can get ones that will connect into your computer or you can purchase a stand alone model such as the Cricut. The downside to die cut machines is that even after you make the initial investment for the machine, you are forced to purchase the cartridges for the different options. The cartridges by themselves can be quite expensive.