Scrapping on a Budget - Pages for $3 or Less

With all of the fancy scrapbooking embellishments available today, it is easy to feel pressured into creating expensive scrapbook pages. However, it is possible for both new and experienced scrappers to create layouts on a budget without sacrificing quality or creativity.

I asked a few friends to create layouts for under $3. Each used different approaches to save money, but all had great results. Here are their layouts:

Designer: Lois (Silversnow)

Cost:

• 12" x 12" sheet Bazzill cardstock (light blue) - $.60
• 12" x 12" sheet plain cardstock (dark blue) from Creative Memories - $.60
• 12" x 12" sheet printed paper from Provo Craft (water print) - $.60
• 18" Offray craft ribbon @ $.10 per yard - $.05

Total: $1.85

Designer: Nancy (nancyroo)

Cost:

• 1 sheet double-sided patterned paper - $.79
• 2 sheets cardstock - $1.00
• cardstock scraps from stash - free
• stamps and ink from Pixie Press, already in stash - free
• flower from stash - free
• ribbon scrap from Die Cuts With a View (approximately $5.00 for the whole pack) a few cents
• paper clip from Making Memories - ($1.00 for the whole pack) a few cents

Total: $2.00

Designer: Kirsten (alexethanowen)

Cost:

• Die Cuts With a View cardstock - $.12
• orange/green scrap patterned paper from stash - free[K2]
• orange/purple scrap paper from stash - free
• Scrabble tiles - $.05 cents each, $.15 total
• buttons $.50
• ribbon $.99
• Owen's painted picture made at school - free!

Total: $1.76

Designer: Georgina Hefferman (GH26) Georgina lives in the U.K. where the pound is currently stronger than the dollar and scrapbook supplies are priced differently. She designed her layout for under £1.50.

Cost:

• blue cardstock - £0.30
• paint tester - FREE
• ribbon - £0.08
• daffodil charity badge (which she made into an embellishment by taking the pin off and adding a brad) - £0.50
• daffodil patterned paper (1 A4 sheet) - £0.40 (from which she hand-cut the title and the flower on the right)
• 3 small buttons - £0.05
• small brad - £0.03

Total: £1.36

Designer: Here's mine (boysmom):

Cost:

• patterned paper: four 6" x 6" squares of BasicGrey from pad - $.66
• 12" x 12" white Bazzill cardstock $.40
• 8 ½" x 11" Bazzill cardstock (used for mats, word-strips, and handcut title) - $.27
• Heidi Swapp journaling sheet (from pad) - $.06
• 2 Doodlebug mini brads $.14
• Crafty Bits stars - approximately $.20

Total $1.73

Although there are no strict rules for scrapping on a budget, here are some suggestions to help save money:

• Hand-cutting or stamping titles saves money over letter stickers, rub-ons, or pre-made titles.
• Purchase embellishments that can be used on many layouts (such as black brads) so that the whole pack will be used eventually.
• Buttons fall off clothing and ribbons come on gift packages; save these and look through your stash before purchasing new ones.
• Save paper scraps for use on future layouts or cards.
• Try doodling - it is the most personal and least expensive technique of all.

Good luck saving money and don't forget to post your layouts to the gallery.

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