Is Scrapbooking Expensive? A Cost Breakdown And Ways To Profit
Is scrapbooking expensive? We will go over the cost breakdown of creating a scrapbook album.
Is scrapbooking expensive for people? Just like any hobby, there are certain supplies you will need to buy to start out. We will discuss the basic costs needed to start a simple scrapbook. Including the average costs for album covers, page protectors, paper, embellishments and more. We will also share what you will definitely need to buy at first, and what you can wait to purchase later on.
When first starting to scrapbook I recommend buying only the necessary supplies at first. Then, as you become more established you can eventually grow your craft supply stash over time. It is never a good idea to buy everything all as once as this can lead to clutter and unneeded financial stress. Scrapbooking does not have to be expensive. Below, I share ways to save money on scrapbooking supplies and how you can even turn a profit with this activity.
Why Is Scrapbooking Expensive?
What is scrapbooking?
Scrapbooking is the act of showcasing your favorite photos in a personalized photo album. Each page in a scrapbook can be decorated to your liking which makes it totally personalized for you. Recently, new trends in scrapbooking have emerged such as mini albums and journaling with photos. However, traditional scrapbooking involves a hardcover album, usually 12 by 12 inches, with page inserts.
Not only is scrapbooking fun, but it is also a way to preserve and document family history. Even with social media today, digital photos saved on our devices can get accidently deleted and lost forever. It is always a good idea to keep a tangible scrapbook in your home to look back on old photos. Some ideas of scrapbook albums you may be interested in are baby albums, family heritage books, school yearbooks, and personal or friendship scrapbooks. Truthfully, anything can go into a scrapbook as long as it will fit inside the album. Keep the things you wish to remember the most and secure them nicely into an album of your own.
Recommended post: {“HOW TO SCRAPBOOK“}
How much does scrapbooking cost?
On average, a single scrapbooking page layout will cost between $6-$18. Of course there are many variables such as how many supplies you already have on hand. Also, depending on where you get your supplies will often affect the costs as well. I did not take into consideration any machines such as the Circut or Sizzix cutting machine that you may use while crafting, as these are not necessary for beginners. Another crucial point when adding up the costs of a single page is how you can use certain supplies more than once which will disperse the total cost of an item over time. For example, tape will last until it runs out and a pack of stickers can be used on multiple layouts.
A completed scrapbook album can cost anywhere between $80-$200 dollars based off the numbers above. Given that the average album cost is $20. Again, this is not assuming that you have any supplies already on hand or that you are reusing supplies on multiple layouts.
Is scrapbooking expensive for most people?
As stated above, the average cost of one single page layout is between $6-$18 or $80-$200 for an entire completed album. This may seem like a lot of money to some people but keep in mind that creating an entire album will take multiple weeks if not months. This means, the costs can be dispersed over time and you do not have to spend that money all at once. There are also numerous ways to save money on craft supplies by shopping at garage sales, thrifting, or using dried flowers or foliage you find outside.
To answer the question “Is scrapbooking expensive?” you have to look at your own personal finances and make the decision on how much you can spend on hobbies. Answering this question from a general viewpoint, scrapbooking is fairly inexpensive to get started with. There are no costly machines that are essential for beginners, and paper is inexpensive. Most people have photos lying around their home, as well as scissors, markers, and pens, which you can use to decorate. Over time, once you become an avid scrapbooker, the cost per album will become less expensive as you will build up a supplies stash over time.
Recommended places to buy cheap scrapbooking supplies
My top recommendation for buying scrapbook supplies is Scrapbook.com. They have the widest selection of paper and embellishments, and have thousands of brands for paper crafting. Each week they offer a different deal on select items where you can find many sought-after brands on sale. Best of all, Scrapbook.com also gives away freebies quite often with any purchase. I have received countless free stamps from them over the year.
If you are looking to purchase brand new tools some great places to buy cheap scrapbooking supplies are Amazon and Shein. Both of these online retailers have thousands of third party sellers that sell new and affordable scrapbooking tools. Is scrapbooking expensive if you buy stuff online though? Not at all! Although do your research and read the reviews as some of the sellers are outsourcing manufacturers that may not be of the best quality. Another thing to note since some come from overseas is that it may take over a month to receive your goods.
Lastly, you can find cheap scrapbooking supplies at garage sales and thrift stores. Garage sales from people who are downsizing their stash are fantastic ways to score gently used stamps, stickers and more. If you are lucky you may be able to find some supplies that have never been opened. If you cannot find any garage sales near you I recommend checking out Facebook groups were people sell their supplies. Again, you can find a lot of great deals or you may be able to negotiate on certain prices.
Related post: {“BASIC SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIES LIST FOR NEW CRAFTERS“}
Scrapbooking ideas to save money
My favorite scrapbooking idea that will save you money is to use plane or bus tickets, receipts, and notes as they are free and visually pleasing. This works amazing for travel layouts where you can show off your plane ticket alongside your photos. Not only do tickets give an interesting look to a page but they also offer all the details of where you went. This is not limited to plane tickets though, keep concert, fair or movie tickets to decorate your scrapbook with.
If you are looking for a more elegant way to design your photo album, then try using elements found in nature. Spring flowers and fall foliage can both be used to create stunning aesthetics. Simply pick flowers and leaves and dry them out by placing them between pages of a book. Once they are completely dry, you can adhere them to the background of your layouts. I love taking flowers from special occasions and preserving them this way in my own album. It adds a lot of sentiment to the page.
Other scrapbooking ideas to save money include creating your own stencils. You can create custom stencils by cutting out a shape with an exacto knife and using it for stamping or drawing. Using double-sided paper is another way to save a couple of dollars. With two different patterns on each side, you can make two totally unique layouts using only one paper. Instead of buying new embellishments, be sure to look through old magazines and wrapping paper to find cute images that can be used.
Can you make money scrapbooking?
You have probably seen people online selling scrapbook templates, page kits or even completed albums. If you are inspired and wondering if you could possibly do the same the answer is absolutely! Thanks to the internet almost anyone can create a small business selling their art. Especially if scrapbooking is a passion of yours, making money from scrapbooking can be very fulfilling.
Is scrapbooking expensive to turn into a side hustle? This depends on what you want to sell. However, it cannot be much more expensive than if you were just doing this hobby for yourself. And if you are able to get people to buy your products then you would eventually make a profit. There may be some upfront costs for doing this for other people. However, you should be able to make that money back fairly quickly. Plus, if you have supplies on hand it would not be too expensive.
If you begin by making scrapbooks for close friends and family to buy from you, then you would not need an online storefront, which would cost money. Instead, you can start off by selling to people by word of mouth only. Post your products on your social media for free and get a small following that way. Over time, you can grow your customer base and make money from scrapbooking.
This post answers the question is scrapbooking expensive?
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