Scrapbooking Art On a Budget

In the scrapbooking world right now it is very popular to see someone on the clock app doing ASMR scrapbooking. Which I LOVE! I enjoying watching what these amazing people are creating with stickers, washi tape, paper etc. But when I got the idea of wanting to start a scrapbook myself the way they do (which to me is just creating art with paper stickers etc. and like I said, I love it) the items they used were not too expensive. But I wanted to make sure this was something I really enjoyed and didn't want to spend too much money on because I am just starting out and wanted to get the hang of it.

For me, I am the kind of person who needs a creative outlet everyday or I feel like I have a itch I can't scratch. So I went to dollar tree plus (I already had some of the items needed) and I got me some washi tape, scrap paper, stickers, embellishments and a notebook. I also checked out dollar general because in my area their crafting section is getting better. I got me some decorative scissors for edge cutting and some glue. The paper scraps at dollar tree are pretty cute, and you get quite a bit of paper for $1.25.

The other night after I got my 3 year old to sleep I sat down at my craft table opened up my new notebook and breathed a sigh of relief. You see, scrapbooking means a lot to me. I had my two oldest children (13 and 14) when I was still a teenager myself. And when I attended GED classes for parents my teacher was amazing. She taught me scrapbooking, plastic canvas, sewing cloth books, looming and so much more. Scrapbooking stuck with me.

I had 2 scrapbooks for each of my two oldest. I would work on them every night. trimming photographs using stickers and paper I got at hobby lobby with my mom. Scrapbooking was a happy time for me. And when I moved south I their scrapbooks got lost in the move. I was devastated! I worked so many years on their photos and put so much time effort and love into those books to give them when they turned 18. I had hand written messages to them about something funny they had done that day or a neat gift they had received or a milestone they had reached. Sometimes I still feel sad that those memories are lost somewhere.

And it's funny to me about junk journals and using mail or catalogs as ephemera because that is another thing I would do in these journals. Because I was a single mom at the time on my own and not a lot of money I would use the junk mail I got and catalog cutouts and paste them in. They were really beautiful things.

But my now husband who is an amazing and very calm person tells me that I can just make new ones, no they wont be like the old ones and I probably don't remember the dates or the things that had happened to record. But I can make new ones and add to the memories with the new things that are going on now. I am also working on one for my toddler just like I did for my older babies.

So you might be asking what is the point of this post? Well two things really: 1. You don't have to use a lot of money to make beautiful scrapbooks or art, you can find it anywhere. 2. Before you invest a lot of money into something start small with a few items and work your way up.

After doing just the cover and first page in my, what I like to call "art scrapbook" I am hooked and plan to make a page a night. I like to make the one minuet videos on YouTube, Instagram, Tic-Tok, and Pinterest as inspiration for others. Because I really enjoying watching them and I know others who do. I have also seen comments about how people wish they could do this type of art outlet but don't have money or time to do so. But let me tell you, it really doesn't take much time at all. And as I mentioned at the beginning I started with items from dollar tree and dollar general and I think that mine looks great! And I also know that over time I will learn different techniques to make them look even neater but until them I am completely satisfied with what I am creating.

Never be too hard on yourself. We are our worst critics and can talk ourselves out of so much opportunity and beauty in this world. Enjoy your art! Stay creative!

Here are some photos of my cover and first page of my new Art Scrapbook.

Here is a 59 second video of me making one of my pages in my new scrapbook. Don't forget to check the links for my other social accounts and follow me there as well!