For many people, gone are the days of simply sliding photos into clear plastic sleeves in order to display them. The art of scrapbooking can be a fun way to preserve memories in ways that are more creative, with embellishments that can provide flair to tell a story from the photographs. The basic scrapbooking tools include a scrapbook with plastic page protectors, markers, glue, construction paper, stickers and a few pairs of scissors with different blade designs. More complicated scrapbooking tools include die-cutting machines, adhesive remover and pens that can remove red-eye in photographs with a simple dot.
Photographs very rarely stay in their standard rectangular shape once they are selected for scrapbooking purposes. For this reason, cutting mats are very popular. They vary in sizes and prices, but they are sturdy and are an excellent companion to the variety of cutting and cropping tools used to repurpose photos so their focal points can be prominently displayed. To go along with those cutting mats, scrapbookers also use a variety of cutting tools, such as scissors, knives, trimmers and blades. These can be used to do things such as trim photographs, cut decorative borders on pictures and construction paper and produce shapes such as borders, corners, hearts or stars with a quick punch of the cutter.
To make lettering pages easier, stamps, stencils and rulers also are popular scrapbooking tools. So are a good variety of acid-free pens, whose ink is less likely to run or fade. A good arsenal of stickers makes it a cinch to add whimsy or charm to pages.
One of the most important scrapbooking tools is the proper glue. Mounting photos in a way that ensures that the pages will stay perfectly preserved requires special types of adhesive. Regular glue sticks and school glue found in most stores won’t work for scrapbooking. Instead, adhesives and glue that are acid-free are needed. Photo tabs, which are small squares of double-sided tape, also are a good option.
There also are a variety of scrapbooking tools available online from commercial websites. Digital scrapbooks have their own set of scrapbooking tools, such as decorative fonts, clip art, borders, templates and the ability to fit any number of photos on one page. These can be used on online projects, and the finished product can be ordered by the user. Websites often give users the option of having their finished product delivered digitally or having a printed version sent to them.
