Scrapbooking is such an amazing way to bring your pictures and memories alive. No more do you have to settle for boring photo albums where you must always be there to tell the story behind the picture. With scrapbooking, you can let the album speak for itself.

Through telling these stories in words and photos you also ensure that when the time comes where you aren't able to tell the story anymore, those that come after you can find out what life was like "back then" and, more importantly, understand a bit more about themselves through knowing where they've come from.

Like any hobby, especially one you really enjoy, scrapbooking can get expensive. Purchasing all the albums, backgrounds, paper, embellishments, etc can really drain your pocket book.

Here's an idea though - Printable Scrapbooking Supplies.

There's a plethora of sites online now offering everything from free, to subscription, to pay as you go printable scrapbooking supplies. The charges for most of these resources ends up being a fraction of the cost of heading to the arts and crafts store for scrapbook materials, and most of them will allow unlimited prints, so if you make a mistake, you can just print out another one.

One complaint about using printable scrapbooking supplies might be the amount of ink your printer will use. But, here's another tip - disocunted ink is readily available online. Sites like 123inkjets.com and carrotink.com offer replacement ink and/or refills for most printers for a lot less than office supply stores. And, you can get these prices down even further by using a 123inkjets.com coupon.

By using all of these tips, you'll make scrapbooking a much more affordable activity, and as a result, one you can enjoy even more!

Using printable scrapbooking supplies is really easy and, once you get used to it, probably easier than the traditional method because it's more convenient (you can do everything in the comfort of your own home), more affordable (see above!), and, you can make multiple copies of your albums with just the click of a button.

If you're still apprehensive, unsure, or just want more information though, here are some great tips for using printable scrapbooking supplies.

1. Using regular white cardstock paper in your printer will help you get the look and quality of most paper you purchase in a scrapbooking supply store.

2. Make sure your printer is set to print in it's best quality mode this will assure you the best looking pages and supplies possible.

3. Use printable/digital scrapbooking supplies and traditional paper scrapbooking to make a wonderfully creative "hybrid" scrapbook page.  If you'd like more information on digital scrapbooking, please visit my Digital Scrapbooking Tips hub!

4. Look for the sites that offer free printable scrapbook materials. There are quite a few out there, but be careful, some also have hidden fees that you don't notice right away. So always make sure to read everything before sign up.

5. Try sketching out your scrapbook pages before taking the time to do all the work of desigining them. This way, you can make sure, before you print, that everything will look good.

6. Save any scraps from printing out your supplies and pages for use on other scrapbook projects. You can do lots of things with scraps like using them with hole punch shapes, mini albums, and more!