Digital scrapbooking is becoming increasingly more popular over the past
few years. While it certainly is less expensive than making traditional
paper scrapbooks, it still can become a rather pricey hobby.
Fortunately, there are many ways to save money doing this digital craft
and still come out with amazing looking pages and layouts.
Here are just a few tips to help you save money on digital scrapbooking supplies:
1. Use Free
Open Source Software or Other Low Cost Alternatives: The
most popular choice for digital scrapbooking is Photoshop - however the
latest version of Photoshop CS5 costs several hundred dollars, which is
out of the budget for many. Fortunately, Photoshop Elements does nearly
all the same things and is priced much more reasonably. If that is out
of your budget, there are also free graphic editing programs such as
GIMP that also work well for making digital scrapbooking pages.
2. Stockpile on Freebies
There are tons of freebies out there for
items, the main disadvantage to this is you can waste a lot of time
searching, as well as you can never be too sure about the quality.
Another problem with this is that you might not get a full kit to work
with, but only little bits and pieces here and there. Still, there are
lots of great freebies out there, so it may be worth the extra effort.
3. Join a Creative Team
Did you know designers will give you free
scrapbooking kits in exchange for you making layouts with them to show
on their blog and other websites? It helps the designer promote their
latest kit, and you get some great scrapbooking supplies without the
price! Many designers will post their calls, or of course if there is a
designer you admire you can always ask them if they are looking for any
new creative team members.
4. Sign Up for Club Memberships
Most sites sell individual kits for
$5-$8 each. This can really start to add up month after month! One way
to save and still get great quality items is by signing up for
scrapbooking club memberships, which can save you hundreds of dollars
each year! Most clubs range between $5 a month to $35 for a full year
unlimited access, so this is well worth every penny!
5. Do Not Steal Supplies
Designers each day work very hard to make
great looking kits and designs for their customers. If you steal
supplies from illegal file sharing websites or share downloads with
someone else, this not only can get you in big trouble legally (up to 5
years in prison and a $250,000 fine in the US!) it can also make the
designer have to raise their prices or worse, stop making kits
completely.
6. Reuse Items in a Creative Way
One of the best aspects of digital
scrapbooking is that you have endless possibilities with the way you use
your supplies. Perhaps you could recolor an item to match your
photograph or blend two papers you have together for something
different.
7. Participate in Challenges and Chats for Coupons
Many designers
participate in chats and challenges where they will give you a coupon
for submitting a layout you make with their product. Just be certain
that it is something you really enjoy and that the coupon would not
cause you to spend more money than you might have spent without a
coupon!
Digital scrapbooking is a great hobby to get into, and it does not have
to cost a lot to get started. With these tips, you'll be making
fantastic looking pages at the fraction of the cost in no time!
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