Basic Tools for Beginning Scrapbookers
Every new scrapbooker needs to start some where--sometime. "Every journey begins with the first step."
We are providing beginners with a simple list and some information about the basic tools you'll need to get started.
This list is by no means complete. As you become more engrossed in your scrapbooking you will easily find there is never enough of anything, and you won't ever have all of what you want. All that said, you need to begin your journey. Here are some basic tools you'll need:
SCISSORS:
No scrapper could exist without scissors. You only need one good pair, but we have included information on two:
- Fiskars Nonstick Scissors offer a non-stick coating which
 prevents most adhesives from sticking to the blades. Because you will be cutting and trimming pages and embellishments with adhesives on them, we recommend this scissor.
 The next pair of scissors is Fiskars Precision 5" Full Length Scissors that are lightweight and made of stainless steel for corrosion-resistance and long edge retention. The blue plastic handle is molded for a firm, comfortable grip.
Portable Paper Trimmer/Cutter:
Fiskars offers several portable Paper Trimmers you canuse to cut your photos and paper. There is a 12" trimmer that is compact and lightweight for easy use, transportation and storage. There is a swing-out ruler to help provide measurements up to 15". This cutter will accommodate cuts of up to 5 sheets of 20 lb paper or 2 sheets of 65 lb cardstock. English and metric measurements are porvided.
RULER:
No scrapper is without a ruler. 
This Zero-centering ruler allows you to align your photographs, diecuts and anything else where you need a measured element. This is a clear plastic ruler with holes you can use for marking stiches, aligning eyelets, buttons, and more. This ruler will help you with parallel guides for borders and journaling. You can also use it as a corner placement guide.
PAPER ADHESIVE:
There isn't much you can do without someway of attaching things to your page. So you need a glue or adhesive--preferably a universal adhesive to begin with.
PHOTO ADHESIVE:
Becasue you are working with photographs, it will serve you well to use a glue specifically designed for photos.
JOURNALING PEN:
Journaling is near impossible when you are creating a scrapbook page. (See article on Jouranling). This pen is a medium point, but can be purchased in fine or bold point--what ever you choose. There are also pens designed for use on photographs, but you can get by without one to get started.
PENCIL and SHAPENER:  
There is no way to get by with your scrapbooking design without a graphite pencil--with a sharpener to keep your point sharp. The higher the number on a pencil the harder the lead and the finer the point.
This professional quality, woodcased pencil writes on anything! Its soft, dark graphite is perfect for marking, writing, or drawing on any surface, including glass, plastic, photographic materials and films, metal, leather, rubber, and paper.
You should start out with a number 2...erasing is easier. You may want to add color pencils to your kit too.
ERASER:
An eraser is essential, because we alway smake mistakes, and you need to remove any unwanted marks after you have used them--plus you can get rid of graphite and dirt that should be on your page.
These are basic tools you will need to get started. Be asssured you will easily add many more things to help you in your scrapbooking. These can easily be placed in a tote for storage and portablility. As you acquire more things it will require more storage containers. You may want to consider this fact as you purchase your supplies--space will become an issue, but until you get there just have fun creating your pages. For more information and ideas you can check out our articles on:
Scrapbook Products
Scrapbook Glue and Adhesives
Scrapbook Basics
Cropping Photographs
Scrapbook Page Design
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