Getting started

Basic supplies: what you actually need

The short list of essentials, what to expect from each item, and where it is worth spending a little more from day one.

Almost every scrapbooking supply is optional. There is only a short list you will use in absolutely every project, and that is the list worth buying well. Everything else (embellishments, dies, coloured inks) gets added as you discover the style you enjoy.

Supplies

Plain cardstock in white, kraft and black — Cardstock
A patterned paper pad from a single collection — Patterned Paper
Double-sided tape runner — Pack 2 rollos cinta baha adherencia
Foam pads or 3D foam tape — Glue Dots 8mm (200pcs)
Precision scissors and a metal ruler — Scissors and Cutters
A craft knife or small guillotine

Step by step

Plain cardstock: the base of everything

This is the heavy paper (200 to 300 gsm) your page or card is built on. White, kraft and black solve almost any combination. Always buy more white than you think you need.
A paper pad, not loose sheets

Pads from one collection are designed to match in colour and style. Buying single sheets from different collections is the fastest route to nothing going with anything.
Permanent double-sided adhesive

A tape runner is the most convenient and does not wrinkle paper the way wet glue does. It is the supply you will get through fastest, so buy refills rather than new dispensers.
Foam pads for depth

Raising an element by two millimetres completely changes how a card looks. It is the cheapest trick for making a simple project look considered.
Clean cuts: metal ruler and craft knife

A plastic ruler gets shaved by the blade and the cut comes out wavy. A metal ruler with a non-slip base and a fresh blade give a straight edge that really shows in the result.
Precision scissors

For fussy-cutting around a stamped image. Kitchen scissors cannot turn inside tight curves and leave a jagged edge.

Practical tips

Change your knife blade far sooner than you think: a worn blade tears paper instead of cutting it.
If you can only invest in one thing, make it the adhesive. A beautiful project badly stuck falls apart within weeks.
Avoid very cheap all-in-one kits: they usually include thin paper and adhesive that yellows.