Getting started

What to buy first (and what can wait)

A staged buying order so you do not end up with a drawer full of supplies you never touch.

The temptation when starting out is to buy a bit of everything. The problem is that scrapbooking supplies only make sense as a set: dies are useless without a machine, and embossing ink is useless without powder and a heat gun. This is a progression that works, buying each block only when the previous one starts to limit you.

Supplies

Block 1: paper, adhesive and cutting
Block 2: stamps and one black ink
Block 3: die-cutting machine and basic dies
Block 4: colour

Step by step

Block 1: paper, adhesive and cutting

White and kraft cardstock, a patterned paper pad, a tape runner, foam pads, scissors and a ruler. That already covers dozens of complete projects. Buy nothing else until you have used half the pad.
Block 2: one stamp set and black ink

A stamp set with sentiments and a motif or two, an acrylic block and a good quality black ink. Stamps multiply what you can do with the paper you already own, and they are cheap relative to how much you use them.
Block 3: a die-cutting machine

This is the big purchase. It makes sense once you are crafting regularly and are tired of cutting by hand. Start with generic dies (rectangles, circles, tags) rather than very themed shapes.
Block 4: colour

Markers, watercolours or pencils, depending on what you want to make. This is the most enjoyable block and also the easiest to overbuy: a small, well-chosen set goes further than a huge one.
What can safely wait

Heat gun and embossing powders, stencils and texture pastes, embossing folders, specialised tools. All wonderful, but they add nothing while you are still working out your style.

Practical tips

Before buying something new, ask which specific project you will use it in this week. If you cannot answer, you do not need it yet.
New releases are tempting, but a restocked basic gets used far more than an unopened novelty.
Buy consumables (paper, adhesive, ink) in quantity and treats one at a time.

FAQ

Are complete starter kits worth it?

It depends on quality. Kits from good brands are great value; very cheap ones usually include thin paper and poor adhesive that will make you doubt your technique when the problem is the materials.

Stamps or dies first?

Stamps, without question. You only need one ink to use them, while dies do nothing without a machine.