I recently got a comment on one of my YouTube videos asking questions about scrapbooking kits and I thought I would answer that question here with more detail than is practical for YouTube comment.
Some people prefer scrapbooking on the fly where they choose each element to their page as they go. And some people prefer to have a set of supplies ready to go to make the page creating process smoother. That is where kits come in. Scrapbook kits are a selection of supplies that coordinate well together to create a number of scrapbook pages. I create a lot of my own kits from supplies I’ve been collecting over the years. In my scrapbook kit I always add the following:
- Scrapbook papers and/or cardstock: 3-10 depending on the size of kit I’m after
- An alphabet set: 1-2 (I often choose 1 large font and one smaller font in different colors)
- Large embellishments items: 1-2 packs, such as die cuts, chipboard pieces or sticker sheet/set
- Smaller embellishments items: 1-2 packs, such as enamel dots, sequins, buttons or smaller stickers
- Texture items, optional: things like ribbons/twine, puffy or foam word & phrases, paper flowers and so on. The items listed above can also do this job.
If you want to give this a try. but need help guiding you in product selections, the Counterfeit Kit Challenge is a group who does just that. Once a month an inspiration kit is chosen and you can choose items from your own supplies that match, mimic or are simply inspired by the pieces in the inspiration kit. If you already have supplies sitting around, this is a great way to learn to build kits. The group offers lots of examples and has an active Facebook group for community. I share my kit building thought process each month.
Now if you don’t want to build your own kits, you can buy pre-made kits. Several monthly kit clubs exist and I don’t have experience with all of them. But I will link you up to some options and you can see what they have to offer. Most clubs are subscriptions with minimum membership requirements and purchase levels and then offer extras on top of that as well. Some clubs let you buy their kits (assuming they haven’t sold out) at a higher price without having to commit to a subscription.
- Best of Both Worlds by Shimelle Laine: This is not a typical kit “club”. You are not a member. Instead you follow her shopping list at Scrapbook.com (which is updated once a month) and add all the shopping items to your cart. What makes this the best of both worlds is that you can buy coordinated items without thinking about it, and yet if there is something you don’t like you can delete it from your cart. In addition if there are a few other things you need you can add them into your cart since this kit is offered through a full paper crafting online retailer. See my January take on her kit (I build from my own supplies.)
- Hip Kit Club: This is a typical 12×12 scrapbooking kit club where you get a kit shipped to you once a month. They coordinate a beautiful kit of all the latest scrapbook lines and the kits have a seasonal theme to them most of the year. They also offer large add-on kits of extra products (and cost!). You can also order products without subscribing they just cost more. I’ve used and loved Hip Kit. (See my playlist for unboxings.) But if you are on a budget, this can be expensive. Shipping alone is $9 per month. See a typical kit.
- The Scrap Room: Is a 12×12 monthly subscription with lots of add ons at lower price points. They use popular new scrapbooking products. Their main kit is called the “Flavors of the Month kit” and they actually send you 4 mini-kits each month. Each small kit is enough to create a couple of scrapbook layouts depending on your layering style. This seems to be the best priced full-size scrapping kit around.
- Felicity Jane: I don’t know much about this club but they do offer a 12×12 kit and their products are exclusive to their company. You can also order products without subscribing; they just cost more.
- SCT Sampler Kit: This kit is put out by the Scrapbook and Cards Today – thus, SCT – magazine. This is a kit of samples of current market supplies. You get about 12 6×6 sheets of paper, partial packs of embellishments and one re-useable supply such as a stamp set or an embossing folder. This kit is great for card makers, travelers notebooks, pocket pages, daily journals and scrapbookers. They have 3-, 6-, or 12-month options with the latter being only $14 a month including shipping. This is a huge bargain. But, if you are a 12×12 scrapper you will need some tips on converting 6×6 papers to large size. I offer tips on how to do that on my YouTube playlist for these kits. I love these and would recommend them. I think they are also great for new crafters to help build up a supply of products. Keep in mind though, if you don’t have some common craft items already like stamping inks and especially a manual die cut machine (needed for embossing folders and metal dies) then the extra re-useable item may not be useful to you.
There are certainly other paper crafting kits out there. Since I am a 12×12 scrapper that is the realm I know the most about. The 12×12 size has been joined by other sizes & styles such a pocket pages and travelers notebooks. Kits for those sizes have become more popular for several reasons that I won’t go into detail about. But one of the reasons is smaller sized product means easier shipping & lower shipping costs.
So that is my quick take on scrapbook kits. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you!
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