Scrapbooking paper: what to buy, sets, price

Scrapbooking requires the use of special materials. The main one is paper, which can be white, colored, with or without patterns, in the form of thin tracing paper or thick cardboard. The market offers foreign and domestic manufacturers offering a large number of different sheets of paper, among which you can choose and buy the required material for creativity.

What paper is used in scrapbooking?

Paper for scrapbooking (you can buy the product in a store that sells craft supplies) allows you to create postcards with photo albums, notebooks, small boxes and other items.

For creativity, it is necessary to use special sheets that will not lose their beautiful appearance for a long period of time. In this regard, the composition of the material should not contain acids with lignin, which is considered a guarantee of preserving the original shade, the absence of yellowness and durability for a long time.

Lignin is an organic substance from wood used to create paper sheets. However, after a certain period of time, such a component can oxidize and lose strength. As a result, the product will turn yellow and become unusable. For example, low-quality paper sheets containing lignin are used to produce newspapers. If the composition contains 1% or less of this substance, such paper is lignin-free.

Often, the packaging or the sheets themselves indicate that the composition does not contain acids with lignin.

Like any other type of paper, this material will differ in density and thickness, which will often be proportional. The density of many types of such paper reaches approximately 150-260 g / m², which is considered to be a higher value than that of simple sheets used in everyday life.

Many people believe that density and thickness do not affect the durability of paper, but this only applies to what is written or drawn.

Scrapbook paper is not subject to fading or fading, but the thickness can affect the ability to withstand stress and fragility if an album with stickers was created. The density is often indicated on the pack or paper sheets. Some manufacturers do not indicate exact numbers, but only use general terms such as "thick" or "thin".

The material can be single-sided or double-sided. For decorative purposes, the product is often complemented with colored patterns of a specific theme, so it resembles wallpaper.

However, this type of paper can be decorated with certain textures, providing a visual effect with tactile sensations. Single-sided material has only 1 side, on which the image and texture are applied, while double-sided material has all sides decorated.

For scrapbooking, you can use matte or glossy paper. In the first option, the material will not shine, the glossy surface will shimmer with rich highlights when exposed to sunlight.

Acetate sheet is suitable for creativity, which is a plastic, but not paper product. However, such material often belongs to the category of scrap paper. The material is mainly transparent, but it is permissible to apply colored or monochrome patterns to the surface.

In scrapbooking, acetate sheet is used as a divider between chapters or stages of life that are included in the album. Such paper can be easily cut with scissors, giving the product any shape. The cut pieces are suitable as decorative details that can be applied to individual paper pages.

Scrapbooking paper is also classified by size. Thanks to this, you can create any creative products by selecting sheets of a certain parameter.

Types of scrap paper

Scrapbooking paper (you can buy any type of product) is classified by size, thickness, density, and texture, so there are many varieties of material on the market. Taking into account several important criteria, you can easily decide on the right product.

Cardstock

Cardstock is presented as a rigid and practical cardboard, which can be supplemented with figures made of felt, silk, wood or leather.

This type of paper can be used as a base for postcards. The shade of the sheets can be any. Dots with stripes, cells and glitter are the most popular textures. At the same time, this material is suitable for embossing.

Vellum

Vellum paper is also called tracing paper and stands out among other types of material due to its thin density – 40-120 g/m²The product can be translucent or completely transparent.

For scrapbooking, you can use colored, matte tracing paper with different textures, coating, figured edging, drawing or embossing. You can also buy paper with an image that will match a certain collection of sheets.

The text printed on vellum and attached to the main background will look impressive. Thanks to such material, it is possible to give the craft a beautiful appearance, airiness and lightness.

The paper is also suitable as a base for softening the shade, for decorating various figures, petals, cut-out flowers, and tracing paper can be placed over a photo. It is permissible to print an image or perform stamping on such paper.

However, this material has several disadvantages:

• sometimes it is not possible to make beautiful embossing, since such material, unlike ordinary sheets, is not very flexible;
• may be brittle, so it is necessary to purchase a denser product if you need to make bends;
• Some varieties cannot withstand high temperatures, which affects printing.

With inner layer

This type of cardstock differs from other sheets in that an inner layer of a different shade is placed under the top layer. Due to this, it is possible to create a variety of products.

Paper with an inner layer can be used in the torn edge technique, which will differ from the rest of the paper sheet in color, as well as for embossing. In this case, you will need to erase the top layer of the print to reveal the bottom, which differs in color. As a result, you can achieve an unusual beautiful effect.

To give the work a careless or antique effect, it is permissible to rub the cardstock base with fine-grained sandpaper. This design corresponds to works in the grunge, shabby or vintage style.

Paper in sheets and sets

Paper kits are available for sale, which contain several types of sheets corresponding to one collection. This simplifies the selection of material by shade or theme, and speeds up the process of creating a craft. At the same time, paper kits are much cheaper than individual sheets.

The paper in the set is selected according to the general style, which is specified by the manufacturer in the product description. In this regard, when planning to decorate a craft in vintage or shabby style, you will need to find the desired option in the catalog with the appropriate description.

Additionally, you should buy cardboard, which you may need during the lesson.

However, paper typing has a significant drawback - you can buy unnecessary sheets or not find a suitable option due to the limited author's imagination.

Tips for choosing

Scrapbooking paper (you can buy the product individually or in a set) should exactly match the theme that was chosen for creating the creative work.

In this regard, it is necessary to have a precise idea of ​​what will be made: a cookbook, a notebook, a postcard or an album. When choosing the latter, you also need to decide what type of binding and page design will be made.

Tips for choosing scrapbook paper:

• Gloss with texture. In this case, it is recommended to take into account the theme of the product, as well as rely on your own taste.
• Double-sided or single-sided. Material that has an image on all sides will cost much more than single-sided paper. If a double-sided sheet is used for the album background, it is often necessary to hide one side. In this regard, in this case it is better to choose a thick single-sided sheet.
• Sheets individually or in sets. A paper set provides several sheets at once, corresponding to one collection. In such a product, all the material is combined by image, shade and theme. As a result, there is no need to select sheets separately, which should be combined by style, color and design. Individual sheets, unlike a set, are much more expensive. However, when buying material, it is permissible to choose only the type of paper that you definitely like, and in the volume that you need.
• Density. Thick material can be used as a backing for a photo, endpaper of a notebook, background of album pages or base for a postcard. In an album, a thick sheet can be an independent material or a background when glued to a cardboard base. Thin material can be used to decorate an album or postcards. However, this will require using cardboard or a thicker product as a base.
• Manufacturer. There are many different manufacturers on the market, so when choosing, it is recommended to rely on your own taste.
• Size. The parameters of the sheets must match the dimensions of the product or be significantly larger. When creating an album with 30x30 cm pages, sheets of the corresponding size are required. For the design of postcards, it is advisable to use A4 paper or 15x15 cm. To create a backing for a photo, 11.5x16.5 cm or 15x15 cm material is suitable.

Rating of the best paper for scrapbooking, prices

Scrapbooking paper (it is advisable to buy the product in a specialized store that sells quality goods) is produced by many manufacturers, differing in design, density, cost and other criteria.

Best Scrapbooking Paper Rating:

• "Alto". It comes as a set of cardboard corrugated paper in different shades. The sheets are hard, so the material is difficult to process. However, the set is not too expensive, is characterized by the A4 format and a variety of shades. The product can be purchased for about 70 rubles.
• Aluvision. The cardboard is hard and has a high density, so it is impossible to bend it. This type of paper is often used as a binding. The product can be purchased for about 20 rubles.
• Fleur design. The manufacturer of this type of paper produces products that are decorated with flowers. However, the main field will be monochromatic, which makes it possible to use a lot of space for creative work. At the same time, the edges of the product are decorated with a floral pattern. Price category - from 300 rubles.
• Heyda. The German manufacturer produces products not only for scrapbooking, but also for handicrafts. The cardboard is characterized by high density and rich colors, so it is suitable for various purposes. At the same time, such material has a long service life. The product can be purchased for approximately 600 rubles.
• Mr. Painter #2. Russian manufacturer produces colored as well as black and white paper sheets. The peculiarity of this set is that all the paper has a beautiful figured border. Price category – 180 rubles.
• Scrapberry's. The product is available in the form of double-sided sheets, which are distinguished by a wide choice regarding decoration. Despite the fact that the set is beautiful, the material in the sets does not have general compatibility, in connection with this, paper from different sets will not look good in one work. The cost of the set starts from 30 rubles.
• ScrapLike "Vintage". This type of material is suitable for decorating a work in an antique style. The paper does not have many design options, but it matches the antique style well. Price range - from 30 rubles.
• Stamperia. The sheets are produced double-sided with decor on various themes: vintage, retro, fairy tale, realistic reality, modern technology. This material is often used for decoration purposes. However, the sheets are not very durable, so they can be easily torn. The cost of the product starts from 65 rubles.
• Applique "Our baby". All the material corresponds to the style of a small child, so it is more suitable for preschoolers or younger grades. The product can be a starter kit for a child who is just starting to get acquainted with scrapbooking. Each sheet in the set has 2 copies, allowing the child to correct the craft. The cost of the set starts from 130 rubles.
• Application "Corrugated cardboard". It is produced in the form of thick cardboard, which is intended for children's creativity. The paper has a wavy texture, so it is difficult to work with. The material can be purchased for about 130 rubles.
• ARTformat "Our baby". The children's art kit includes thin cardboard that needs a backing. Price range from 300 rubles.
• Snow White "Rainbow Colors". It is considered a rather expensive set, which contains single-sided sheets. However, some sheets will have an unusual design. Despite the fact that the design options will not be the same, they have a common idea, which makes it possible to combine the material in a certain order. The cost of the product is approximately 600 rubles.
• Handicraft "Patterns and Polka Dots". The theme of the material mainly consists of different ornaments. Such paper is not suitable for the design of a full page, so it is often used to design free fields with edging. The set includes A4 sheets. Since tracing paper has a certain transparency, a special adhesive must be used during gluing, because stains from PVA glue will be visible through the pattern. Price category - from 60 rubles.
• Vine "Fairytale Dreams". It is produced in the form of tracing paper with a translucent surface, which is decorated with ornaments in the form of curls. Chlorine is not used to bleach the material. The product can be purchased for about 250 rubles.

For scrapbooking, it is permissible to use not only special paper, but also any other sheets that correspond to the theme of the craft.

In this case, you can buy watercolor, pastel, graphic or regular office paper. Corrugated cardboard is also suitable for children's or adult creativity.

Video on how to choose paper for scrapbooking

Scrap paper is the main component of scrapbooking.

The video covers:

1. Different sizes of scrapbook paper.
2. Paper texture.
3. Scrap paper density.
4. Single-sided and double-sided paper options.
5. A variety of scrapbook paper manufacturers.
6. A couple of tips on what to pay attention to when working with scrap paper.