14 Must-Have Scrapbooking Tools for Every Crafter

Basic Tools For Scrapbooking

1. Paper Cutter

Are you tired of getting jagged edges when trying to cut perfectly straight lines? A paper cutter is the perfect scrapbooking tool to help you make sharp, straight edges with ease!

Cutting paper is a vital activity that comes along with any type of scrapbooking craft. You’ll often need to cut background borders for photos or trim varying pieces. Paper cutters can help you cut perfectly straight lines with a tiny sliding razor. They often have ruler grids on them as well, which help you keep your paper in proper alignment.

Simply slide your paper under the blade, push down on the blade, and slide it across!

2. Scissors

A pair of multipurpose scissors are also an essential scrapbooking tool, as they help you cut curved and smaller pieces. Scissors are also helpful when cutting tape or thick embellishment pieces you can’t rip with your hands. They allow you to use more force than a simple paper cutter.

Sometimes, it’s hard to cut small pieces of paper or photos in a paper cutter without ripping or ruining them. And it’s impossible to cut curves with one, as paper cutters can only cut straight lines. This is where scissors can come in handy.

3. Corner Rounder

Rounded corners can help give your scrapbooking pieces a more decorative look. However, it can be hard to create symmetrical rounded corners with scissors. No matter how intricate you are, there’s always the possibility of cutting too much or too little off. It’s very challenging trying to create the exact same curve four times. But, luckily, a corner rounder can do that for you.

This type of scrapbooking tool makes rounded corners a breeze. You only need to insert a corner into the puncher and push the button. You’ll have a perfectly rounded corner in seconds. And your corners will all have the exact same curve!

4. Craft Tweezer

If you like to use stickers and washi tape, you probably notice that they get stuck to your fingers. But the oils on your fingers and hands can make these products less sticky. This can make them unusable, causing you to throw them away.

Instead of using your hands, using a craft tweezer to place sticky items onto your scrapbook is best. A scrapbooking tool like this lets you intricately place sticky pieces onto your page while providing minimal contact. The less you touch stickers or tape, the better off they’ll be.

Tweezers can also help add tiny embellishments to your scrapbook, such as little gems, without placement issues. It’s hard to get the perfect placement with small items, as your fingers block your view of the page.

5. Ruler

Measuring is vital, as you only have so much room on your scrapbook pages. A stainless steel ruler can help you understand your available space and adjust your scrapbook pieces accordingly. Scrapbooks are almost like puzzles, and rulers are easily accessible scrapbooking tools that can help ensure each piece fits.

Along with this, a ruler is always helpful in creating straight lines. Maybe you want a straight line so you can visually see where to cut your paper. Or maybe you want to draw a border around something. Rulers can aid in keeping your scrapbook looking neat!

6. Craft Knife

Do you ever have a hard time trying to cut out tiny details? Maybe you want a specific section of a photo or simply need to intricately cut around something. This is when a craft knife can save the day!

Craft knives are very helpful for making precise cuts. Sometimes scissors can’t get as close as you want them to due to their thick blades. But craft knife blades are skinnier than a toothpick! They allow you to cut as close to your design as possible. And they make great scrapbooking tools for trimming and cutting off little pieces and slivers.

7. Double-Sided Tape

You’ll definitely need a sticky product to attach your scrapbook pieces to the pages. Liquid glue can work. But it often crinkles the page when it dries. This can be bothersome, especially if you plan to handwrite things on your pages.

Double-sided tape is a better option, as it provides the stickiness you need without any weird textures. It also doesn’t require any drying time, allowing you to move on to your next scrapbooking step immediately!

Double-sided tape is an excellent scrapbooking tool, as it’s invisible to the eye. It won’t crumple your pages or stick out from under your scrapbook pieces. The tape will allow your photos and paper pieces to lie flat.

8. Self-Healing Cutting Mat

Self-healing mats are exactly what they sound like. They automatically close up any cuts or grooves you make in the mat. So, it’ll be as good as new each time you use it.

Craft knives are helpful, but you should never use them without a self-healing cutting mat! These mats will save your table, counter, or whatever piece of furniture you’re scrapbooking on.

Scrapbooking tools like craft knives are immensely sharp and can easily scratch up or cut into the surface below them. They may be small, but they’re still knives. And if you don’t use a mat beneath them, you’ll end up with a ruined table. You’ll probably also damage the knife in the process.

Decorative Scrapbooking Tools

9. Washi Tape

Using washi tape is a fun idea if you want a more decorative way to stick things to scrapbook pages. Washi is a type of Japanese paper made from plant fibers and cold water. In the case of washi tape, there is a sticky surface on one side of the paper.

You can find all kinds of washi tape designs, including solid colors, if you want a little pop of color. This scrapbooking tool makes a great alternative or addition to traditional double-sided tape. You could even use it solely for its decorative purposes. And while the tape is sticky, you can peel it off easily if you make a positioning mistake!

10. Stamps and Ink

If you’re looking for another way to decorate your scrapbook, decorative stamps and an ink pad will do the trick! There are stamps for almost any occasion and event, so you can easily match them to your page’s theme.

Stamp ink can also adhere to almost any surface as long as it isn’t too slippery. So, you can apply it to paper, washi tape, and even matte photos! Stamps and ink can aid in bringing your crafting project together into one cohesive piece.

Using stamps as scrapbooking tools is an excellent way to add some personalization. They make great layering options too, as they don’t make your scrapbook bulky.

11. Printer

Most people rely on their smartphones to get all their pictures. So, if you want them printed, you’ll need to send digital copies elsewhere. Or you can print them yourself at home with a simple inkjet printer!

Printers are helpful scrapbooking tools that can print on a variety of materials, allowing you to create varying textures. This is a much easier and faster option that allows you full control over what your photos look like.

You can also make a variety of homemade scrapbooking products with a printer. Photo paper is great for traditional photos. But you can also create your own stickers with a printer and some sticker paper! Your personalization options are nearly endless with a printer.

12. Markers

Using markers in your scrapbook is a must! These scrapbooking tools can help you label your pages, doodle and draw, and decorate. Try creating handmade borders, drawing pictures, or simply writing the names of those in your pictures. Markers can bring in some bright and beautiful colors.

Metallic markers are an excellent option, as they provide a more decorative look. They’re very pigmented and have a slight sparkle to them. Markers like this will aid in personalization and give your scrapbook a more handmade appearance.

Scrapbooking Storage and Preservation Tools

13. Storage Container

While scrapbooking can be a fun hobby, it often involves a lot of little pieces. You’ll probably have scrap pieces of paper, tiny embellishments, and general scrapbooking tools. Sure, you could easily throw all this stuff in a drawer.

But you may want a little organization so you aren’t frantically looking for the things you need. Instead, a storage container with multiple compartments can be your best friend.

This scrapbooking tool can help you separate your pieces into different categories. It might even be wise to print some labels for further organization! Multi-compartment storage containers will also aid in keeping all of your things dust-free and safe from pets and small children.

14. Self-Sealing Laminating Sheets

After you create your masterpiece of a scrapbook page, you may want to keep it preserved exactly as it is. Accidents happen. You or someone else might spill something on it, or a pet could try ripping it up. An easy way to keep your scrapbook safe from these things is by using self-sealing laminating sheets!

These sheets are the perfect scrapbooking tool to keep everything in place long-term. They’re sticky on the inside and will strongly adhere to your scrapbook pages. This means it’s a permanent preservation option. So, you should only apply these sheets once you’re sure that you’re done adding things.

You can also cut laminating sheets into pieces and cover specific areas with them. Maybe one part of your scrapbook is more fragile than the rest. A small lamination piece could protect it.