Starting with a scrapbooking kit is an excellent idea because everything you need is contained in one package. All of the decisions have been made for you. This may sound limiting or confining, but it keeps the newbie scrapper from being overwhelmed with choices and keeps them from chasing after the newest cool things when they might not even be ready to use them.

Another advantage to starting with a scrapbooking kit is that it gives you time to let your creativity develop. Most kits will contain fairly rudimentary items and will probably give you good instruction on how to arrange things. Starting out this way will give you a good knowledge of the basics. As your creativity grows, you’ll come up with your own ideas on how to branch out from these basic designs.

A scrapbooking kit is an excellent choice if you think you want to try scrapbooking, but you’re not convinced you’ll stick with it. Buying a kit won’t take very much time or money. So if you try it and decide you don’t like it, or if you stick it in a closet and never try it at all, you won’t be obsessed with how much time and money you’ve wasted.

Scrapbooking kits are usually designed around a certain theme. You’ll find packages that focus on birthdays, weddings, baby’s first this or that, and other traditional family events. Obviously these won’t cover every memorable event that you want to scrapbook, but kits aren’t designed to do that anyway. Scrapbooking kits are like training wheels. They’ll make your first attempts much less painful and you can take them off anytime you’re ready.

So how do you learn this personal touch and creative spark that turns paper albums into living memories? If you have a real do-it-yourself spirit, you can start with scrapbooking kits. For those a little less sure of their ability to “get it” on their own, scrapbooking classes are an excellent choice.

Scrapbooking kits come with everything you need for one project. Usually these kits are based on different themes, like a birthday, a graduation or a wedding. You may also find generic kits as well. Kits act as your teacher. By providing just the right amount of raw materials that are meant to go together in a certain way, you are shown the path to follow. Once you have completed a few kits, you’ll probably start to think of different ways to achieve the same effect. As you begin to branch out on your own, you will develop your own style and taste. Soon you won’t need the kits at all.

The main problem with kits is that they can be rather solitary. And scrapbooking with others can really multiply the fun. If you’re all about the fun, then look for some scrapbooking classes in your area. Libraries, continuing education programs, community centers, craft shops and other venues offer scrapbooking classes for people of all ages and ability levels. In most cases, there will be an entry fee that covers instruction and includes all the necessary materials. All you need to bring are your photos.

Classes provide an excellent introduction to scrapbooking and have the added advantage of hooking you up with other like-minded scrappers in your area. This will give you friends you can call on for advice, for support or to share in bulk supply orders.

Regardless of the path you choose, scrapbooking will enhance the memories that your family has by preserving for future generations to share. You may take to scrapbooking in a big way and it will become a life-long hobby. Or you may take a class or two and move on. Either way, at least you can get all of those photos out of the shoe boxes and into an album where they can be appreciated.