Last week I asked my subscribers what they'd do if they won a $10 Amazon.com Gift Certificate

Here are some of the most wished for items: some said they'd buy one item, but many says they'd use the $10 towards a larger item. Check out this list and see if you knew about all these scrapbooking supplies. And find out if you are the winner of the $10 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com

EK Success EKCB06 Honey Bee Non-Stick Craft Scissors	Copic Ciao Markers, Buttercup Yellow
Fiskars 12-23417097 Border Punch, Diamond	Blue Hills Studio Storage Cart with 10 Drawers, 13-Inch by 38-Inch by 15-1/2-Inch, Multi-Color
Fiskars 12 Inch Ultimate Craft Trimmer	Copic Ciao Primary Colors + 1 inking pen
EK 54-70002 PSN C Starry Night	Xyron 500 5 Inch by 18 Inch Sticker Machine, Permanent
Fiskars 9698 Euro 12-Inch Portable Paper Trimmer	Ranger Heat It Craft Tool

The winner of the $10 Gift Certificate is Mia Brown: Mia, email me your address so I can send you this gift certificate. If you didn't win this time, don't worry: we'll have some fun again soon. Just stop by often and watch your email to find out what's going on here.

Scrapbooking may seem not an expensive hobby when compared to for instance golf, where in you have to buy a thousands worth of equipment or perhaps dancing, the lessons of which, can be really hard in the pockets, but that is where you are wrong. If you don't watch it, scrapbooking can be even more expensive in the long run. This is because as you become more and more attached to the hobby, you need updated tools and equipment.

What is scary though about scrapbooking is the fact that you can't really watch out for your expenses because it is relatively small. You just end up paying more because of the quantity that you buy and the frequency that you buy the materials.

Still, if you really want to. You don’t have to shell out so much. Scrapbooking doesn't need to be expensive. Below are some tips and idea to help you scrapbook for free (or if not way below what you are spending now!).

Watch the tools

One of the things that make scrapbooking so expensive for most people is their constant need to have the updated version of every tool imaginable. Whatever is new in the market, die-hard scrapbookers buy them even if they already have something that performs almost the same functions.

It is important to remember that you don't really have to buy great tools to create great scrapbooks. With even the oldest and out of date materials, you can still create memorable pages with just your creativity in tow.

Recycle and reuse

There are a lot of things in your home that you can use to add flavor and texture to your pages. You don't have to, for instance, buy stickers for your scrapbook in craft stores. You can achieve the same look, maybe even a better look, if you cut out graphics in magazines and in old greeting cards. Stationery is another great source of graphics that you can use.

Your old clothes can also be very useful. In fact, every inch of your old clothes can be used as decoration from the fabric to the zipper and the buttons. If you have an attic with a boxful of old clothes that you no longer wear, raid it and put those fabrics to good use. not only have you managed to rid the house of clutter, you have also put a lot of creative design into your scrapbook pages.

Make your own scrapbook

Most people who do their own scrapbooks buy prepared ones in craft stores and then decorate them with stuff. Prepared scrapbooks that are blank can really cost you a lot and this is unfortunate as most of these scrapbooks that are being sold can be easily done and completed in the home.

If you have the time, just make your own scrapbook. The cheapest way to go is of course to make your own paper through recycling. This however may take forever and may be really tedious to do.

Another way is to buy recycled papers or any kinds of paper in bookstores and compile them yourself by sewing the sides or gluing them together. This will be cheaper than buying an already-made set. What is more, you get to choose the design that you want and put some spin on the kind of scrapbook that you are doing.

If you love to collect photos and are now in the planning stage of creating a scrapbook, you might find that you do not have enough pages in your book to fit in all your pictures.  Do not worry, as there are many scrapbook layout ideas that can help you do just the thing you want to do – get them all in there! Here are some hot tips collated from different scrapbook gurus that you might want to consider.

Tip #1: Create a block look

Crop your photos into different rectangular shapes and sizes. Fit these photos onto one page in such manner that they form a block look. The block look is a great way to post several photos in one page, making it easier for you to get more pictures into one scrapbook.

Cropping your photos is a convenient way to get rid of the excess background spaces on your pictures and preserving the important parts of it. It is perfect when you want to give emphasis to a single object in a photo.  By cropping, you are able to chop down photos into the sizes required to lay them out in the scrapbook page easily.

Tip #2: Small equal size photos

Another suggestion for laying out multiple photos in a single page is to first crop each photo into small, equal sizes. This is possible if you have heaps of pictures of smaller subjects.  By cutting them at the right places, you save more space in the pages of your scrapbook for other photos you might want to post. Make sure, though, that the subject of each photo is not harmed when you snip off the unwanted sides.

This grid layout is perfect for tiny photos.  This scrapbook layout idea presents a simple but classic look that anyone will love.

Tip #3: Overlap photos

There are often huge, unnecessary spaces in scenic photos. These spaces are the perfect spots to overlap additional photos. By overlapping photos you are able to post multiple pictures on a single page without diminishing their value.  Overlapping photos creates a continuity of vision. Without actually being able to see a member of a photo that has been overlapped, you leave your viewers with the idea that it does exist.

Tip #4: Filmstrip photo boarder

This layout is a unique layout in scrapbooking which allows the scrapbooker to showcase photos in such a manner that the main picture becomes the focal point while the other smaller photos make up the border design.

The use of this filmstrip photo border design is a great way to lay out photos that are less significant on their own, yet when connected to the main picture make a great story.

Tip # 5: Crop Photos Into Narrow Strips

Using several vertical photos is perfect when you need to lay out many photos on a single page.  By cropping each photo to about the same width and height, and using little bookmarks as little notepads for journal your thoughts, you can create a flow of thought that will make up a perfect storyboard. No doubt this is probably one of the best scrapbook layout ideas.  Not only is it aesthetically appealing, but it also makes perfect artistic sense.

There a lot of scrapbook layout ideas you can find out there that might be helpful to you.  A little research will surely land you the layout that best suits your taste.  Don’t hesitate to create add-ons of your own. If you do it right, you just might be the next scrapbook guru to get published.