In the last few years we have had so many projects that we once would have considered a craft project, turn into something you could actually use on a scrapbook page/layout. In reverse, we are also seeing a lot of things that we would have considered only scrapbooking items being used in craft projects. Scrapbookers are incorporating stitching, fabrics, painting and trimmings into scrapbooks. Embellishing with yarns and painted fabrics. The merging of the craft and scrapbooking industry seems to be due to our inherent need to express ourselves and be able to do so by intertwining crafts and scrapbooking. Crafts have been around for a very long time. Scrapbooking seems like a newer craft, but it has really been around for quite a while also. The term Scrapbooking has been around since 1825. Manufacturers are becoming a lot smarter and depending on the materials you use or the theme you choose the possibilities are endless.



When you turn on the tv or go online there are shows created just for crafts and scrapbooking, there are also online classes and how to videos. You can even listen to your favorite podcasts! There has been such a demand for new ideas that much of what we would have thought of as traditional crafts or scrapbooking layouts are now fast becoming very similar. These art forms can range from crafts that at one time were just a ceramic or wood craft, but now have the ability to be used in our scrapbooks. It used to be that once you completed a scrapbook layout, you put it in your book and occasionally looked at it, but now you can take it and have it made into a portrait that can be hung on your wall. Crafts and Scrapbooking have evolved into what more and more people consider an art.

Here is just a sampling of embellishments for crafts and scrapbooking:

acrylic paint

anchors

bead trim

beads

tabs

book plates

bottle caps

brads

buttons

cd's

chalk

charms

chip board

cocktail skewers

coffee filters

crystals

date/phrase stamps

decoupage

die cuts

digital software

elastic cord

embossing powder

embroidery floss

ephemera

eyelets

fabric paper

fabric

fabric flowers

fasteners

fibers

foam

game pieces

hemp

hole punches

ink and distressing ink

jellies

jewelry trinkets

jump rings

jute

label tape

magazine/brochure cutouts

mesh

metal frames

metal strips

negative strips

paint chips

paper clips

petit tabs

photo corners

playing cards

recycled packaging

resin accents

ribbon

ribbon buckles

rivets

rub ons

safety pins

slide mounts

snaps

specialty papers

spiral clasps

stamps

staples envelopes

stencil punch outs

stickers

string clasps

tags

tape

tickets

toggles, spacers and beads

transparencies

twill

twine

twist ties

vellum

vintage photos

wax seals

wire

wood letters

zippers

Whether you like to scrapbook or participate in other crafts, look around for new things to incorporate into your own particular craft. Tole Painting and wood crafts merged and were a very popular craft in the '80's. Today, crafts are so diverse, you can do anything you want and incorporate just about anything you want into whatever the project is that you are involved in. Every moment is an opportunity to look around us and imagine uses for ordinary and obscure items that are around us every day. Keep your options open. Unleash your creativity, and avoid perfectionism. If you like help when starting new projects or would like to know more about what there is out there, you can purchase daily project calendars for different crafts whether you're a crafter or scrapbooker.

Scrapbookers and crafters are always looking for new and exciting ways to celebrate their memories and now they can with manufacturers' rushing to create new products or improve on old ones and with retailers stepping in to show us how to use these great new products. Use the resources that are available to you. Go to all the free classes, invite friends to classes or start your own group and share your ideas with each other. Take an online class or watch online videos or podcasts. Be informed, and help others by informing them of the endless possibilities!