Calculate supplies needed for your scrapbooking projects including paper, embellishments, and estimated costs.
Successful scrapbooking starts with proper planning and material estimation. Whether you're creating a wedding album, baby book, or vacation memories, knowing exactly how much paper, embellishments, and adhesive you need helps you stay within budget and ensures you have everything on hand before starting.
This calculator helps you estimate supplies based on your album size, number of pages, and design style, making it easy to shop for materials and plan your project budget.
Paper is the foundation of any scrapbook project. Here's how to calculate your needs:
Background Paper
You'll need one 12x12" sheet per page for backgrounds. For 8x8" albums, you can get two backgrounds from one 12x12" sheet.
Accent Paper
Plan for 2-4 coordinating papers per layout for matting photos, creating borders, and adding design elements.
Cardstock
Keep neutral cardstock (white, cream, black) on hand for photo mats. Estimate 1-2 sheets per 4-6 pages.
Different album sizes require different amounts of materials:
Most popular size for scrapbooking
Compact and budget-friendly
Perfect for gifts and quick projects
Standard letter size
Embellishments add personality and visual interest to your layouts:
Different adhesives serve different purposes in scrapbooking:
Best for photos and paper. One standard tape runner (30-40 feet) covers approximately 50-75 photos or 20-30 pages.
Use for embellishments and small pieces. One bottle typically lasts for 30-50 layouts depending on usage.
Creates dimension. Use 4-8 foam squares per layout for titles and focal embellishments.
Traditional option for removable mounting. Need 4 corners per photo, or 16-24 per typical layout.
Typical costs for a 20-page album:
12x12" layouts: 4-6 photos | 8x8" layouts: 2-4 photos | 6x8" mini albums: 1-3 photos
A 12-sheet paper pack typically covers 6-8 two-page layouts (12-16 pages) when used for backgrounds and accents.
Plan 1-3 hours per two-page layout depending on complexity. Simple layouts take 1-1.5 hours, while detailed designs can take 2-3 hours.