Any serious scrapper knows that if there's one thing you need to keep your hobby going, it's new pages, embellishments, cutouts, trim, and all those other supplies, and you need them regularly.  For those who don't want to be constantly hunting down what they need or who don't have the time to shop online, you might consider joining a scrapbooking monthly kits club.  If you're thinking about this for yourself, there are some things you should consider before you sign over your credit card – and there are some things to consider as to why this might be the best decision for you and your hobby.  So before you browse the website of another scrapbooking monthly kits club, give the following information some consideration.

Where Do They Get Their Materials?

Some scrapbooking monthly kits clubs are maintained by persons who are actually sales reps for different scrapbooking drop shippers, meaning that they are working for one company in particular.  This is fine if the materials and products from that company are high-quality, but you need to be sure of this before signing up.  Additionally, the best scrapbooking monthly kits clubs should provide materials from more than one company.  The best clubs have design teams who pull materials from different manufacturers and put them together in the kits, as opposed to simply reselling or reshipping items from one company.

By having a wide variety of manufacturers and suppliers, you're more likely to get a wide variety of materials, pages, embellishments, and so on.  Remember, while there are some companies that manufacture all sorts of elements needed for scrapbooks, most specialize in just one or two items, such as just paper, or just stickers, and so on.  Be wary of scrapbooking monthly kits clubs that offer what looks to be the same type of items over and over again.

What Does It Include?

There should be an absolute list of everything you can expect to get from your scrapbooking monthly kit club for your fee.  For example, it should have a list of how many pages of paper, how many pieces of embellishment and what type, and what type and quantity of wording or lettering you receive also.  These are just standard items for most scrapbooking monthly kit clubs, and it shouldn't be left up to chance.  Obviously there will be some variation each month as the embellishments and other elements will change, but it should be generally the same quantity and quality each month.  If you don’t see such a detailed list anywhere on their site, it may be time to move on to the next club.

Can You See Previous Months' Items?

Sure, a scrapbooking monthly kits club may tell you in so many words what your kit will include each month, but what do these kits really look like?  Can you see photos of previous months' kits so that you can get a real feel for the quality of the kits?  There are some elements to scrapbooking that can be purchased very cheaply, and unfortunately they also often look cheap, so you want to be sure that what you're getting is not just high-quality material but elements that coordinate and complement one another.  Anyone can throw some elements in a box every month and refer to themselves as a scrapbooking monthly kit club, but if they can't show the quality of their previous kits, then you may want to move on to the next club.

What Are Your Obligations?

It's easy to think that you can readily afford the fees of such a club on a regular basis, but what if you unexpectedly lose your job or face some other financial crisis?  What if something prevents you from scrapping the way you want and your materials are starting to pile up?

Check the policies of any scrapbooking monthly kit club to see what type of financial obligation they require of you.  Do you pay a year's worth of dues up front and you get sent the kit for the next twelve months, or do they charge your credit card every month?  Can you cancel at any time or are you obligated for a certain number of months?  Can you skip certain kits free of charge, and if so, is there some type of fee for re-joining?

Will your membership to this particular scrapbooking monthly kit club continue endlessly, are you purchasing for only so many months, and do you need to notify them of when you'd like your membership to stop?

Make sure you read all the fine print before signing up, just as you would any legal agreement you enter into, and don't hand over your credit card information until all your questions are answered.

Using Forums for Scrapbooking Monthly Kit Clubs

Many scrapbooking websites have forums or message boards where you can log in, post photos of your own creations, and chat with other members are about virtually anything that has to do with scrapping, whether it's questions about materials, inspiration, and so on.  A good scrapbooking monthly kit club will have a forum or board for their members to do the same.  These forums do cost the host or hostess a few dollars to maintain every month, but it's a very common provision with most clubs.  This way you can touch base with other scrappers and not only get support, but show off the work you did with their particular kits as well.

Scrapbooking monthly kit clubs can be a fun and affordable way to get those regular supplies you need, and can also serve as inspiration for your pages and albums.  When your kit comes in the mail, you will have no reason to put off your scrapping hobby, and you will have no need to waste any more time trying to hunt down the perfect materials and elements.  All in all, a scrapbooking monthly kit club may be just the thing you need to rediscover the joy and amazement of this fantastic hobby!