I’ve been on the fence about signing up for a kit club for a while now. I prefer to have a smaller stash and worried that with a monthly kit coming in my stash would spiral out of control. In the past, I have spent tons of money on things I didn’t have a plan for which led to lots of things I never used. A kit club just seems counterintuitive.

And there are so many out there. How would I know which one was the best fit for me? What if I couldn’t keep up with the influx of supplies? Which one would be the best value for my money?

Tips for Choosing A Kit Subscription

• What kind of kit are you interested in? There are all sorts of kits to choose from. Are you looking for something to spark those important stories? Then Ali Edwards’ Story Kit might be for you. Love all the latest and greatest embellishments? Check out Freckled Fawn. Do you want something for scrapbooking layouts or do you prefer pocket pages? Maybe cards are your thing. It helps to know what you want out of the kit to narrow down your focus.
• Make a list of the kits you are considering. There are dozens out there, so I wrote down a few that I’d heard about and started my research. Not sure where to find them? I Googled “scrapbook kit clubs” as well as asked a couple of fellow scrappers.
• What is the price and commitment? Kit clubs come in several price ranges and length of time you are obligated to receive (and pay for) them. Since it was my first kit and I was concerned about how much of the product I would put to use, I wanted either month-to-month or a short term.
• Check out their past kits. Most of the kit clubs I found still had their past kits for sale or at least photos of them. It’s way too easy to see the latest kit and get excited, but you have to look at several to get an idea of their style and the amount of product they regularly include.
• Visit the kit subscription blogs. Once I had my list, I went to each and every blog. I looked at several of the posts to see how often they post and what sorts of projects they are sharing. I like knowing if I’m short on ideas or if I’m uncertain how to use a product that I have some place to start. Scrapbooking is my main focus, but I also have a traveler’s notebook, a planner, and make cards. As far as I’m concerned, the more variety the better.
• Follow some of their design team. I’m a firm believer that you just can’t get enough inspiration. I think that’s why Instagram has become one of my favorite social media sites. There are few things that make me happier than scrolling through my feed and seeing all those amazing, crafty projects. Once I figured out which kit clubs were in the running, I went to Instagram and followed a few of the design team members. I like seeing what they create and, even if I never subscribe to the kit they design for, you can’t have too much inspiration. Am I right?
• Take a look at their social media accounts. Aside from Instagram, I also scrolled through their Pinterest boards. It’s a quick and easy way to get a feel of the kits and pin some of their projects to refer back to.
• Ask around in forums and groups. Now, here’s the thing. When you throw this question out to the masses, be prepared for all kinds of feedback. Some people love their kits and couldn’t imagine life without them. Others have horror stories about the kit clubs they’ve subscribed to. Take everyone’s opinions with a grain of salt, but if 90% of the people complain about the customer service, you may want to think twice.

I know what you’re thinking. Wow, Adrienne! Don’t you have anything better to do? You sure took this kit club thing pretty seriously. But let’s be honest. It’s not horrible work or anything. And if you’re like me, I spend a lot of my free time, scrolling through Pinterest, Instagram, and my favorite blogs. I just had to be a little more intentional.

So what kit did I choose?

Gossamer Blue! There are a lot of great kits out there, but this one ticked off all of my boxes. A month-to-month subscription, beautiful kits that fit my style, and a killer blog with an amazing design team (Retrohip Mama and Bananafish Studio to name a few). I got my first kit in the mail last week and I was thrilled with the amount of product- puffy stickers, die cuts, enamel dots, the most gorgeous Thickers, and so much more.

I almost immediately sat down and made this layout.

Quick, simple, and fun. Everything you see (with the exception of the photos, of course) is straight from the August Gossamer Blue kit. It’s so nice to spread the supplies out on my table, knowing they will coordinate and give me enough variety to use on all sorts of projects.

Instead of cutting off the branding strip, I cut an equal amount of paper off the top. The background paper is fairly neutral and I like the added pop of color it gives along the bottom. It’s a tip I learned from Nancy Damiano and I need to remember to do this more often.

I fell in love with these Pink Paisley Outfitters dies as soon as I saw them online. Imagine how thrilled I was to get them in my kit. There were several tags in the die cut pack that still had the paper in their top holes, so I added those to the dies cuts. Waste not, want not!

For the journaling, I used one of the tags from the die cut pack. I stamped Raccoon Lake and the date and then hand wrote a quick note about why we love this particular campground so much.

Who doesn’t love a little gold foil? A couple more dies and boom- my title is complete.

Did I mention the puffy stickers? I am loving this trend right now! It reminds me of my childhood and I they have just the right amount of dimension.

It’s only my first kit, but I’m already feeling good about the choice I made. How about you? Are you thinking of joining a kit club? Already a subscriber? Any tips I’m missing when it coming to choosing the right kit?

Related Posts: Scrapbooking with a Small Stash, Product Driven Storytelling, A Multi-Photo Scrapbook Layout