A scrapbook is a creative way to preserve and share memories. It includes photos, mementos and journaling.
Start with a theme for your album. For example, your baby’s first year or a family vacation.
You will need basic supplies such as paper or cardstock, photo corner mounts, scissors, art pens, archival glues and embellishments.
Theme
Theme-based scrapbooking allows for the easy creation of a consistent look and feel to a completed album. Choose a theme, such as a family trip or a baby’s first year and build your pages around the photos, mementos and journaling that support it.
Matting photos on your scrapbook pages can add a layer of depth and interest to them. Mats can also draw the eye to your photo and highlight your design theme. Experiment with a variety of mat shapes and sizes such as circles, scallops and even diamonds to create an interesting layout.
Using envelopes on your scrapbook pages is a great way to hold and display mementos such as tickets, coins or postcards without gluing them permanently to the page. You can even use them to store photos, notes and other items for later scrapbooking.
Photos
Photos are the heart of any scrapbook, and they can be a creative source of inspiration. When selecting photographs, look for clear, high-resolution images and avoid those with distracting elements.
Consider matting your photographs. This adds a pop of color, draws attention to the focal photo and provides a sturdy base for other embellishments. Mats can be made of solid and patterned card stock, paper or fabric. Look for coordinating colors and patterns that complement your photographs.
Leave space for captions next to each photograph. Captions are short descriptions that help the viewer understand the significance of the photograph and can include dates, locations and people in it. Write your captions and journaling with a no-bleed pen, such as an extra-fine tip permanent marker or pigment ink scrapbooking pen.
Journaling
Journaling is a key component in many scrapbooks. It can describe events, explain photographs, or relate feelings and emotions. Some scrappers prefer handwriting their journaling, believing that it is more valuable for posterity, while others prefer computer-generated text.
Some people even add poems, quotations or song lyrics to their journaling. This is a great way to express creativity and make the pages more interesting.
It is a good idea to get the thoughts of others for your journaling when possible. Ask a friend or family member to tell you what they remember about the event, and write those memories down on your page. Adding another person’s perspective will bring a deeper sense of connection to your journaling. You can also use interviewing techniques such as the timeless five Ws – who, what, where, when and why.
Paper
Many scrapbookers use decorative papers to frame photos and add design to the pages. They also use patterned paper to enhance the theme of a page and to help highlight mementos such as ticket stubs or postcards.
Some scrapbook paper is reversible and features a different pattern on the back that coordinates with the front side. This can be a cost-effective way to create a full paper packet of coordinating colors.
It is important for the scrapbooker to use acid-free and lignin-free paper to prevent yellowing over time. A quality pair of scissors is also a necessity for scrapbooking, along with glue and other adhesives such as liquid or foam. It is also important to have pens that are fade proof and non-bleeding. These pens are available at most scrapbook stores in the craft section.
Embellishments
Adding embellishments to a scrapbook adds depth and texture to the pages. Almost anything can be used as an embellishment as long as it has significance for the page theme. Embellishments might include patterned paper, ephemera, chipboard pieces, stickers, ribbons, sequins and beads.
Using pressed flowers, a popular form of scrapbooking embellishments, is another way to add beauty to a page. You can use them as a border or create a flower cluster. Ribbon and twine are useful as well for creating borders or tying bows around photos.
Alphabet stickers are also a staple of scrapbooking. They’re easy to find and come in a variety of colors and fonts. Pastels are a versatile type of scrapbooking embellishment and can be used to shade in rubber stamps or change the color of stickers, die cuts and papers.
