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Who among us does
not have a huge box full of pictures, frames with
several years worth of photos laid over each other
in them, and rolls of film waiting to be
developed? Who doesn’t take stock of all of those
things and first think ‘gosh, I should do
something with these’ and then either forget about
it or get overwhelmed? Pull out those old
pictures, shake off that intimidated feeling and
start a scrapbook!
Scrapbooking is a
fun and easy pastime that will not only help you
get those photos in order, it will yield great
keepsakes to pass on to your children and
grandchildren. So how do you start? Go through all
your photos and pull out your favorites. Take your
time and enjoy this process. Reflect on what was
going on when the photos were taken. Note dates,
places, people and remarkable moments, especially
if they happened just before or just after the
picture was snapped. Then group them into themes:
special events, sports and hobbies, vacation and
travel, your kids as they grow, even years or
decades. Once you decide how you want to present
your photos, you have passed the greatest hurdle.
Your next step is
to pick out a scrapbook that fits your needs. Big
or small? Post bound or three ring binder? Colored
cover or white? If you intend to give your
scrapbook as a gift or leave it to your children,
you may want to spend a few extra dollars on a
higher quality book. Also, if you have an on-going
theme, like your child’s school years, you should
seriously consider purchasing a book in a common
size so that it is easy to find page refills when
you need them. Make sure the book you choose is
acid-free and archive safe. These two qualities
will help extend the life of your scrapbook and
the photos you put in it.
I’ve Selected My Photos, I Found a Scrapbook, Now
What?
Now it's time to
get creative! Select the photos you want to group
together. Pick a color scheme; a good rule of
thumb is to select colors that complement those in
your photos. You don’t have to pick a color from
the central element of the photo. If there is a
color you like in the background, you can use it
instead.
Next you want to determine your layout. There are
several ways to do this: draw a sketch, move your
elements around on the page until you find the
placement you like or create a mock up. No matter
what you do, don’t limit yourself and don’t use
adhesive! Wait to secure your items to the page
until you are certain where you want them.
Add Some Flavor to Your Page
Of course your
photos are enough to liven up any scrapbook page,
however, there’s usually extra space to fill.
What’s a scrapper to do? Embellish! If you do just
about any other type of craft chances are you have
some great supplies on hand to help dress up your
pages.
Rubber stamps are
the perfect place to start. Background stamps can
be used to create unique papers for your page, or
even frames for your pictures. And while we’re
talking about frames, don’t forget about your
cartouche stamps! If you can, crop your image so
that it fits inside the cartouche. Stamp the
cartouche on your page or a decorative paper and
then adhere your image in the center. This will
make your photos pop out and make your page more
interesting.
 Are you working on
a themed page? Alphabet stamps and expression
stamps are a fun and easy way to set the tone. Use
them to spell out names, write funky captions,
title your pages or even to create a background.
A 3-D effect can
be a unique touch for your scrapbook. Found items
like charms, old coins, keys and tags call be
incorporated into your design. Another way to
bring some dimension to your pages is with brass
stencils. They offer a subtle and elegant way to
highlight the different areas of your page.
Stickers, rub-on
transfers, vellum and shaker boxes are also
wonderful ways to embellish scrapbook pages.
Judge a Book
by Its Cover
Don’t be afraid to
decorate the cover of your scrapbook. Not only is
this is another unique way to present your
memorabilia, it can provide some important
information! Aside from being pretty or fun,
scrapbook covers can also tell you the theme, time
frame and people depicted inside. This may not
seem important as you create your pages, but keep
it in mind when you complete your book. Other
people who stumble across your scrapbook will be
all the more enchanted when they can get an idea
of your book’s contents from the cover.
More than Pictures
A scrapbook is
more than just candid moments caught on film. It
tells a story. And while your pictures may tell
most of the story, they may not cover it all. At
the very least you should cover the basics: who,
what, when, where, why and how.
If your lay-outs
don’t leave much room for copy, it’s okay.
Depending on your subject matter brevity can be an
advantage. In cases like these you can create
bulleted lists, use short captions or just
sprinkle memorable quotes and phrases around the
page.
Whether you only
include a sentence or two or an entire supporting
page to tell the stories of your photos remember
one thing: be honest. The picture may show a young
child with a gap-toothed smile, but how did that
smile come about? Was it when they lost their
first teeth? Or did they fall off their bike the
first time they rode on two wheels? Some of the
stories we enjoy telling the most involve stubborn
children, untrained animals and big messes. Don’t
leave them out of your scrapbook or censor them.
If a story is fun to relate verbally, it will be a
fun story for your scrapbook.
Fun for the Whole
Family
Scrapbooking will
give you a chance to unearth all of those amazing old
photos and relive some fantastic moments. Whether
you scrapbook on your own, in your spare time, or
with friends and family, your creations can be
enjoyed by anyone who sees them. So get creative,
incorporate all of your favorite things and dig
in!
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