How to Start Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is a good idea to organize your most precious photos in a comely way. They are awesome to share your memories, have fun and a great way to stay engaged with your favorite photos[1]. You can confine a small space into a more usable and creative workspace. Scrapbooks can hold everything from crinkled letters to a punched train ticket, recipe card, or a candid shot of a loved one we wouldn’t dare to lose. This nostalgic link can drag you to the past in no time, But if you don’t know where to start it can also be daunting.
Here are some easy steps that can help you make a scrapbook;
1. Pick Out Your Book
Firstly you need to choose a scrapbook. There are a variety of scrapbooks available that you can buy either online or from your nearest craft store. The most important thing that you need to find first is what you are scrapbooking. If you want to create a ‘project life,’ a 6/8 inch scrapbook is a good option. A newer way is to use a traveler’s notebook (8/8inches). Another popular way that is used is planners, it’s a binder that is easy to use and has pockets that can hold much of your recollections.
2. Organize Your Photos
One of the exciting parts of scrapbooking is selecting photos. Search photos in all those places where you can find old photos. For example, check inside your closet, into your desk drawers, cupboards and. Now get them in order! It’ll make everything way easier later on.
3. Gather Supplies
You can save your money if you just go with this easy tip! Check around the house for supplies that you might already have, such as glue sticks, scissors, a ruler, paper trimmer and permanent markers.[2] If it’s your first time making a scrapbook you might get tempted by all attractive things in the craft store, so make a list of what you need to buy. Your list should include;
- Photo album
- Page protectors
- Scrapbook paper
- Card stock(Journaling Cards)
- Adhesive
- Embellishments (i.e. puffy stickers, alphabets, cut-outs)
- Markers
4. Decide on a Theme
What’s your scrapbook about? Is it for your child’s first birthday? Or Christmas? It can be a birthday party, an event, a tour or a key sporting event.[3] Think about what you’re preserving so that you can come up with a theme! Choose pictures that tell a story, for example, if you’re creating a baby album, include minor details like hands or, OMG, those tiny little feet!
5. Find inspiration
You can find tons of scrapbook inspiration on Pinterest. Instagram is the other option you can use and get inspired by those eye-catching ideas. Search it out and gather different patterns!
6. Get Crafty With Your Pictures
Get creative with your images, don’t hesitate to cut them down in different shapes. Make a paper frame for your image from colored sheets and funky prints to give your page some character.[4]
7. Design Your Scrapbook
Be ready for the fun part now! Design your pages, and get them ready. Layout each page how you want them, and visualize how you can arrange them. This is where your scrapbook really starts to take off. Try to use acid-free products that are designed to last longer, because these will preserve your pages.
The first page of your album will be the title page. You will definitely want an extraordinary title page, for that purpose you might want to do this page last so that the title and content may correlate. You can just choose some photos -arrange them and look for the pattern you like. Embellish the photo frame with stickers, confetti, die-cuts, and other small items, but be careful to not overdo it.
8. Assemble the scrapbook
Once pages are dried out, glued up, embellished it’s time to assemble your work. Put your pages in your scrapbook.
9. Protect Your Memories
This is the last step in completing your scrapbook. Now that your beautiful pages have been created, it’s time to protect the scrapbook! Just add a protective sheet, your images will not be damaged.
Share your scrapbook with friends and family. What good are memories if you’re not sharing them? You don’t need to hide precious moments that carry so much joy in your life. There are some little moments in life that need to be paid homage in print.
Bibliography
1. Roemer. “How to Scrapbook like a Pro.” Southtree. July 17, 2019. https://southtree.com/blogs/artifact/how-to-scrapbook-like-a-pro.
“2. Learn How To Start Scrapbooking: Tutorials, Tips & Guides Online.” Scrapbooking. https://scrapbookingcoach.com/the-ultimate-learn-to-scrapbook-guide-for-beginners/.
3. Burr, Shelby. “How to Scrapbook Like a Pro in 10 Easy Steps.” Legacybox. July 17, 2019. https://legacybox.com/blogs/analog/scrapbook-pro-10-easy-steps.
4. Wines-Reed, Jeanne, Jeanne Wines-Reed, and Great American Scrapbook Company. “How to Start a Scrapbook.” Dummies. https://www.dummies.com/crafts/scrapbooking/how-to-start-a-scrapbook/.