Luisa’s Scrapbooking IdeasCapture Family Memories With Fun Scrapbooking Ideas

Over the years you have put together heaps of snapshots of yourself, family, friends, places you’ve been and all sorts of memories. At this point you have a huge drawer loaded with of your most prized collection, but how are you going to organize it?

The answer is simple: it’s time you make your own scrapbook.

The process of creating a scrapbook is not as simple as it may seem, though. For beginners making a scrapbook can actually be very intimidating. Some people even give up on the first try and opt to purchase pre-made scrapbooks online. The point, however, can be easily missed when you choose to use other people’s ideas. Will a pre-made scrapbook do justice to the memories you have collected and cherished for many years?

Scrapbooking is the art of telling your life’s story through your photographs and memorabilia. No one else can tell your story better than you do. Although scrapbooking may be complicated, the key is to know exactly what to do. Here is an easy step-by-step guide to help beginners make their very first scrapbook.

Decide on the subject of the scrapbook

Before putting your pictures together, it is very important you have decided on the subject matter of your scrapbook. Like any other storybook, your scrapbook should have a theme. This theme could revolve around a particular person, a particular place, or a specific period in your life. Please do not make an autobiography of your scrapbook. You cannot fit all your photos in one book. Remember your life is made up of many short stories, and you should be able create a scrapbook for each one.

Select the photos you are going to use

Select your photos based on a theme or occasion. You do not have to use all the photos you have taken on one particular occasion for the scrapbook you are creating. Remember that some of those photos might make more sense if they find themselves in another scrapbook you might make later on a different theme. For example, if you see yourself getting married someday, you might want to reserve some of your special photos for your pre-nuptial album. They might mean more if they are first seen there.

Always sort your pictures into different categories related to your theme. A single page of a regular-sized scrapbook can usually fit between four and six photos. By narrowing down your theme into different categories, you are able to create a single theme for the layout of each page of your scrapbook.

Chose the colors and pattern design for your scrapbook

The colors you use for your scrapbook are your personal choice. It is important, however, that you choose colors that complement the photos you have selected. If most of your photos are dark, it would probably be best to use a color that would allow those photos to stand out.

A great scrapbook page includes about two to three colors. Make sure, though, that these colors blend together well. To make the scrapbook album as visually interesting as possible, you can play with the mix of busy patterns and textured solids. It is advisable, though, not to overdo the pattern design in order not to draw away the emphasis you want to give to your photos. Remember, the color scheme and pattern designs should work together to make the photos stand out.

Visualize the overall layout of your photos.

Make sure you have chosen the photos you want to appear on the center of the pages of your scrapbook. From here, try to conceive of where to place the rest of the pictures you have assigned to each page. If you are to add a narrative to your page, also think of the best place to set it. If you are sure that some photos should definitely appear on one page but the sizes do not fit perfectly well, do not be afraid to crop. Cropping can bring out your creative ideas better and eliminate unnecessary background or even unwanted faces in your photos.

Mat your photos.

Photo matting is an easy step to make your pictures stand out. It is advisable to use neutral colors like black, white or beige to mat your photos, as these colors don’t clash with the pattern and the other colors you have chosen.

Journaling your scrapbook.

Although it is not often necessary, journaling can bring meaning to the pages of a scrapbook. Written words can bring out the emotions of the pictures and let the story unfold. Again, however, do not overdo journaling. Remember that a scrapbook is not a storybook. Your photos should be able to speak for themselves if you arrange them correctly.

Final Advice.

When placing the photos in your scrapbook, be easy with the adhesive. It has been advised to use adhesive only on the corners of the photos so if you change your mind they can come out easily. Your photos are precious, but glue can easily ruin them.

Don’t forget to gather all your scrapbooking supplies before you start this project, so you don’t have to stop and interrupt your creative thoughts!

It doesn’t matter if you are looking or if you have already started researching beginner scrapbooking, there are many ways that you can learn tips from visiting scrapbooking websites.I had a difficult time thinking of nice looking scrapbook page layouts and theme ideas, when I started out scrapbooking.  It seemed like everything I put together just didn’t look right to me.  It was not until I started looking at scrapbooks created by others when I started really appreciating the pages I created.  Believe it or not, you will find many layouts that will show you what you want in your own scrapbooks but you will also find layouts that will show you what you do not want.Taking a look at other peoples designs on scrapbooking websites is a great way to get great ideas for layouts.  You do not have to come up with an original design in order to be satisfied with your scrapbook.  Just think about it, no matter what, the photos are yours and you can change up the colors and everything.  The scrapbook is still your creation even if you gained ideas from the works of other people.  Some of the best ideas will be thought of while looking at a scrapbook designed by another artist.  It is just like with a artist who paints landscapes.  They have admired many landscapes in their life and even if they do not look at another painting or a live landscape, they still have images in their head from their past.  Using this same method will help you in designing great scrapbook pages in the future.

After you have viewed the work of many other artist, it is time for you to set out on your own to make your own creation.  Select a theme, then select the photos you will use.  After this you need to take a trip to your local scrapbooking store to begin getting supplies.  The list below is the basics when getting started and it will help you when shopping on your first trip.

1. Scrapbook Album
2. Scrapbook Embellishments
3. Scissors
4. Pens
5. Scrapbooking Paper *ACID FREE*  (Choose your colors carefully or choose an assorted package)
6. Adhesives

So, take a tour of many scrapbooking websites to get ideas and then head out to your local scrapbook store to get your supplies.  If you would like to gain experience and share time with others who love scrapbooking, you may want to go to a scrapbook crop near you.  I just love scrapbooking crops and all of the events that involve others.  There are so many great people involved in the scrapbooking hobby and you can make some great friends while working on your scrapbooks.  It is also a great way to learn tips and techniques.  Many of the events will have products for you to use to where you will not have to purchase the expensice equipment like the Cricut.

Until Next Time Happy Scrappin,

Teresa Surrency

Maybe you’re new to scrapbooking but the idea intrigues you. Have you heard other people talking about it or maybe you even know someone who does it? Before you can make a decision about scrapbooking for yourself, you need to fully understand what it is and what it means for you.

Basically, scrapbooking is the process of creating unique and personalized scrapbooks of photos and other memories so that they are preserved throughout time. The albums start out as a plain book and you can then add pictures, tokens, quotes, annotations and more to help you remember the events of that scrapbook.

Sometimes there are scrapbooking themes such as “Disneyland 2006″ or “Baby’s First Birthday Scrapbook”. Sometimes they are not of one event alone but instead of commemorating a period in time, such as your childhood or your wedding. You can design any theme or outline you want on your scrapbook pages, including paper cut outs or stickers and trimmings.

There are also good craft shops and stores where you can get your supplies to create your scrapbooks. You can find stencils, pens and markers, paper, cut outs, photo corners, adhesives, pages and backgrounds, special glitters and glue and much more.

Another special part of scrapbooking is that you can collect your own trimmings and items which have sentimental value to go into the scrapbook. This might include small seashells from your trip to the beach or even some sand in a little baggie or a movie ticket or show ticket from a special event or signature napkin from a special restaurant or event.

All of these little items can be added to a scrapbook to make it more personalized to you and your special event or memories that you want to hold on to. Scrapbooking is a completely personal activity and there are no right or wrong ways to do it, although there are some basic guidelines that most people try to stick to when they do it. There are also some things you should do and certain materials you should use if you want to preserve your scrapbook for a long time to come.

There is also something today called digital scrapbooking. Our technology has advanced in such a way that this is a new alternative option for people who love to scrapbook and who want to preserve their memories for a long time to come. These digital scrapbooks are kept online or on CDs that friends and family can share with one another.