How to Prepare for a Scrapbook
Creating your first scrapbook can be overwhelming, but with these helpful tips you should be able to turn your scrapbook adventure into a rewarding and fun experience. The wonderful thing about scrapbooking is you can create the scrapbook one page at a time, several pages at once, or the whole scrapbook. It's up to you! When you decide to start on your scrapbook you will have to ask yourself a few questions:
What is the purpose of this album?
Ideas and suggestions:
- Yearbook scrapbook
- Birthday scrapbook
- Family tree scrapbook
- Pet scrapbook
- Vacation scrapbook
- Trip scrapbook
- Diary/Journal scrapbook
- Blank personally embellished scrapbook to be filled out later
What is the story I want to tell (trip, vacation, reunion, birthday, etc.)?:
- Is the scrapbook for myself or someone else?
- What is the timeframe? Will I complete it now, or will I be adding pages later like for a daily, weekly, monthly journal scrapbook?
- What scrapbook supplies will I need?
- Do I want elaborate and expensive or easier and least expensive?
Deciding on the album that is right for you is the first step towards preserving your scrapbook memories. There are hundreds of album sizes, themes, layouts, and styles. A little research beforehand can save you a lot of time. Try going online and checking out some scrapbooking ideas and scrapbooking sites to get suggestions.
You can also create your own by using a binder and scrapbook insert sleeves, which are plastic so they preserve the photos and embellishments. They have the holes already punched to fit into the binder. Then you can decorate the outside of the binder any way you like. Binders and three ring albums make it easier to add more scrapbook pages later if you want to.
You can also create a nice scrapbook using file folders. Adorn the back and front of the file folders, build your scrapbook pages (making sure they are the size of the file folders), and attach the pages to the middle of the file folders using brads, staples, or sewing down the center.
You can take shortcuts when you create your scrapbook that will save you time and money. Take a look around you. Use old cards, ribbon, stickers, tags, pictures from magazines and newspapers, markers/pens/pencils, wrapping paper, bits and pieces of souvenirs and memorabilia (tickets, stubs, napkins, matchbook covers, business cards, etc.). Save time by always having plenty of extra page protectors (scrapbook insert sleeves) on hand.
If you decide on the premade albums, make sure to buy several sheets of the scrapbook paper you are going to use, making sure they are the correct size for the scrapbook album you purchase.
Scrapbook supplies to have ahead of time:
- Adhesive glue - acid free (avoid using water-based glue. This includes Elmer's glue and Rubber cement; both are not acid-free and could damage your photos.)
- Sharp scissors dedicated for scrapbooking
- Acid free scrapbook paper (different styles, patterns, solid colors)
- Pens, markers, crayons
- Embellishments (ribbon, scraps of paper, magazines, newspapers, tags, cards, buttons, etc.)