How to Start a Scrapbook

Make the cover any way you likeIf you have a lot of pictures and mementos just stashed away in a box on your shelf, then it is time to check them out. These pictures usually reflect your hobbies, your youth, vacations, or photos of loved ones. It is time to get the boxes down from the shelf, and create a scrapbook !

Steps:

Organize the photos and mementos. A scrapbook can contain pictures, movie tickets, programs, anything that will lay flat when the book is closed.

Separate by date, or vacation site, or holidays, depending on the photos found.

Count them to see how many you have in order to determine the size of the book you will need to buy.

It is so much fun to look at the bookBuy a scrapbook based on your theme, or just a regular inexpensive one, and mark it to reflect the theme. You will need stamps, cut-outs, stickers, scissors and glue. Construction paper is colorful and often cheaper than "specialty" papers made especially for scrapbooks.

When you get ready to begin, carefully measure and "plan" each page before you start gluing. You can write your plan down on a piece of paper, so you will not forget how you want to layout each page.



Tips:

Some craft stores sell scrapbook-making kits to help you get started. If this is your first time making a scrapbook, this may be the way to go.

Scrapbooks can be found in various styles and colors at most stores, Supermarkets, craft stores and online stores
As you get more acquainted with scrapbooks, you will want tools that save you time and frustration. Two very
useful tools are the Xacto knife and a pair of tweezers.

Using 'other' crafts like little leaves, creative paper and pop up sticky can really enhance your photos.

Make one photo the stand out photo that grabs your attention.

Add some writing, especially dates and a BIG heading.

Acid-free and lignin free products can keep your pictures from turning yellow.



Warnings!

Scrapbooks can be addictive. Once you make one, you will want to make more. The more you make, the more items you will want to put on the pages for decoration and detail. Have fun, enjoy and show your "books" to anyone who wants to see them.

Be careful you don't the cut the only copies of your family photos. You can get color prints of them instead.

If you are using the only copy of family photos get another print made of it. It costs a bit more than colour copies -but photos can be made from originals and look the same.



Things You'll Need:

Scrapbooks
Photographs, memento items
Scissors, glue, stamps, decorative stickers
Anything else that you would like to see on the page