A scrapbook is one of the most personal ways you can organize your experiences, your memories, and your life. They can be touching gifts and powerful chronicles that surprise your loved ones or adorn your shelves at home. While these memory keepers can be truly beloved treasures, many often perceive them to be complicated, never-ending projects only suitable for those with a lot of spare time on their hands. The reality is that the books can be as easy as you make them.
Have you ever walked into a craft store and been so overwhelmed by all of the products and supplies before you? I encourage you to take a deep breath, and keep it simple. I learned this from my sister who, as a wedding gift, created a scrapbook of the items and mementos that represented that special day and the events leading up to it. The book was a contained story with a start, a finish and a theme to this little piece of my life’s history.
As the Well-Organized Woman, I took inspiration from this wonderful present and hope that you will do the same by following these simple steps.
1. Choose one event or period of time. For example: the first year of your relationship or your child’s life, a wedding or a vacation.
2. Make a list of what you need and stick to it. For example: you’ll need general supplies like scissors, glue and tape, as well as the fun things like stickers, photo corners, creative papers and colorful markers. Go to the craft store and buy only those things. You can always go back.
3. Develop and print the photos (and then some) you want to use ahead of time. If you’re working with a deadline, photo printing and development can take up a lot of precious time, so make this one of your first tasks. It is better to have more photos available than you think you’ll need – you’ll be surprised by the creative ideas that pop up when you get working, so give yourself room to go with it!
4. Dedicate time and make sure you have enough of it. If you are giving a scrapbook as a gift, you’ll need plenty of time to complete it by the day you need to present it. Set aside blocks of quiet time without major interruptions so that your creative juices can flow with the calm you’ll need to glue pictures and mementos in the right places.
5. Keep a box for collecting the items for your scrapbook. If your book will chronicle an entire year, you’ll need a place to keep mementos, photos and other items like movie tickets from your first date. The last thing you want is to tear the house apart to find that one photo or memento you must have for the book from six months ago – it could be anywhere!
By following this well-organized process, you’ll reap rewards in the form of a beautiful and thoughtful scrapbook that will make a loved one’s day. So get creative, and get scrapping!
Good luck and enjoy!
-TWOW
About Claire
Thanks….great article. I have even thought about making just photo books as I am so overrun by scrapbook supplies. Buying just what you need and working one project at a time is an excellent way not to feel overwhelmed. Because I like to do so many different things….I am just buying magazines to fullfill that need without buying all the supplies.