How to Get Started with Scrapbooks

By: jklemin

Scrapbooking is an exciting hobby. Compared to photo albums, scrapbooks are usually made up of more than just pictures but also a collection of keepsakes. There are no real rules in creating scrapbooks since it is left up to ones imagination and fun. You do not have to spend a fortune to commence a scrapbook, recycled materials will suffice. A scrapbook is a good way to preserve memories of a special occasion such as a baby's birth, a reunion, or a farewell party. It could include captions, photos, and many various things.

Creating a scrapbook is also a good way to keep your pics and other mementos. Instead of a messy closet or bins, a scrapbook is easier to work with and can be reviewed by others over again. If this is your attempt creating a scrapbook, following suggestions could be useful.

1. Group your Photos.
Group those that were photographed at the same period together. You might want to group them according to the content of the photographs ie family, school, Christmas celebrations, reunions by year, etc. You could create a new scrapbook for each theme.

2. Assign a theme.
For instance, pick a specific color paper for your child's scrapbook and another color for the scrapbook that houses your kid's birthdays, and so on. Making cover pages for each theme is a great idea. The cover pages don't have to be complex. A simple caption and few designs will do. Aim on making the key pages interesting. It would be better if all your pages follow the same format.

3. Choose a scrapbook to use.
There is a wide variety of scrapbooks available in bookstores and specialty stores. They can be found in a variety of colors, sizes, shapes and materials and the majority of them are easily affordable. If you wish, you could create your own easily. Bind colored papers using a ribbon or a string. The variations are endless.

4. Materials Preparation.
Scrapbooking stores and bookstores sell scrapbooking items. You could use anything to spruce up your pages. Most popular choices include buttons, glitter, ribbons, stamps, and so forth.

5. Use words.
Words are powerful, especially in scrapbooks. Fun descriptions give life to your photos and vitalize the image of fun times. Your descriptions don't need to be perfect. Casual writing will do. Try to make things interesting by using a variety of pens or markers to add color. It's best to allow the "journalist" in you to come out. Capture more than just your photos but also your items, like event tickets, party invitations, etc., as well.

6. Print instead of write.
If you don't think you have great handwriting, utilize a word processing software package to typo our your captions. With your PC, you may want to print various designs on page borders or sticker sheets on your sheets.

7. Mat and crop photographs.
Cropping only entails removing unwanted portions of photos in an effort to create them more exciting or make them work with your scrapbook size. You might want to use scrapbooking scissors to coml in order to separate them into more exciting shapes. Matting, however, helps your photos last longer. Matting tools are readily available in craft stores.