Scrapbooking is a full-fledged art form. The difference between a good scrapbook and a bad scrapbook is like the difference between a stick figure drawing and the Mona Lisa. Scrapbooks are fun, awesome to share, and a great way to stay engaged with your favorite photos and memories. They can also be intimidating if you don’t know where to start. Not to worry, that’s what we’re here for. We’ll get you building awesome scrapbooks in no time.
Step 1: Organize Your Photos - Before you can get started on any scrapbooking, you have to know what’s going to go in it! Get your old photos out, and get them in order! It’ll make everything way easier later on.
Step 2: Send Photos Off to be Digitized - You won’t see this tip anywhere else, but you’ll be glad if you heed our words. Get your photos digitized before you cut them up and glue them onto scrapbook pages! It’ll preserve the originals before you alter them, plus it’ll also make valuable backups that you can share with friends and family on social media and email.
Step 3: Get Inspired! - Unless you’re a natural-born scrapbooker, you probably don’t know where to start, what scrapbooks can be, or maybe what a scrapbook actually is. Google is a good start, but Pinterest is where the true scrapbook gurus live. Browse around and get some inspiration while your photos are getting digitized!
Step 4: Decide on a Theme - What’s your scrapbook about? Is it for your oldest kid’s karate career? Your youngest’s first science fair? Think about what you’re preserving so that you can come up with a theme!
Step 5: Gather Your Materials - Once you have your theme picked out, you can get your materials. Construction paper, scissors, paper, and more, you’ll need all sorts of things to make your scrapbook perfect. Make a list and head to your favorite craft store!
Step 6: Practice - If you’d never built anything out of wood before, you probably wouldn’t expect to be able to build this on your first try. Get familiar with your materials. Practice gluing, cutting, drawing, and pinning. It’ll make things way better once you get to the actual scrapbooking.
Step 7: Design Your Scrapbook - Now is when the fun starts! Plan out your pages, and get them ready. Lay out each page how you want them, and visualize how you can arrange them. This is where your scrapbook really starts to take off.
Step 8: Build the Pages - Once everything’s laid out, you can start the crafting! Cut your pictures, shape the construction paper, and sprinkle on the accoutrements; glue the knick knacks and add some glitter; layer up the colors and make things pop! Bring your pages to life!
Step 9: Assemble the Book - Books are made out of pages, and a scrapbook isn’t any different. Once your pages are dried out, glued up, and looking like you want them, put them in your scrapbook. Top it all off with a fancy cover, and your scrapbook is about done!
Step 10: Show it Off! - What good is a scrapbook if no one sees it? I’ll answer that question for you. It wouldn’t be useful at all. Share your scrapbook with everyone! Take pictures and show it off on Instagram or Facebook. Create a new pin on Pinterest and show off your ideas and add to the community. Take it to parties. The list is practically endless, but you should be proud of what you made!
Bonus Step 11: Repeat
If you follow these steps, you’ll be on the road to making awesome scrapbooks in no time. Don’t forget that you don’t have to do any of this alone! In fact, scrapbooking can be a great family activity where everyone participates in bringing your memories back to life! Anyway, what good are memories if you’re not sharing them?
