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Photos and pins layed out for a scrapbook.

Cherish Your Memories Through Scrapbooking

How to Make a Scrapbook

Scrapbooking is one of those hobbies that can be a bit challenging but totally worth it. We’re taking the opportunity to gather photos, thoughts and mementos to create a book of memories. And I don't know about you, but that sounds wonderful to me. Don’t know how to make a scrapbook but want to try? We have you covered.

One of the joys of scrapbooking is that there are no rules about what it should look like or what it should contain. It may be focused around a special occasion such as a holiday or wedding, or it may have a broader topic, such as the key events in your grandchild's life. Either way, the scrapbook ideas are totally up to you. You get to choose how you focus and develop your book.

We've come up with some ideas on how to get started, including details of some of the craft supplies you may need and some tips on how to get everything organized.

How to Get Started



While it is really tempting to leap straight in, a little bit of planning will help you to produce a fantastic scrapbook. First off, take a moment to decide the purpose; it might be that you love the craft and design part, or it might be that you want to celebrate family events in a lasting way. For some, it is about preserving history, thinking of how their scrapbooks can be used to share information in the future.

Then, you can move on to choosing the memorabilia and photos which are going to be featured in your scrapbook. So, that might mean digging around in drawers and searching through nooks and crannies of the attic and garage.

Your memorabilia might include airline and theater or concert tickets, postcards from places visited, even keys to the properties that became your home.

Craft Supplies You'll Need

Now that you have all your memorabilia collected, it is time to get yourself equipped to transform them into your scrapbook contents.

If you have not taken a walk through a craft store recently, you may find yourself taken by surprise when you see a whole section dedicated to scrapbooking. As the popularity of the hobby grows, so too does the number of products available for the keen scrapbooker. However, all you need to get started are a few key craft tools and supplies:

  • An album. There are several different album sizes and formats from ones that allow you to add and remove pages as needed through to the traditional bounded book style. For a first time scrapbooker, being able to remove pages that do not quite go to plan or change around their order can be really helpful.
  • Refill pages for your album. If you are going for the refill style, we recommend picking up a few packs of pages when you buy your album. There are so many different sizes that this will save you from having to hunt out the right ones when you need them.
  • A sharp pair of scissors. If your home is anything like ours, scissors are never easy to find when you need them, let alone finding the right ones for the job in hand. Having a dedicated pair just for scrapbooking means they can stay with your other supplies.
  • Glue. There are dozens of different types and brands of adhesives to choose from. We recommend one that is acid-free, which means that it will work well both on card and photos.
  • Cardstock and papers. This is where you can begin to let your creativity run wild! You may decide to have one color theme throughout your scrapbook or go for a multi-color rainbow style. If you visit your local craft store, you will find that you can buy individual sheets of different colored paper.
  • Journal pens. If you plan to handwrite titles and comments, then go for an acid-free pen prevents the ink from breaking down on the page in years to come. Look for a nice fine tip to make it easier to write with.

Tips for Organizing Your Scrapbook

There are no strict rules about how to organize your scrapbook, but some there are some popular styles.

A common style is organizing the scrapbook in chronological order. If mostly scrapbook in time order, then using plastic page protectors can be really helpful with getting everything organized. That's because they allow you to add in pages when you suddenly come across something which needs to fit between existing pages.

Some people also organize by category. Rather than trying to work out a timeline, you can arrange your scrapbook by different categories. It can be by holidays, birthdays, family get-togethers, or even by season. You can decide to have separate albums for each category or choose one which allows you to have tabbed sections.

Another great way to organize scrapbooks is by stages of life. So, this one is a little like the chronological format, but it does not need a strict timeline; instead, the scrapbook tells a story. It might be school days, college years and a wedding.

Get Your Glue and Photos!

As your scrapbook begins to fill, you will be able to see just why so many people talk about the enjoyment of the process, as well as it coming to completion. Having the opportunity to relive the memories and perhaps share them with friends and family can be a wonderful experience.