Scrapbooking Products: Stuffs that will get you started.

Scrapbooking Products: Stuffs that will get you started.

Do you love to take pictures? Are you a camera bug? Do you intend to capture the memories of all the important events in your life? If you are, then good for you. So where do you keep all those photos? Do you love scrapbooking? Well, the better! Keeping them in the most traditional albums can be duller. Why not put on something which is much fun and artistic?

One of the most popular uses of scrapbooks is the preservation of the cherished memories in one’s life. Pictures ultimately provide memories which you can cherish for a lifetime. Cameras are no doubt experts in capturing the moments which you would never fail savoring all through the years of your life. At times like these, scrapbooking will be an avenue to keep these memories alive and kicking.

Going Online Shopping

When you have the thought of scrapbooking, you will need scrapbooking products so you can readily start up with your venture. Scrapbooking products range in a variety of kinds and brand names. Their availability is not a thing to be worried about. In the local arts and crafts shops located within your area comes a bunch of scrapbooking supplies from where you can lavishly choose from. Now if you want a hassle-free shopping, why not go online?

For a serious scrapbooker like you, finding the scrapbooking supplies which you need and want is not a problem at all. If you want to be rid of all the inconveniences of going from one store to another, you can always check out the scrapbooking supplies made available online. Online shopping is very easy, convenient, and affordable too.

There are bunches of websites that host scrapbooking products within their midst and all you have to do is track and surf them. For sure you will enjoy doing that. Furthermore, right within the confines of your home, you can shop for the best scrapbooking supplies that you need without the worry of getting overly stressed from the visits to various arts and crafts shops.

The Must-Have Scrapbooking Products

So what do you need to get started with your project? Check out the simple list below.

The Album. Choose the right size of the scrapbooking album which you will be using. Also take note of the color details that will add more of an artistic and personal touch to it.

The Refill Pages for the Album. The refills for the album do not come available in one standard size. It is only proper that you first buy the album so as to know what size will be right for the refill pages that you will purchase.

A Good Pair of Scissors. The scissors that you must use should be sharp and the handles should be comfortable in your hands. Make sure that they don’t hurt you or else your cut outs will not turn out to be right.

Some Adhesives. There are obviously different kinds of adhesives which you can buy from the educational supplies. For a scrapbook, the acid-free adhesive is very much advisable. They work well both on photos and cardstocks.

The Printed Papers and Cardstocks. The printed papers that you will choose must complement the photos that you will include. They should be able to provide accent in the overall appearance of the scrapbook.

The Journal Pens. The pen that you will make use of must be acid-free, with fine tips, and permanent. It would not be good to look at pens with ink that smudges.

Now these are the basic and essential scrapbooking products which must not be left out in your shopping. But then if your budget allows you, you can always add more. Ribbons, glitters, sequins, stones, and many more items which you think will serve as great embellishments can be included in your list. You may also add some more items such as the die cut machine, set of journaling pens in various colors, oval or circle cutter, and so on.

Actually, the ideas presented online can help you a lot in your scrapbooking venture. You always have a choice when it comes to design, color schemes, and layouts. The more artistic you get... the better. Good luck then!

Different Scrapbooking Tools You Need

Different Scrapbooking Tools You Need

Scrapbooking can be a very challenging task for the beginner. For one thing, you need creativity in order to create a beautiful work of art. You also need to think up a distinct theme which forms the backbone of the scrapbook. The items you put inside the scrapbook should also be arranged in such a manner that their significance is unmistakable. With all these complexities, many people would be hard-pressed to complete a scrapbook without the proper tools.

So what tools would you actually need to put a scrapbook together?

1) Scissors – Everyone knows what scissors are, right? Well, here is a metaphor for the scissors in scrapbooking. Scissors are like bringers of order. Scissors shape the little bits of paper into forms that you can use in your scrapbook. This scrapbooking tool is very important in making pieces fit together. Some people may refuse to cut the pieces of paper, but only through this, can the scrapbook be completed.

In that sense, a pair of scissors can symbolize the truth. Why, you ask? Well, the truth hurts. But it has to hurt, doesn’t it? It has to hurt if it is to set you free.

There are two distinctive types of scissors you can use as scrapbooking tools:

a) Conventional paper-cutting scissors – These scissors are made to cut and to cut straight. This is the type of scissors people encounter from the very beginning of their childhood. You need to be able to trust your scissors to cut straight, because it just looks ugly if you unintentionally use dull scissors and mess up the cut of the paper.

b) Crafting scissors – This type of scissors can be bought at different art supply shops. These scissors are distinctively shaped in order to produce different types of cuts. Using this scrapbooking tool can be a whole lot more convenient than trying to follow a pattern using straight-cutting scissors. You see, using conventional scissors can give you carpal tunnel because of the stress your fingers will be taking. And that’s not good at all, is it?

2) Puncher – This nifty scrapbooking tool is used mainly to punch holes into paper. There are, once again, two types of punchers available out there:

a) Conventional – This type of puncher produces round holes. Funnily enough, this type of puncher was not designed as a scrapbooking tool, but as an office supply. For those of today’s generation, files are known as the thing you keep documents in your computer. However, for other people, files consist of important papers and documents which are organized together. Punchers were used to put holes into those documents in order to accommodate a fastener.

However, punchers are now used today to make perfect circles on scrapbooking pages.
b) Shaped – This type of puncher, pretty much works in the same manner as the conventional puncher. However, the edges of the punching mechanism take different shapes in order to accommodate your crafting needs. This scrapbooking tool is used to make different shaped holes in the pages of the scrapbook.

3) Tweezers – Tweezers are often used as scrapbooking tools in order to enable the crafter to put in a design or to glue in a bit of paper neatly. You see, when making a scrapbook, you will be working with different materials together with a lot of glue. Because of this, there is a high risk of you smudging the different pictures of the scrapbook. Tweezers are excellent scrapbooking tools to maintain the cleanliness of your handiwork.

4) Computer – This can be an excellent scrapbooking tool because of the fact that it can do a variety of things. On the computer, you can do research on what scrapbooking theme to use. This means you are given more resources on the varieties of different themes and the ways you can incorporate them in your scrapbook. You can also use the computer to get more images to put in your scrapbook. By using the computer, you get all the advantage of modern technology and can therefore, make your scrapbook into anything you like.

Scrapbooking tools allow people to have an easier time crafting their handiwork. However, you should remember that sometimes. Mistakes actually make a scrapbook more personal. Mistakes show the human side of you. Like the memories you show on a scrapbook, the making of it should not necessarily be perfect, but it should be fun.

Why not Lean on Scrapbooking Websites

Why not Lean on Scrapbooking Websites

So you’ve gotten married and you hover at all those pictures. Finally you spot some poses and memories which you intend to set apart from the rest. Keeping them in the traditional album would not necessarily give them the touch they need. So why not try doing a scrapbook of those photos? Certainly, it will be all worth it.

When the idea of scrapbooking has hit your thoughts, you tend to look over several sources such as magazines, print ads, newspapers, journals, and of course some internet websites. These sources nevertheless give you a clear picture of what your finished product will exactly reflect about.

They also provide you with insights on how to start your project, what materials will be worthy to use, and how to go on with the steps of scrapbooking. You may have also heard of your friends talking about what they do with their scrapbooks or the photographer during your wedding had talked about keeping these photos in such an impressive manner. In this case, you might want to explore the thing for yourself.

You may not be a professional photographer and it may be your first time to deal with scrapbooking. Are you a little afraid? Better not be. There are a lot of scrapbooking websites that can help you out with your plan. So what will really add flavor to your scrapbook? What things will accentuate your photos? How will you deal with the steps of creating a scrapbook?

Getting Started

Thinking about how you would start can go on for days. After all, the hardest part in scrapbooking is conceptualizing the layout and the design that you prefer to employ. But then after such considerations have finally been thought of, you can now go forward into thinking about the scrapbook products which you will utilize. In all of these dilemmas, the scrapbooking websites that you will consult can provide you with the most needed help and advices you seek.

Behind a greatly made scrapbook is the load of quintessential scrapbooking supplies which have been artistically mixed and matched. Without these scrapbooking supplies, there will be nothing to cherish in a scrapbook, so to speak. Personally, the scrapbooking supplies which are sold by many online stores can take your breath away. They come available in several colors, designs, shapes and sizes of many kinds. When scrapbooking is all you’ve got in mind, you simply have to choose and decide on which scrapbooking supplies to make use of. After all, it is only you who know what kind of output you expect.

So the theme of your scrapbook will be your wedding day. Choose the colors that will suit your theme and the clothing posed by the people in the pictures. The combination of all the colors of the material must complement the colors contained in the photos.

The most basic colors that suit the wedding theme will be gold, silver, and white. But of course you can always change them as you prefer it. After dealing with the colors, get it on with the content. In the very first page you can paste the wedding invitation so that the storytelling can be started with. The rest of the photos will follow in the succeeding pages.

Remember to make use of appealing borders and embellishments. However, the scrapbook may or may not contain all those wedding pictures. You can just choose which you would like to include. But then an exception comes in when you prefer the wedding memorabilia to be presented in a scrapbook manner.

Scrapbooking Websites in Action

Online surfing for scrapbooking ideas is a very much acclaimed step by many people. By simply visiting scrapbooking websites, you will come across with the bunch of ready-made layouts and sample of contents for your scrapbook. You may likewise print them is the scrapbooking website allow it. If you know how to maximize the capacity of your computer and your internet, you surely can find hundreds of valuable ideas from scrapbooking websites. After all, they serve such purpose.

Scrapbooking websites are also tutorial websites that instruct you about which materials can be easily crafted into a great scrapbook product, what simple steps may be followed by beginners, what designs would be trendy, and many more.

Thinking that scrapbooking is a stuff for the amateurs?

Add Some New Touch to Your Album, Try Using Scrapbooking Charms . Thinking that scrapbooking is a stuff for the amateurs? Well, this time think again.

It takes so much creativity before a theme is produced. For sure, we are not the only ones who sat on the layout with a blank look. In fact, many scrappers experience that. These may be the days when no inspiration comes into mind. This is when inspiration seems to have dried down and concepts don't even pass your thoughts.

Well, there of course are many choices for you to resolve this. One, you can stop trying for sometime and go back to your project sometime later. This will provide "rest" for your mind. Don't do anything that you may associate with scrapbooking and don't even attempt to look at the materials. However, you may always go back to your works and see what you can do next. Afterwhich, you will be surprised at how many ideas would roll once you sit on your working area again.

The second would be to continue trying until a spark of inspiration comes in. This happen often, especially when you set your thoughts free. Who knows how much work will be done after you poured all your imagination on a page.

The bottom line is, there will always come a period when you become so drained and following after is the spread of inspiration.

When this time comes, try to imagine newer ideas. Then once you are done with your evaluation, you will see that in your past works have some flaws in them. Or if you are a beginner, the works of other people may have lacked something or provides an idea with the extra pop.

Your new layout theme screams for something cool, for something that is beyond papers, photos and markers. Probably, the album you are about to start requires embellishments, charms perhaps.

Indeed, scrapbooking has matured since your first trials on the filed during your grade school days. Many of the techniques, methods and materials used have all developed substantially that you can actually put all things that you want in an album, but of course with careful planning.

Because the plethora of scrapbooking materials have evolved dramatically during the past years, it is easier for us to use anything and everything in making masterpieces.

You may have tried using stick-ons, peel-offs and rub-offs. They all allow creative concepts, which are rather common. Or say glitters and chalk powder for added dimension and effects.

Charms are one of the many favorites among scrappers. Well they maybe the charms that you've been given since you were a kid or the charms you have bought some years back. Any of these two revolve around memories and that exactly what scrapbooks contain. They preserve memories of youth, of events or of things that are nearest to your heart. They are like memory keepers that you would one day visit.

Not all of us have these tokens though. Good thing, charms for scrapbooking are available in many local scrapbooking shops in wide array of pre-packaged designs, types and assortments. They are of course easy to find. Most craft stores have them and its just a matter of choosing the charms that you want to see a few years from now or choosing what you think will best fit your concepts.

Unlike bottle caps and a number of in the industry, charms will always provide the assurance that you get the worth of what you bought. There are certainly simple choices that would provide plain and basic designs that give you the advantage of manipulating them towards the goal you desire. And there are those that are intricately made that their mere presence in your album would be enough to consider them as parts of your memories. After all, charms have that touch of uniqueness that may never be had with ribbons, fabrics and bottle caps.

Charms are normally mounted on cardstocks, papers or on any mediums you use as your foundation for scrapbooking. Ensure though that when using charms, you are also equipped with strong adhesives and glues to assure better hold.

If you are not comfortable with this, you can try an alternative that is rather "cute". Turn your charms into danglies. Not only that they are fun to do, they also create less bulky pages.

How to Lengthen the Lifespan of Your Scrapbooking Albums

How to Lengthen the Lifespan of Your Scrapbooking Albums

Among the major materials that you would need to deal with in the scrapbooking world are the albums. They are in fact, the body that builds the bulk of papers, cards and embellishments. They don't only act as protectors of your memorabilia, they themselves contain and preserve them for you.

There simply are lots of scrapbooking album choices that you can take into consideration. There are hundreds (maybe even thousands!) which make it impossible for us to categorize them into groups rather than basing on their sizes.

Modern scrapbooking normally features albums sizes 8½×11" and 12"×12". However, many scrappers these days prefer smaller sizes such as those of the 8"×8" down to 6"×6". The size of course is a matter of personal preferences.

The albums may provide protection for your memories. However, they sometimes would not be able to cover natural tendencies for depreciation. In this article, we have gathered some fundamental scrapbooking album care that will help lessen the immediate damages that may be brought by a number of harmful elements to your "memory keepers".

To avoid disasters, it is best that your album is keep away from liquids. Liquids do not only spoil the outside covering of your scrapbook, they may as well cause damage on the photos, memorabilias, negatives and other water non-resistant materials. Also, keep your working area clear from liquids.

Direct sunlight can undoubtedly cause colors to fade. Thus, diminished album quality. This goes side by side with extreme temperatures. Too low temperature will moisten the album itself and the same goes with too hot environment, especially for storage.

Initially the damage of oily hands may not be as apparent. If you need to follow the puritan's way, you will have to secure your hands with cotton gloves. But you can always choose to frequently wash your hands with acid neutralizing agents or simply refrain from touching the photographs with your entire hand so as to prevent the deterioration caused by skin oils.

Learn to store. Proper storage of negatives, layouts and other materials will not only prevent tears, scratches or bends from occurring, they will also largely affect the lifespan of each. Provide sturdy containers or acid-free envelopes for filing.

Plastics are commonly used as sealers or protectors of memorabilias and photos. However, we must always remember that they are not all created equal. If you are not as keen to details, you may find that you are better off without specific types of plastics as they may cause larger problems in the end as compared with not protection at all.

To be safe, never use vinyl plastics as they contain the destructive material referred to as polyvinyl chloride or PVC. This substance is unstable and will therefore cause corrosion in your precious items. The effects may not be obvious at first though. Look for polyester or acrylic materials instead. They have more stable properties and will help ensure the longevity of your items. 

Always look for acid-free papers. Be warned though that many types of acidic papers found in your local scrapbooking shops. Additionally, it does not mean that if the light colored papers of a specific manufacturer are acid-free it does not follow that their darker shades are the same. Often, pigmentation and die will affect the acid level of a specific paper. If you are quite doubtful, always check the label or test any unlabeled papers.

Why the fuss with acids and acid levels? Simply because acids are large contributors to immediate deterioration of quality in your scrapbooking materials. This condition is obviously seen in newspapers where pages turn yellow over time. If you would not want any damage or loss of quality in your scrapbooking album, it is best that you keep watch acidity levels in the materials your are using. After all, scrapbooks are used to preserve memories.

Proper documentation is crucial when making scrapbooks. Years from now, as you look back to your photos, you would be glad that you took time to label them. However, assure to it that you use the appropriate materials in labeling.

Never use ballpoint pens as they tend to require you to write with pressure plus the possibility of ink transfer from one photo to another, especially when they are kept or glued in a photo stack.

All these guidelines are not only intended to cerate better impressions on your work. They would also help lengthen the quality preservation of your memory keepers.

Scrapbooking for Cousins: Recording Family History

Scrapbooking for Cousins: Recording Family History

You cant be further from the truth if you say that scrapbooking are for kids. Well, it is still the same thing. Only that scrapbooking is for kids age 7 to 99.

Scrapbooking has set the trend for keeping memories and memorabilias, which obviously came from the past. And the past as we know will always retain its state for there is no other way to have it wheel back. The things that we did with our time given in the past will always be shelved in our recollections.

And with the latest photographs coming, what would you want to do with them. As you flip through the faces of people who remain close to your heart, families and friends that has revolved around your memories and the relatives and cousins that caused you joy, you cant fight the urge of smiling. Remembering all the fun you had when you were actually at the moment of doing the memories.

You won't keep those precious memories in the drawers right, or in the box or anything away from the light. All you want to do is to have them face you each moment you want to flip through them again. So never put them in the dark.

Our families are the closest people to us. We may sway away from them at times and wish that we were in a different family. But you see, when all things turn away from us, the only people that we can fall back to are our families. They are literally, the persons we cant get away from.

We Americans are not as family-oriented though as compared with those of the ties that we may see from other cultures. We don't give as much credit to family extensions and we have ample reasons for that. In many occasions, we may even have lost faith in our families and brought ourselves into destruction and separation. That's normal for us but this must not be the case. This should never be but its happening.

However, to all things there are exemptions. For some Americans, their foundations on family ties are so solid that they seem to have sprouted from another culture. They're like Orientals who have grown and lived through life within the boundaries of their family ties.

They have seen grandpa celebrated his 75th year. Or see Uncle Sam wed beautiful Sally. Or has enjoyed the cake that mom baked during cousin Anne's debut. These memories of family deserve to be preserved, in any fashion that would enhance them and will help leap you back through ages and experiences.

And what can be more special than making a scrapbook album for them?

Then main aim of scrapbooking your family photos is to preserve tokens of the past with your relatives. Everyone has a story to tell and you would be glad that you took time preserving them all for the next members of the family to see.

Once the faces of your cousins, aunts and uncles and everyone are put in an album, they would no longer be forgotten. When they see your work twenty years from now, no one would have to wonder who were the people in the photographs. This normally is the case and you would not want trying to identify that the man in the suit is Uncle Jim and the baby on Grandma's lap is cousin Jenny.

Scrapbooks can be of any theme, it might be a scrapbook dedicated for your cousins or scrapbooks for your best buddies in the family. It may even be the stuff that will tell stories of a specific events involving your clan.  

You need not fear the failure on your first attempt or the failure of disappointing the people you would be putting in you album. If this is your first trial then forgive yourself and do good on your consequent attempts. It is best that you do your first scrapbook with the help of a close relative. Or if you can gather a group of relatives then better. That way, you'll enjoy saving memories while making new sets.
And some day, when all your family member grows old, you will leaf back through the pages of your scrapbooks. And as you do, smiles will be on your face and laughter would fill the air as you remember how you created those memories and how you created the memory keepers.

Scrapbooking Frames: A Look Inside And Out

Scrapbooking Frames: A Look Inside And Out

Have you ever tried scrapbooking? In truth, a lot of people are so much hooked into scrapbooking that they literally spend hours and hours of conceptualizing the design which they think will be the best for their work of art. Of course, they spend money on this scrapbook venture too.

The basic problem which many scrapbookers face is that they tend to have an overflow of ideas right on the first page that they eat up too much time on it. But then this is not something to get disappointed with since the finished product will always be worth it.

Why waste time for scrapbooking? What can you actually get from it? As everybody knows, scrapbooking is one avenue of keeping memories alive and continuously fresh. It has been everybody’s custom to take photos of every single important occasion in their lives whether they may be in the past, present, or in the future. Why just stick them in plain-looking photo albums when in fact you can add some artistic and personal touch to them?

The real score in scrapbooking is not really to include all those photos you’ve taken. It is all about choosing some pieces that best stand as the representations of the certain occasion. Remember that scrapbooking balances the role of the photos plus the chosen layout for all those photos. Frankly speaking, the design of your choice will aid in telling the real story behind the concept more than those pictures will do.

When you had never tried scrapbooking but you are actually craving for that experience, you can watch other people do it so you will be able to grasp some essential ideas. You can likewise take the opportunity of attending classes. Yes, there are classes especially held for the benefit of the budding scrapbookers.

There are certainly a lot of local arts and crafts shops that conduct classes for individuals of all levels. You may opt whether or not to buy your supplies there. Likewise, several community colleges make such classes available also for outsiders.

These courses can really be of great help for the beginners in the world of scrapbooking. For a minimal fee, all supplies are included and you can start enjoying the experience.

Some classes will already provide you with the ready-made scrapbooks while there are those that will require you to bring your personally-owned scrapbooks. But of course, you’ve got to bring your very own pictures! For sure you can’t wait how your scrapbook frames will look like in the end.

A Warning for all Scrapbookers

When choosing a scrapbooking frame, you should be cautious. There is a wide array of choices of scrapbooking frames made available in arts and crafts shops. Scrapbooking frames vary in styles and designs so you’ve got to bear these things in your mind.

Also take note of the theme which you need to employ in your scrapbook frames. Scrapbook frames come in a variety of themes such as the Halloween, Christmas, baptism, and so on. But of course there are some traditional scrapbooking arts stores that can provide you with cheaper alternatives so that you will be able to save a lot of money.

Some Scrapbooking Secrets to Remember

When scrapbooking is what you wish to do, always never fail to conduct research. Always look for little things which can be employed in your scrapbook frames such as trinkets, ribbons, stickers, and many more. Where should you conduct your research? Take a tour from among the arts and crafts shops in your area. Also never forget to browse through the internet as it is a deep well of information. Online shopping has never been boring. Via the internet, you’ll grasp the essential and the hottest materials in scrapbooking. Scrapbooking frames are nonetheless all available online.

Scrapbooks as Gifts

Among the best attributes of scrapbooks is that they count as a gift for all seasons. Whether it is for Christmas, graduations, birthdays, weddings, and many other events, scrapbooks are always one of the best gifts to give to people. So always find time and collect your photos of friends and family members. You can certainly paint a smile on their faces as you hand them your scrapbook gifts. 

Free Scrapbooking Tips: How to Create Scrapbook Page

Free Scrapbooking Tips: How to Create Scrapbook Page

Here’s your situation: You are done shopping for your scrapbook supplies. You have collected all photos you need for your scrapbook. Everything is prepared; the album, pair of scissors, adhesive, embellishments, papers, pens, and many more. But you are staring blankly on this pile of things thinking what should you do and how to make this work according the outcome you want to achieve. 

The thing is, you don’t have to put too much burden on yourself trying to come up with a magnificent work of art. All you have to do is to get everything organized and let your imagination take over.

For some help, here are the steps on how to create a scrapbook page:

Draw up a page-by-page plan. Yeah right! Do can’t even start a page. Well, to be honest, the best way to have a good scrapbook page is not about making a plan. It is about creating freely. So, scrap the idea of making a page-by-page plan unless you have a good sense of imagining things. But if you don’t, well, you might start by organizing your photos according to the theme you want to achieve.

Let us say that again in another way: ORGANIZE.

As was mentioned, organize your photos according to the theme. You may not use every photo you have prepared. Just select the best and those you think would be great once combined with other scrapbook supplies you will use.

Group the photos that would fit to one page. You may use variations on each page. For example, you will place 5 photos in one page. Then on the next page, you will use just 4. Chronological arrangements will keep things easy for you.

Can you see where we are going here? Yes, after you have organized your photos, you found yourself with a page-by-page plan. We just make the term easy for you.

Now, let us work on one page...

With the photos you have grouped, take 2-3 colors of papers that would compliment them. Select a background that would enhance the image of your selected photos. If you don’t have a background, create one that would let the photos stand out. You can use the internet to get some ideas for a great background. There are also printable backgrounds you can download. If you prefer making one on your own, use the tip above.

Make decorations on the page together with the photos. Select one photo that would become the focal point of the page. Spread other photos on the page. Decorations come on the sides of the photos. Do not use adhesives yet so that you can change the arrangements and the decorations if you need to. Glue them if you have finally decided on the look of the page.

Also, use borders to highlight the photos. Double or triple matting would make a good border. Shape the photos according to your desired outcome. Shapes such as squares, circles, rectangles, and ovals are more pleasing and more common. Do not over flood the page. If you think you have overly decorated the page, do not hesitate to remove some decorations.

Create journaling. Expressing your thoughts, experiences, and feelings would bring out better expression on the page. Take time to write some information about the page’s content.

Pay close attention to the details and elements such as balance symmetry, and scare. Observe how your eyes move in Z direction as you stare at the page. If you think there are changes you need to make, do not hesitate to do it before you glue them permanently.

After you finish doing this, you have already made a page on your scrapbook. Do the same process on the succeeding pages. Try to use different variations. Make each page unique from another. Try other colors. Use different arrangements. Make different styles.

Add more embellishments as you go along. Use stickers, die cuts, and rubber stamps. If you find that there is a need to add or change embellishments on some of the pages you have already made, do them carefully so as you don’t destroy the existing decorations. Good luck!

Baby Scrapbooking Ideas

Baby Scrapbooking Ideas

Kids love to hear all kinds of stories. But one story they probably would want to hear over and over again is the story of their birth. This is why, many would prefer creating baby scrapbook to tell in a more tangible way how they come out in this world. But it does not mean that baby scrapbook is limited to the “how” of giving birth. Even the minor details are important to create a more wonderful baby scrapbook your kid would enjoy and would be proud of as they grow up. And since baby scrapbook is somewhat a kid’s bibliography, your kids will appreciate how much they mean to you.

If you are planning to make scrapbook for your baby to come, then here are the things you should consider so that you wont limit yourself from creating a statistical baby scrapbook (baby scrapbook that only tells the time, weight and size of the baby).

To create a baby scrapbook, you should define your starting point. It could be the baby shower or the day of his or her birth. You should also set when to end the scrapbook. Usually, baby scrapbook would cover the child’s first year but you can always go longer if you want to. In the process, you should collect things that can be included on the scrapbook like the gifts you receive on the baby shower. Some would even include the baby’s first haircut and other events that the child has experienced for the first time.

Choose a color that would define the theme of the scrapbook. The usual color of a baby boy’s scrapbook is powder blue while the baby girl’s scrapbook is pink. You may or may not adapt these colors and use another.

Now you ask: “What should I include on the scrapbook?”

Most baby scrapbook would include the details about the baby upon birth. These are, the length at birth, weight at birth, time of birth, the length of labor, the color of the eyes and hair, and doctor’s name and the names of the staff who assisted the doctor in giving birth. Plus of course, the pictures of you and your child at the hospital after you gave birth.

Some would include pictures of you while you are still pregnant. Moments such as this will keep your child reminded how you, as a mother took care of him/her while s/he was still in your womb.

Other moments you should include are the photos of the baby’s growth month by month with a size reference (usually a stuffed toy), photos of the house you live in and the nursery, photos of the family members including the baby, photos of the baby sleeping, photos taken while the baby is bathing, photos with his or her favorite toys, and other happy moments that include him or her.

As was mentioned above, many baby scrapbooks would include the baby’s firsts. These are the baby’s first smile, first bath first crawl, first roll over, first sat up, first steps, and so forth. Baby scrapbook can include his or her favorites like the favorite song, toys, bedtime stories, and the family tree.

The nice thing about this is that you can always add anything that is related to your baby as he or she is growing up.

For other significant events that may or may not be captured by memorabilia can be written.

You can write about the meaning and significance of the name, your length of stay at the hospital, other people who were present at the hospital, their reaction after you gave birth, their feelings after they carried your baby, and the way they entertain the baby. You can also write about stories that would further illustrate those events that are captured in photos. Stories like the baby’s first outings, babysitting, and mannerisms (did he or she often suck his or her thumb… and things like these).

You have the photos, the things to write about and the scrapbook to put it together; what else?

Well, creating baby scrapbook is really a personal thing so it is up to you what other things you want to add for as long as your child will know how did s/he grow up.

Scrapbooking How Tos: From Nothing to Something

Scrapbooking How Tos: From Nothing to Something

So you have decided to create your own piece of work of art. Here is the step-by-step process you can follow to creating a one of a kind scrapbook…

·    Shopping.

Yes, the best part of everything. It is as exciting as your birthday celebration. And no one can resist it. Shop for the supplies you need. Shop for the essentials such as the album, album refill, adhesives, card stock, embellishments, papers, pens, punches, stamps, embossing, stickers, a pair of scissors and everything you need for your scrapbooking.

Tip: Buy only acid-free adhesive, permanent marking and non-fade pens and inks. Your aim is to preserve memorabilia for years. These things will save you from messing up with your scrapbook.

·    Gather your memories.

Get as many photos as you can. Depending on your theme and the aim you want to achieve, you can sort them according to their relations to one another. For example, you can make a bibliography through scrapbook, then, you grab pictures from your childhood up to now. Sort them out according to the year they were taken.

Tip: If you are grabbing old photos, make sure that your hands are clean. Old photos can easily be destroyed with oil and dirt from your hands. Old photos are also brittle so you may want to handle them with extra care.

Another tip: If you want to preserve old photos, you can scan them to your computer and make a copy. Doing this would also let you edit the quality of the photo or crop the particular portion you only want to have. 

One more tip: If you want to take some recent photos, use digital cameras. In this way, you can take as many photos as you could without wasting film. Upload all the photos you have taken, then, print the ones you have selected.

·    Gather your supplies

Let your imagination takes you anywhere. From the supplies you have, create a scrapbook that is truly yours. Decorate the front page of the album with your chosen general theme. A delicate combination of colored papers, pens, photos and creativity would let you create a good front page. On the inside, decorate each page with distinct designs.

For additional decorations, you can consider using paper trimmer, punches, circle cutter, decorative rulers, paper rolling ball glue pen, or putting on some templates, stickers, computer clipart, rubber stamps, and colorful decorations you can find on magazines. Use the right adhesives to secure what you have placed on your scrapbook. There are several of these: double-sided adhesive dots, photo tape, glue pens, photo corners, non-permanent glue, squares or strips, glue sticks, and bottled glues.

·    Putting them all together

The most difficult part of the whole scrapbook making is putting all the stuff together, so here are some of the tricks:

Your options are more flexible if you are using photocopied pictures. You can cut them in to different shapes and sizes or you can decide the picture’s size. Placing them to the pages is easier if you keep the space free, then decorate it afterwards.

The best way to cut papers and photos would be using this trick: think twice and cut with no hesitation. Use a sharp pair of scissors. Exploring your creativity in cutting would give better impact to every page of your scrapbook.

·    Journaling

Adding some handwritten text also involves creativity. Putting some captions, names, dates by your hand would let give some personal touch on each page. The use of templates and paper cut outs would also be great.

When using pens, make sure that they are acid-free to avoid degrading the scrapbook’s image. Use different colors for each page.

You can ask your friends and family members to help you write something on the pages.

·    Finishing touches

Put some additional decorations for final touches. Stickers, handwritten shapes, and paper cut outs are some of the things you can add as your final touches. Compile the pages carefully and share it with friends.

Now that your have your own scrapbook, you can add pages anytime you want to and you can keep your memories alive for as long as you keep your scrapbook alive.