Scrapbooking
1. Photos Tell the Story
Have lots of old photos lying around the house? You find one every once in a while in a book or under the bed. Occasionally, you even find those old packets from the developing with a few pictures. Why not start organizing those photos on your way to making an unforgettable scrapbook?
Many people assume that the best way to organize photos is to put them in chronological order. However, if you have many photos that are unlabeled or dated, this may be difficult. Rather than dealing with this, try organizing by theme. There are countless organizational themes including: Christmases, Vacations, Family Reunions, Children's sports teams, an overseas trip, or a specific time period (college years). Try not to make them so broad that every photo will fit in, but also don't restrict them too much.
Making a scrapbook of each theme is a great idea because you can put them together fairly rapidly-each page doesn't have to be completely unique. In fact, you want to create unity between the pages. This will save money because you can use the same colors of background pages and mix and match accessories.
Do a 'cover page' for each year or event. If you choose a 'Sports' theme, have a section for soccer, one for basketball, etc. Keep the cover page bold and simple-maybe one photo and the date and location. Have a running continuity among the cover pages will bring a nice unity throughout the book.
Themed books are easy and enjoyable to look out and they show how children grow and styles change over the years. Even visitors to your home will enjoy flipping through albums like this, whereas a chronological album might bog them down.
To help yourself stay organized when it comes to all those photos, label a few envelopes with some possible themes. Whenever you develop film or print photos, try to divide them into the proper envelopes. That way whenever you are ready to start your next scrapbook, the photos you need will be ready to go…and you won't have to search under the bed or in any books!
2. Choosing the Perfect Scrapbook
So you've decided that you want to start scrapbooking. You head to the craft store and eventually wander to the aisle(s) filled with scrapbook supplies. Obviously, the first thing you need to but is the book itself. Then you realize something…you've never scrapbooked before…so what kind of book should you buy? No need to break out in a cold sweat or feel lightheaded in the craft store. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you're shopping for your scrapbook.
You will find in your scrapbooking adventures that there are all shapes and sizes of scrapbooks. However, there are two general sizes that you will be able to find on a regular basis, the 12 x 12 inch books, and the 8 1/2 x 11 inch books. To make your experience a little easier, especially if you are a beginner, you will probably want to choose one of these sizes. The scrapbook paper that you will use to fill your book is commonly sold in these sizes. Because of the larger size, the 12 x 12 paper is more expensive. But on these pages, you can fit more photos and writing. It's your choice which book you want to use.
Many people like the 8 1/2 x 11 inch book because the inkjet printer in your home can print on that. Additionally, you can walk in any office supply or art store and find paper in this size without a problem. You may want to purchase a regular 3-ring binder to store your pages in while the book is in progress. With these thoughts in mind, it may be the best bet for beginners to start with an 8 1/2 x 11 book. After your initial experience, you can branch out a little more.
Other things to keep in mind when picking out your book. Try to avoid the spiral non-removable page scrapbook. With this format, you are unable to add additional pages or rearrange pages. When scrapbooking, you will find that you want to make changes often, so this book limits your ability to fix any mistakes.
3. Cropping and Matting
You've looked over several magazines, websites and books about scrapbooking, and you feel like you're ready to go. However, in all these articles you've looked over, you realize there are a few words that you've heard your wedding photographer talk about…words that scare you a little bit…and cause you to doubt yourself with the thought, "I'm not a professional photographer…what have I gotten myself into?" These frightening words you will find aren't so frightening after all, and putting them into use will really spice up your scrapbook.
The first word is Cropping…which, simply put, is cutting off the boring, messy, or distracting parts of photos. For the most part, photos look best, and professional, when they have straight sides and clean edges, like a square or rectangle. Sometimes even a circle or ovals will work well. Another way to crop photos is to cut along the edges of an object or a person, like an outline, and remove the background altogether. If you're really feeling creative, cut a portion of an object out of a photo, leaving the rest of the photo intact. This will give you a 'jack-in-the-box' effect.
It is important to use the proper tools when cropping your pictures so you get crisp, 90 degree angles. This may mean buying something else when you head to the craft store. There are numerous small, inexpensive paper cutters to help you with this job. Try to avoid cutting photos with the fancy-edged scissors from your child's craft kit. Your best bet is to cut the photo with smooth edges and use the fancy scissors on a colored paper mat around the photo.
Speaking of mats…that brings up the second intimidating word…matting. Matting is basically giving your photo a background with a separate piece of paper. But, you may think, "Why waste the time doing that?" by having a narrow edge of colored paper around the outside edge of your photo, you can 'bring out' a certain color in photos. This can enhance the visual impact of the photo. Try using more than one color mat at a time. Don't slack off with matting, rather, be creative, and you will find a little cropping and a little matting can really go a long way with your scrapbook.
4. A Few Odds and Ends
Everyone wants to make their scrapbook unique…to put their own special touch on every page. Here are a few tricks you can use to capture every memory and to make your scrapbook your very own.
One of the great things about scrapbooks is that anything goes. You have the ability to put anything you want in. A good start to a unique scrapbook is to become a collector of your family and friends memorabilia. Now that doesn't mean memorabilia that we always think of. Be creative. Keep ticket stubs (movies, planes, museums), cards, cartoons, receipts, newspaper articles, pamphlets or brochures. These things may seem plain or unexciting. But when paired with a few pictures, they can bring back some great memories, and they can act as a journal, without having to write anything. When you begin your collection of memorabilia, it is easy to become a 'pack-rat.' To avoid this, place one basket on a desk or bookshelf. Whenever you find something you want to keep, just through it in there. This will keep it organized, portable, and accessible. To keep the family involved, have your kids pick something that they want to keep and allow them to put it in the basket on their own.
Another tip to keeping your scrapbook unique is to re-think your picture-taking routine. We often only photograph big events, such as birthdays and holidays. You have few pictures lying around that capture day-to-day life. To make it easy, lay a few disposable cameras around the house. Taking a picture every day will become instinctive. When you flip through your scrapbook, these everyday shots will stand out. They will capture the most precious moments, which are sometimes the easiest to forget.
The final way to make your scrapbook unforgettable is to design each page as a whole. Scrapbook pages look best and are easiest to read when conceived as a whole. For each page or pair of pages facing each other, pick a simple color schemes and an overall title. Lay everything you want to use out before gluing it down to find a balance of images and captions.
5. Supplies
So you've probably seen that aisle before…filled with thousands of stickers, pieces of paper, scissors, and little scissor-like tools. What are you going to need when starting your scrapbook? Here are a few 'must-haves' when shopping for scrapbook supplies…
After picking out the size and theme of your book, you will need to pick up some acid-free paper. You will need to know the size of your book so you can get the right size paper. It is essential to get acid-free paper to avoid deterioration of photos over time. Remember, this is a keepsake, so you don't want it to only last for a few years. Although the acid-free paper may be a bit more expensive than 'regular' paper, it will be a good investment in the long run. Pick a variety of patterns and colors that will fit your theme and that tie together a little. If you are doing a 'beach' theme, buy some simple shades of blue paper and you will be able to mix and match that with some pages with beach patterns.
Another thing to look for when buying pages is the stock pages, which are acid-free. They should be precut with holes and laminated on the edges and are used to place the paper in for protection. The paper will slide in and out of the top of the plastic.
Some acid-free markers will go a long way in your scrapbook. These will be used for captions and titles. Additionally, you will find there is an immense selection of stickers and adhesives. Pick some letters out and spell words in different shapes and patterns to make pages more exciting. Additionally, there are adhesives of everything from animals to books to shoes…so find some that fit your book. A final adhesive to buy is photo corners. These will fit around the corners of your pictures and make them look very sleek and classy.
Now what do you buy to stick the photos to the pages? You can always use the simple glue sticks that you have in your desk drawer. Also, look into the acid-free double-sided tape. This will also help to keep your photos in tip-top shape over time.
The final must-have is some good scissors and paper cutters to make sure your photos look professional. Pick up these few items, and you're ready to get started!
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