Six Tips for Scrapbooking Pages You’ll Cherish

Making scrapbook pages and recording your family’s history will satisfy you to your core and provide priceless memories in the process. In addition scrapping can – and should be – therapeutic.  But when you first begin scrapbooking, it can seem a daunting task. Where to start? What to say? How should the page look? These are all fair questions – and my tips will help you keep it all in perspective. 

1. It’s Ok to Scrapbook Out of Chronological Order

Scrap as often as you wish and whenever inspiration strikes.

• Create layouts about today’s photos.
• Choose photos from five years ago.
• Combine different time periods on your pages.

It really doesn’t matter – just scrap!

2. Journal, Journal, Journal

Journaling is important – but remember, you’re not trying to write the next bestseller.

• You just need enough words to tell your story.
• The purpose of scrapbooking is to record your family history – no one will judge your spelling or grammar!

Remember, your family will be thrilled that precious memories have been preserved.

3. Capture Everyday Moments

Don’t reserve photo taking for occasions like birthdays and vacations – everyday moments form the major portion of your life. Don’t miss out on scrapping them – and you don’t need a fancy camera to take pictures!

• The best camera to use is the one you have with you! So use that expensive phone to capture your day.
• Take pictures on your walk; a wonderful book you are reading; the sunset! Once you start thinking of scrapping this way, there’s no end to possible subjects!

4. Be the Storyteller of Your Own Life

This is a big one! Most scrapbookers overlook this important piece of the puzzle! You might be the only scrapbooker in your family, so if you don’t scrapbook about yourself, no one is going to do it for you.

• Step in front of the camera and be photographed.
• Create layouts about  yourself.

5. Your Scrapbooking Style Will Evolve

As you begin scrapbooking you may not have a “style.” That’s ok – everyone starts somewhere! Don’t judge your style by what others do. As you make more pages, your own style and preferences will make themselves known.

• Start by imitating and scraplifting from other people’s layouts. You’ll find tons of inspiration in my Oscraps gallery.
• Experiment with a clean and simple; or do you prefer lots of elements? Or maybe the artsy look appeals to you?
• Maybe you let the story and photos take the lead, or maybe just one photo and title says it all.

Just as happens in real life, you’ll go through different phases. Think long hair, short hair; lots of makeup and then practically none; tons of possessions or Marie Kondo-like minimalism. Your layouts will go through their own evolution. Don’t worry that you might not like your pages 10 years down the road. Your style will evolve over time because just like in real life, things change.

6. Done is Better than Perfect

The goal of scrapbooking is not to create create visual masterpieces. Your pages don’t need to make others go “wow.” They are just a record of you or your family’s’ history and the only thing that is important is that they are done!

• Constantly striving for perfection can stall your scrapbooking progress or even bring it to a complete halt.
• Stressing over the finding the perfect photo or designing a perfect layout will rob you of the joy of creating. The truth is that no one is ever going to notice most of the things we get hung up on.
• Imperfections on your pages that make them unique and special.

There’s always the next layout where you can improve your skills.  Scrapping is about recording your precious memories, experimenting, making mistakes and enjoying yourself. Done is better than perfect!