People keep scrapbooks for a variety of reasons. Parents use them to keep a record of their children's milestones as they grow up. Children tend to keep scrapbooks of things that interest them at various stages of their lives. Whatever the reason may be, a scrapbook is something that evokes nostalgia when you go through it after a long time.
A scrapbook can be purchased from a shop. Many gift shops and novelty stores keep a variety of scrapbooks for people to buy. There is nothing wrong in purchasing a readymade book for your needs. However, a scrapbook can be a lot more memorable if you decide to make it yourself. The effort you put in will itself be a part of your cherished memories. Here are some tips for building your own scrapbook.
Get your supplies ready
The best part about making your own scrapbook is that there is no limit to what you can use to make it. The first thing you need is a sturdy notebook whose pages will form a kind of base for your scrapbook. The notebook can be of any size as long as you are comfortable with it. If a notebook does not strike your fancy, you can select a sheaf of papers and put them in a decorative file or folder instead. If you are using a file, you will also need to attach page protectors to each paper in order to keep the pages from being torn off accidentally. These are small, round, slightly stiff stickers that are attached around the holes punched in a page.
Other supplies you need include fancy decorative papers that you can use to write anecdotes or stick pictures on. Try and opt for paper that is prepared without using acids. This 'acid-free' paper tends to be more durable and will last longer without turning yellow or fraying. Writing may be done using sketch pens, gel pens, marker pens, etc. Keep a pair of normal or decorative scissors handy for cutting out parts of photographs. You will also require some glue as well as double-sided tape for sticking pictures or small mementos in your scrapbook. Other less important items include fancy stickers, stencils, etc.
Build your scrapbook
Once all your supplies have been collected together and checked, you are ready to begin making your scrapbook.
Choose a theme: The first step towards making your scrapbook is to choose a suitable theme. Are you building a scrapbook chronicling your child's achievements? Or do you want to have one that displays photographs of a trip you took? Depending on the central theme of your scrapbooks, you can use decorative papers, stickers, etc. to enhance your scrapbook.
Check the arrangement: Once you have decided what your scrapbook is going to be about, you now have to choose how best you want to represent your memories. Divide your photographs according to how you want to group them depending on which pictures will go on each page. Place the pictures on the page and check whether they fit properly or if they need to be resized.
Resize your pictures: Many a time you will want to retain only a part of a photograph or picture. For this reason, you would need to crop or resize the picture. Decorative scissors work best for this purpose. Depending on the type of scissors used, your pictures will get borders that are jagged, wavy, spirally twisted, irregular, etc. This adds to the decorativeness of your pictures as well. If possible, use different scissors for different pictures in order to add greater variety to your scrapbook.
If you want your picture to be in a definite shape, a stencil can help you. Stencils come in a variety of sizes and usually contain basic shapes like squares, rectangles, circles, etc. Specialised stencils may have other obscure shapes. You can place the stencil over the photo to be cropped and lightly trace the outline of the stencil with a pencil. This will help you to cut the picture in the desired shape without making any mistakes.
Glue the pictures to the pages: Before sticking the pictures, check the placement again. If you are satisfied, you can proceed to glue them to the page. Make your pictures appear more colourful by placing a border of coloured or shiny paper around the picture. This has an added advantage as it will look like your picture has been framed. For a baby picture, you could make a frill of some leftover lace and place that around the picture to give it a more decorative effect.
Add the final touches: Once your pictures have been stuck to the pages, it is time to add those extra decorative touches. Label your pictures using different coloured fancy pens. You can also write little anecdotes to tell a story to accompany your pictures. You can even add stickers to enhance the feel of the page.
If your scrapbook is about a trip, add some things you collected on your visit. For a scrapbook about a trip to the beach, paste a few shells you picked up. For a child's scrapbook, you could add a picture that he painted when he was young.
No matter what the topic, remember that this is your scrapbook. You can choose to make it however you wish. The important thing is to remember to enjoy yourself and be proud of your creation.
Have you ever maintained a scrapbook? Did you buy one from a shop or did you make one yourself? What was your most cherished memory when you looked back at your scrapbook later on? To share your experiences, views, and tips, click here.
