Learning how to make your first scrapbook doesn’t have to be intimidating! In fact, with a few simple tips, you can start making one today.
For a few years now I’ve been crafting something off camera and thought it was about time I shared it with you. I’ve been making Ryan a scrapbook every year for Christmas since we started dating. Since this is Valentine’s Day week, I think it would also make a great gift for any of your loved ones!
Our time in life is so short, and technology breaks, so why not put more time into our memories?
Here’s how I made my first scrapbook and how you can too:
Quick Note
This blog post is for beginners! If you really want to become a hardcore scrapbooker, this post, truthfully, may be a bit too basic for you.
As someone who’s always wanted to have nice photo albums, but always thought the idea of scrapbooking seemed overwhelming (and expensive), I can tell you that this is such a perfect jumping off point. It’s a nice mix of adding personal details and memories, while still creating a space for your photos to live off of your phone.Â
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Materials
– Photo album
– Page protectors
– Photos
– Letter stickers (love these and these too)
– Stickers and more stickers
– Washi tape (this one and this one are cute too!)
– Scissors
– Punches
– Patterned Paper
– Keepsakes (ticket stubs, notes, etc)
Material Notes
1. You can use any size album you want! Just make sure your page protectors fit the size of the album and that you’re printing to size.
For example, for my 4″ x 4″ album, I used 4″ x 4″ protectors and printed my photos as a 4″ x 4″ square.
2. You can get more elaborate supplies if you want. Don’t let me hold you back! Stickers, tape, punches, paper and more are a great way to add ore personality.
3. A paper trimmer is worth the investment.
Tips for Making a Scrapbook
You can see by the first book that I made in 2017 that I used to add colorful paper to my books. While this approach was super cute, I like the simplicity of just having a photo with the year added with stickers (what I’m doing from now on).
I make my scrapbooks at the end of the year so the photos are in the book in chronological order. When working, it helps to have a lot of space so that you can spread out your photos, put them in order, and edit as you work.
Not everything you print will make the cut. Start by filling your page protectors with the photos and getting them in order before adding any decorative elements. See what photos play off of one another and keep the flow of the book in mind as you fill in the pages.Â
Tips for Collecting Keepsakes
Throughout the year I have a separate box to store all of the keepsakes. I’ve added everything to my scrapbooks from a pressed leaf to part of a food menu!
If something feels special to you, be sure to hold onto it and save it for later. A separate storage box for it means you won’t lose it or damage it before it’s time to craft. You don’t have to use it when you go to make your book, but it’s always nice to have the option!
How to Make a Scrapbook
1. Start by adding all of your page protectors and photos.
2. Now it’s time to go back in and add those special details! Start with any 3D elements (like I did with the hotel key pictured above).
3. Add your stickers, letters, or even decorative paper at this point. Because your book layout is set, you can play off the design for the photos that rest next to each other.
Of course you can move in any order you’d like. This is just how I like to approach putting everything together!
Stickers are such an awesome way to add details to your photos. Consider using them to record a location, inside jokes, or something funny to the photo (like I did with the soup photos below).
Writing on the back of the photos is a great way to never lose that exact detail, but I also love the extra colorful graphic detail that the stickers add. Plus you won’t have to remove the photo just to remember where it was taken.Â
Remember when I made nothing but soup last year? Well I guess, and this year too? Of course that got added to the scrapbook!
And as sweet as the scrapbook is, I love to end in a funny way. It’s clearly evolved the longer we’ve been together. Print those candid, inside joke moments for an extra personal touch.
So that’s it! As simple as they are, they’re so so wonderful to pull off the shelf and flip through. My plan is to make one every year that we’re together so that in 30 years we have an entire shelf full.
I hope this helps you start making your first scrapbook! It’s absolutely worth it!
