7 Secrets of Recycle Scrapbooking

Do you know about recycle scrapbooking? I have learnt about recycle craft, but not too sure about recycle scrapbooking, until one day my 3 years old daughter show me her scrapbooking using recycle material that she used to keep her craft and papers. My little angel gave me an idea of we can recycle our children school craft to create a very creative memories craft! Here I share my experience and 7 secret of recycle scrapbooking, if you are a cost saver person, you may find it useful!

Secret #1 Think twice before you throw anything.Lots of material at home such as color paper divider of your file folders, your childrens’ craft work from school, faulty printed paper, tissue paper cover, presents wrapper, ribbons etc if the design is neat, clean and nice looking, keep them for your scrapbooking. You can use them as embellishments or decorations in your scrapbooking. I used to throw all these away, but now I am getting passion on recycle all the them!

Secret #2 Storage for recycle stuff.You need to have some storage space to keep all your recycle stuff, try to keep in sorted or grouping by same category for easy of searching.

Secret #3 Recycling from other craft.If you have been doing lots of craft at home, reuse this craft material again to do recycle scrapbooking. For example, if you have created a pencil case craft using recycle cartoon box, cut out excess area of cartoon box into A5 paper size and paint some beautiful flowers or insects on it, join all the A5 drawn design together with a threading string or folder rings to create a mini scrapbook album.

Secret #4 Recycle Scrapbooking paper excess from previous scrapbook.Reuse the scrapbooking paper that was excess from previous scrapbook. You can create a new design by using the excess scrapbooking paper. This can be done by doing patching or overlapping pasting different paper on top of each to create an unique look!

Secret #5 Recycle your digital scrapbooking or computer scrapbooking.You can reuse your same computer scrapbooking printed layout on another new scrapbook topics. Note that you also can recycle scrapbooking digitally besides recycling the printed layout. Besides that, there are a lot of layout, images or pictures on the web are free for download and you can reuse them for this case.

Secret #6 Print on recycle paper.Print most of your design on recycle paper. This is to save cost at the same time save the earth. Most of the printers will print a test page when you changed new cartridge, keep this paper for recycle printing purpose. Perhaps the test printed page can be reused to create another creative memories, because the test page always printed in multiple colors and text.

Secret #7 Do it freely.Last by not least, create your every scrapbook freely. It is important if you are using recycle stuff to scrapbook. Do not restrict your creative mind to fly. Explore along the way, will help you have more creativity ideas to create a unique design of your creative memories.



5 Types of Scrapbooking to Helping You to Keep Your Memories

Scrapbooking can be many style and design. You can do any color theme or topics as long as you feel comfortable with them. Here I share five types of scrapbooking to help you to keep your memories.

#1 Felt scrapbooking

Felt is the most popular and trendy in craft. It is very smooth and cotton feel when touched. You can create your scrapbooking using felt. This can be done by cutting felt into flower shapes, then use PVA adhesive to paste the felt on your scrapbook. Besides that, you can DIY your own embellishment using felt.

#2 Mini Book Scrapbooking

Mini book scrapbooking is very handy and trendy. It is the most popular type for people who do not have much creativity in design. The size is about A5 paper. You can create your own by cutting your A4 scrapbooking layout paper to A5 size, then paste your photo, lastly add your text. Then you are done! If you are cost saver person, you will like mini scrapbooking.

#3 Collage scrapbooking

If you do not have any special theme in your scrapbooking, try collage scrapbooking. This can be done by transforming an old book to collage design. You can add buttons, ribbons or any material you can find in your craft leftover to create collage scrapbooking.

#4 Illustration scrapbooking

This is a special way of scrapbooking. In this scrapbooking, photo is replaced by an illustration. Illustration in either 2D or 3D drawing is able to create a trendy unique look in your scrapbook.

#5 3D Scrapbooking

Scrapbook that is created from 3D material, such as milk box, children toys or blocks. This is done by transforming your children toy such as blocks into scrapbooking. Paste your candid photos on each sides of the blocks, and add some sea shell or button as an embellishment. If space allowed, put some text and comments on your scrapbooking.

Well, hope above five types of scrapbooking give you an idea to keep your memories.



Creating the Perfect Ideas for Scrapbooking

Coming up with scrapbooking ideas can be difficult, but with practice and imagination, anyone can do it!

One thing I recommend is looking at others’ scrapbooks, or flipping through your favorite scrapbook magazine! This helps you get ideas for scrapbooks you might want to make, and come out with layout ideas. You want to be original, don’t steal their scrapbook ideas, instead customize their ideas for scrapbook layouts! This can help open the door to your own creativity!

Going through your own pictures is another way to create scrapbooking ideas. There may be a birthday party or special occasion that you forgot to scrapbook and may not have realized it. This always helps me come up with great scrapbook ideas and layout ideas!

Look at your materials. Often, making ideas for scrapbooks and layout ideas is easier when you know what you’ve got. And this saves you the time of running out and purchasing whatever you need, because it’s all ready right in front of you!

Keeping up with scrapbook trends help generate ideas for scrapbook layouts. Take some of these trends and make them into your own scrapbook ideas. You don’t want to stick to the trends too much because who wants their scrapbook to look just like someone else’s? Use the trends for scrapbooking ideas and scrapbook layout help.

One more good way to get ideas for scrapbook layouts is to talk to other scrapbookers! Search around to find if they have any scrapbook events in your area. This is great for finding helpful scrapbook ideas and for showing others your own skills and ideas for scrapbook layouts! Remember, you’re not the only one out there looking for ideas for scrapbooks or scrapbook layout help! You may even make a scrapbooking friend to swap scrapbook layout help with!



More Fun Scrapbooking Ideas

I hope that the following article will help you to better understand this topic. Variety of ideas and tips for scrapbooks that will improve your scrapbook creation.

Many wander What is scrapbooking? Scrapbooking is one of the methods for the saving of memory in the form of information. This data is in the form of photos, pictures, text, stickers etc. Scrapbooking involves pile of your creativity. Scrapbooking is not just in essence a note-book but it is also a preservation of all the movements that precious to you and much more…

Here is an ideas and tips for scrapbooks The first thing the user should remember in mind is that the scrapbook is a replication of your self. The person should put all his / her creative thinking skills. Its important that a person before creating a scrapbook should keep in mind about the size, the number of pages, the quantity of materials to be needed and the tangible aspects for devising a perfect a perfective scrapbook.

If scrapbook is looked as a spare-time activity the exploiter of a book can put more creative thinking in devising the scrapbook. Color combinations plays a necessary function in the over all look. If color combinations are not proper the scrapbook looks ratty and untidy. The proper colours which match your scrap book should be used. By Modesty enhancing the quality of scrapbooks will help the scrapbooks to be more sparkly and adds a touch off to your scrapbook.

Another think is the use of proper borders that is also one of the most significant aspects for the formation of an attractive scrapbook. Borders can be made attractive with the help of materials like stickers, stamps or even stencils. The main photos in the scrapbooks should be highlighted or decorated with dissimilar color pencils or multi-colored pencils. There should be two borders made in the scrapbook one should be thin while the other should be a bit wider than the other.

It should be kept in mind that the borders play a critical function in the scrapbook, the borders helps to add spark in your scrapbook. The photos in the scrapbook should be located in a proper order. The order of photos plays an crucial function in one’s scrapbook. The order should be a such that it should be gratifying to the eyes. Proper flow of the photos makes the scrapbook more realistic and easy to follow. The related accents should be located in good order this will help to add a special impression to your scrapbooks.

Photos and stickers should be pasted in the form of triangles this will make the scrapbook more pleasing. The scrapbooks should be divided in multiple-sessions this will enhance the looks of your scrap book. The principal of “Rule of Thirds” should be kept in mind while the establishment of the scrapbook. This will help to raise the caliber of your scrapbook.

For a better attractive lineament in the scrapbook the stickers or the stamps used should be repeated. Sketching of the significant photos should be done this will help to improve the looks of the scrapbook. The scrapbooks is classified in the form of three or five accents.



Free Scrapbooking Ideas

Ideas are very valuable. Yet somehow it seems that people have always underestimated the true power of ideas. However, the world today is finally starting to realize the importance of ideas and now thrives on taking action on those ideas and turning them into something.

We need ideas to fuel creativity. In scrapbooking, ideas can be crucial factors on whether or not you are able to create that perfect scrapbook. It is usually best for you come up with your own ideas when creating a scrapbook. But we all need help sometimes and to give you a bit of help there are places where you can find free scrapbooking ideas.

Here are a few places where you look to find free scrapbooking ideas…

1) Other people – We all know that all ideas come from people. What this article is trying to point out, however, is the fact that you should ask other scrapbookers for some free scrapbooking ideas. By doing so, you might just brew up a good brainstorming session and get some really useful scrapbooking ideas. You will probably even think up a few ideas to share as well.

2) The internet – The internet is a huge resource for all kinds of scrapbooking ideas. On the internet, there are numerous sites that give free scrapbooking ideas you can use. By searching around the internet you will find many free scrapbooking ideas, and you also get to access many different types of inspirational boosters. This will actually help you produce scrapbooking ideas of your own.

The internet can also provide you lots of resources to find what other people think of a certain scrapbooking idea. By getting these opinions you can get a better glimpse of what free scrapbooking ideas might work for you. You also get a lot of advice as to how to implement a certain scrapbooking idea. Because of this, you will have an easier time designing your scrapbook.

3) Craft magazines – Different magazines specialize in crafts and may offer you free scrapbooking ideas. By reading magazines like these, you actually gain access not only to free scrapbooking ideas, but also to ideas for other crafts. Also, these magazines can give you various tips on what to do and what not to do when creating your own scrapbook.

Craft magazines also sometimes come with supplements and materials that you can use in implementing different scrapbooking ideas. This means that you have access to the “what” and the “how” of scrapbooking.

What are some advantages of free scrapbooking ideas?

1) You save money – Of course, the word “free” should clue you in to the fact that you do not have to spend anything in order to get free scrapbooking ideas. By finding free scrapbooking ideas, it’s possible to actually make money. Scrapbooking ideas today, especially good ones, can lead to a very lucrative business venture if you want to pursue that route.

2) Less effort – By using free scrapbooking ideas, you save yourself the hassles of thinking up a theme or a design of the scrapbook. If you have some free scrapbooking ideas, you can just move on with the stage of making the scrapbook itself. This saves you a lot of effort, especially if you are the type of person who changes his or her mind constantly.

3) Save you time – When you use free scrapbooking ideas, you can actually skip the whole thinking process and just start getting creative. This is a big advantage in today’s world where none of us seem to have enough time.

What are some disadvantages of free scrapbooking ideas?

1) Lack of individuality – If you use free scrapbooking ideas, your scrapbook will lack a certain quality of your personality. When you use someone else’s idea, you strip yourself of the fulfillment that comes with creating a scrapbook straight from your own creativity.

2) Less satisfaction – Using free scrapbooking ideas from someone else usually leaves you less satisfied with the final outcome. Although there really are no guarantees about how a creation will turn out, using your own ideas means you know more about what changes to make in order to bring the scrapbook up to your satisfaction. Remember the more you know about your scrapbook, the easier it will be for you to perfect it.

To summarize, there are many places where you can get free scrapbooking ideas to help you create your perfect scrapbook. There are advantages to using these free ideas but there are also disadvantages. I suggest using a combination of your own scrapbooking ideas and the ideas of others, at least until you build up enough of your own ideas to easily create scrapbook pages.



50 Ideas to Get Organized and Enjoy Your Scrapbooking Hobby

  • Scrapbooking is a wonderful hobby! Besides being relaxing and fun, it also allows you to be creative and to spend quality time with your family and friends. Plus, it results in a storybook of lifelong memories.
  • One very important element of scrapbooking is getting it all organized. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • storing all of your supplies in an organized fashion so they can be found instantly when you need them.
  • remembering what supplies to pick up at the store, and eliminating duplicate purchases.
  • finding time to research new and creative ways to spruce up your scrapbooks.
  • finding enough time to enjoy the art of scrapbooking in your busy life.
    • TELL A STORY. Plan your photos, before you shoot. Instead of taking random shots of someone standing here, or someone else sitting there, tell a story. For example, let’s say it’s Halloween. You may plan on taking four photos of your child:
      1. on the hayride taking him/her to the pumpkin field.
      2. looking for a pumpkin.
      3. finding a pumpkin.
      4. with the carved pumpkin later.
    • GREAT PHOTOS.Photos for your scrapbooks can be extra nice if you take a little bit of time to learn some basic photography. Visit http://www.kodak.com for a quick photography tutorial. Getting organized has a lot to do with preparation and this site is filled with helpful tips and ideas.
    • WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN.Organized documentation is important for the serious scrapbooker. The main goal is to eliminate future questions such as “Who or what is that?”, “Where and when was this photo taken?”, and so on. Document photos as you’re taking them, so you’ll know exactly what is on each roll of film. That way you’ll be prepared when you’re ready to organize the photos in your scrapbooks.
    • TAKE CARE OF THAT UNDEVELOPED FILM.If you find rolls of film around your house that are ready to go to the developer, bring them today. You may consider mailing all of your film to a supplier such as walmart so you don’t have to spend time dropping off film or picking up photos. Simply mail your film out, and you’ll get your photos back in the mail a week later. From now on, always get your film developed as soon as you take the used rolls out of your camera.
    • STORING PHOTOGRAPHS.Once your photos are developed, you need a place to store them until you’re ready to put them in your scrapbook. Keep them separated by year or event, in Ziplock bags. Label each bag with a number, and put a corresponding number on your Documentation Form. Then, store them in a photo box. Keep the box in a dry, cool place to protect your photos until you’re ready to put the photos into your scrapbook.
    • ORGANIZING BOXES OF PHOTOS.If you have boxes of photos that span from the beginning of the 1900′s to now, it’s time to start getting them organized. Schedule a day and time to begin sorting through them and stick with your appointment when the day rolls around. Get your kids, or friends, to help out. Begin by making piles, categorized by event or year. If you don’t know the exact year, at least sort them by decade. This may take a little while, but once everything is separated, scrapbooking your photos will be much easier and more pleasant. Once they’re all sorted, store your photographs as mentioned above.
    • WORK BACKWARDS.If you’re planning to scrapbook lots of photos from way back, start with the most recent photos you have, and work backwards. Chances are, you have a journal describing recent photos, and even if you don’t, you can probably recall the details more easily. Older photos–the ones that you don’t have a journal for–will take a little more thinking.
    • BABY STEPS.If your scrapbooking hobby seems like a colossal job to you, it’s not going to be fun. Don’t feel like you have to put ALL of your photos into scrapbooks. You can always put the majority of your photos in acid-free photo albums or photo boxes where they will be safe. Choose a small set of photos to begin scrapbooking. Once you’re done with this small set, you can then decide whether you want to dig into your photo albums or photo boxes and continue scrapbooking them, or leave those photos where they are, and simply scrapbook any new photos in the future.
    • DOUBLE PRINTS.Double prints will do you no good if they’re just sitting in your photo box taking up space. Do something with them. Perhaps send them to someone who is in the photograph. It’s a great way to keep in touch. Or, pass the doubles onto your young children who may like to create their own scrapbooks. It’s a great way for them to learn your beloved hobby and decide if they would like it to be a hobby of their own.
    • RELATED STUFF.Sometimes, for the purpose of creatively decorating your scrapbook, you may wish to keep tickets, brochures, maps, postcards, and so on, that are related to a particular trip or event. Use manila file folders or catalog envelopes for this purpose. Label the folder/envelope so that you know which photos/Documentation Form it corresponds to. File these until they’re ready to be used.
    • KEEPING IT ALL TOGETHER.Already have a pretty good idea of stickers, diecuts, etc. that you’re planning to use with a particular set of photographs? Keep them in the same Ziplock bag with the photos until you’re ready to put them into your scrapbook. This way, everything will be in one place and ready to use.
    • STICKERS AND SHAPES.Stickers and punched shapes can be kept in acid-free sheet protectors, plastic baseball card sheets, business card sheets, or even Ziplock bags that are 3-hole punched. Each sheet should be categorized and labeled by theme: birthday, Christmas, Halloween, wedding, springtime, etc. Insert these sheets into a 3-ring binder. If you have a large number of stickers and shapes, you may want to use index dividers labeled with general categories. For example, a general HOLIDAY category, may hold Easter, Christmas/Hanukkah, Halloween, etc., a general SEASONS category, may hold Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, and so on.
    • TINY STUFF.For very tiny diecuts and other small items, consider storing then in empty film canisters. The clear ones are best, but if you only have opaque ones, simply stick a label–or the actual diecut attached with a piece of tape– on the canister indicating what is inside. Baby food jars serve the same purpose well.
    • PAPER.Where do you keep all of that cool paper until you’re ready to use it? You can get a plastic, portable filing container–research its composition to assure archival safety–that holds hanging file folders. Label the hanging files by theme or color. You may want to place a manila file folder into each hanging file folder, to keep your papers from curling. Or, you may buy file folder pockets or sheet protectors that fit into a 3-ring binder and store your papers inside each pocket, categorized and labeled. By the way, be very careful not to store acid-free paper with other paper.
    • STORAGE CONTAINERS.Do a little bit of research and purchase a scrapbooking organizer, which will hold papers, supplies, etc. There are many products on the market that can help you keep it all together. Many office supply stores carry six-drawer organization stations. They’re vertical and have 6 see-through drawers of equal size. Each drawer can be designated for a different purpose–papers, templates/diecuts, stickers, etc. Plus, they have wheels, which makes them very easy to transport from one room to another. Or, if you often bring your scrapbooking supplies outside of your home, such as to a friend’s house, use a portable system that isn’t too heavy or cumbersome, and comes with a handle.
    • STENCILS.Put your stencils/templates into sheet protectors that can be purchased at any office supplies store. Then insert them into a 3-ring binder for easy access. By the way, you can store two templates in one sheet protector with a piece of paper in between each–white or colored depending on the color of your template. This will make it easier to see the designs and eliminate them from catching onto each other.
    • SUPPLY CADDY.If you always scrapbook at home, use a kitchen utensil caddy with a number of divided compartments, like those you normally keep tall kitchen spoons, ladles, and spatulas in. The ones that spin will keep everything you need at your fingertips.
    • HANG IT UP.If you’re lucky enough to have a room specifically designated for your scrapbooking hobby, hang a large pegboard above your work area. You can then attach scissors, templates, crimpers, rulers, stencils and more, all within easy sight and reach. In addition, you might hang a small ledge or shelf nearby, to store all of your corner rounders, photo corners, and so on. If you prefer everything out in the open, this system will work like a charm.
    • RUBBER STAMPS.Store rubber stamps in shallow, plastic containers, a rubber stamping organizer, or a plastic organizer with shallow drawers. Don’t stack stamps. They should be stored in a single layer, so that you can always see the top of the stamp showing the design.
    • OTHER STORAGE IDEAS.Fishing tackle boxes–with compartments and levels that expand and collapse–are wonderful for storing scrapbooking supplies and tools. Plastic tool boxes, with many see-through drawers are also great for this purpose.
    • SCRAPBOOKING MAGAZINES.Is your closet full of scrapbooking magazines? There are a few things to do about this dilemma. 1) You can go through your magazines, find the articles you wish to keep and organize them into file folders by category. In other words, keep the article, toss the magazine. 2) Or you can keep the magazines in cardboard magazine boxes. If you do this, you should always keep a list of the title/issue of the magazine, the pages that interest you, and a few words describing why they interested you. This way, you can just scan your list, instead of going through the entire magazine to find what you’re looking for. You can even use your computer and create the list in a word processing file. Then using the Find feature, you can simply search for key words in your document.
    • HOLD THAT THOUGHT.Rather than keeping all those great scrapbooking ideas and tips in your head–you know, the ones you pick up from magazines, web sites, etc.– keep a 3-ring binder with some notepaper inside for all your thoughts and ideas. Plus, when you see something in a magazine, you can simply tear the page out of the magazine, 3-hold punch it, and place it in your binder. The same goes if you see something on a web site that you wish to refer to later; just print it out and insert it into your binder. You can even separate the binder into a few different sections, such as page layout ideas, organizing ideas, neat tools/supplies, etc.
    • CHOOSE A DESIGNATED WORK AREA.Scrapbooking is more fun and less of a chore, when everything is in one place and in close, accessible proximity to your working area. Designate a room, or a portion of a room, in your home for this activity. You should be able to retrieve your supplies, photos, etc. in seconds, without having to walk into another room, or rummage through a closet.
    • SHOPPING.Use an organized shopping system so you remember what you want to pick up for your hobby –scissors, crimpers, papers, etc. This will also eliminate purchasing items that you already have. When you think of something you need, immediately put it on a SCRAPBOOKING PICK UP list, and bring this list with you when you go shopping. Using 3 inch x 5 inch index cards, make examples of your cuts and punches on them. Label and keep them in your day timer, or a tiny 3-ring binder. Bring these cards with you when shopping for scrapbooking items, and you’ll never buy duplicates. This also works great for remembering what color pens/pencils you have. Just draw a line on your index cards and label them.
    • USE WHAT YOU HAVE FIRST.Resist the urge to buy a million new papers, punches, and so on, until you’ve used some of the craft supplies you already have. Unless you’re planning on opening a scrapbooking warehouse, it’s best to be choosy before emptying your wallet on new items, when you already have items you could use in your current supply.
    • SHOP ONLINE.You’ll save a lot of time running back and forth to the store, if you commit instead to making your purchases online.
    • TRADE.If you have something that you haven’t used in a year or more, such as craft scissors, stickers, etc., swap them with a friend. Who knows? Perhaps your friend will find immediate use for this item, and you will get something you can use right now in return.
    • GOALS.Always set goals for your scrapbooking hobby, perhaps one to two pages a week. This is especially necessary if you’re creating a scrapbook for an upcoming special occasion.
    • PLAN.Before you start working on your pages, plan ahead. Arrange your photos in chronological order and gather stickers, diecuts, etc. that correspond with your photos. Think about your layout and how you plan to document each photo. This will ensure you’re going to be happy with the final results, and will reduce the need to redo things.
    • DO THE TWO STEP.Step One: Assemble your pages with your photos, documentation and critical diecuts.Step Two: Decorate with stickers, stamps, etc. The two-step process will help you get the critical part (step one) done faster, and then you can continue with the second step (less important) later on.
    • KEEP YOUR PAGES SIMPLE.Although you may really feel the need for creating a work of art on occasion, if your goal is to get a scrapbook done as quickly as possible, keep it simple. Getting photos and documentation in the album is the main goal. Save your really creative moments for extra special scrapbooking projects. And remember, too much stuff on any one page, takes away from the photos.
    • QUICK COLOR SCHEMES.Quickly, organize your scrapbooks with colors that compliment each other, by referencing a good color harmony book. You can pick one up at your local bookstore. They include hundreds of color combination examples. Color Harmony, by Hideaki Chijiiwa, is an excellent book for this purpose.
    • MULTI-TASKING.Looking for a few minutes here or there to catch up on your scrapbooking? Take and make all your phone calls in the same room as your designated scrapbooking work area. Then, while you’re on the phone with your friends or family, you can crop, frame or mount at the same time. Or, instead of making punches when you need them, make a bunch of punches at once while you’re watching television, or are on the telephone, or when you’re waiting for a pot of water to boil. This will save time later because your punches will be ready when you need them.
    • GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED.Many people like to get their kids involved with the actual project, such as arranging stickers, applying diecuts, etc. If you would rather your kids were not involved with the actual project, give them a project of their own. You can always find a few photos that you’re not going to use in your scrapbook, some inexpensive paper, kid scissors, etc. Then have each child make their very own scrapbook. Either way, the kids will be occupied, which will give you time to enjoy your hobby.
    • ELIMINATE BICKERING.If you have more than one child that is involved with a scrapbooking activity, get them each their own plastic storage box and/or accordion files to keep their own supplies in. This way, when they want to work on their scrapbook, all of their supplies will already be separated. You may even color code their supplies, plastic boxes, etc. so they always know which stuff belongs to them. For example, blue container, blue scissors and markers labeled in blue for Billy, and all pink for Sally.
    • FAMILY TIME.Scrapbooking is a great way to spend some time with your family. Get the whole family involved and around the table at the same time. It’s a great time to share ideas and dreams with each other. Can’t seem to get the male family members involved? Perhaps they can sit at the table while the females are scrapbooking, and they could do something they enjoy at the same time. At least everyone will be together and having fun.
    • TEAM UP.Scrapbooking is a great way to spend time with your friends and catch up with each other. Start a scrapbooking club and meet at each other’s homes one day every few weeks. Make a party of it!
    • IDENTIFY.The next time you get together with friends, or a scrapbooking club, put a little piece of colored tape on your scissors’ handles, the sides of your punch tools, pens, etc. Then, everyone could share, but you’ll be sure to get your tools back when it’s time to go home.
    • DON’T TAKE THE KITCHEN SINK.If you’re going to be scrapbooking at a friend’s home, take a few minutes to plan what you want to work on. By doing this, you will only have to carry those supplies you’re going to use. In other words, if you’re going to be working on a wedding theme, there’s no reason to be carrying all of your holiday items with you.
    • CLEAR THE WAY.If you are spending too much time looking for supplies, background papers, photos, frames, that great rubber stamp and so on, then, it’s time to organize your work station. Declutter and toss out or trade those items you don’t need, you don’t like, etc. Organize your supplies into binders and storage containers. You should always be working on a clear surface, with only the current project in front of you.
    • CLEAN UP THE SCRAPS.If there is a wastepaper basket right near your work station, all of the scraps that you’re not planning on using can be tossed immediately. Don’t leave trash on your work surface. If you visit a friend’s home, you may want to carry along an empty tissue box so that all scraps can be discarded immediately, and make clean-up for your host quick and easy.
    • PUT IT AWAY.Always have a home for your supplies, and when you’re finished using them, take a few moments to put everything away. You should be able to start fresh with a clear mind and a clear surface.
    • BIG ITEM/SMALL ITEM.Never place a big item over a smaller item, because if you do, it will be out of sight, and difficult to find quickly.
    • ERGONOMICS.Organize your work area for increased productivity. Make sure it’s well lit. Have a comfortable chair to sit on. Your supplies and tools should be within arms reach.
    • SAFETY.Organize your scrapbooking with safety in mind. Use a protective covering for your table. Craft mats are great for cutting on. Scissors and other sharp tools should be face down in a holder, and out of a young child’s reach.
    • MAKE IT EASY.Different personality styles require different organization systems. Make sure you use an organization system you can live with–one that works with your style and that allows you to find things without delay. If you find things easier when they’re alphabetized, then use that type of system. Perhaps you’re better at finding things by color. Then use that system. Your organization system must work in harmony with your personality.
    • DON’T DO SO MUCH.Finding the time for your scrapbooking and/or rubberstamping hobby can be difficult if you have too many things going on in your life. Reduce or eliminate the activities you don’t truly enjoy. Reduce the activities of your children. Get on an organized cleaning schedule, so you’re not wasting the entire weekend cleaning up. Make easier dinners that are healthy, but take half the time to prepare. Get your family to help out with household chores and obligations.
    • SPARE TIME.Those spare minutes that we all have can be put to good use. Have to wait at the doctor’s office for your appointment? Sketch out a quick layout idea. Waiting for the wash cycle to finish? Sort out some photos, or gather supplies for tomorrow’s scrapbooking project.
    • WRITE IT DOWN.Don’t ever leave your home without a small notebook in hand. You’re bound to come up with a thought, or a cute caption, for your scrapbook. If you don’t write it down right away, you may forget about it. You may also want to keep a small pad and a pen right near your bedside, in case you have a bright idea in the middle of the night.
  • ENJOY!Plan, organize and schedule some time to enjoy your creations with family and friends. Scrapbooking is all about fun, laughter, memories, and touching moments!


Scrapbook Albums and How to Construct One

Your honeymoon was delightful. You spent 11 days in Bora Bora, and now you’d like to capture those memories in one place. A friend suggested a scrapbook album, but you don’t know how to construct a scrapbook album.

Honeymoon scrapbook albums can be fun to make, even if you have never tried one before. Tropical scrapbook albums also are exciting. When one combines the best of tropical scrapbook albums and honeymoon scrapbook albums, the results can be amazing. But how do you make scrapbook albums?

Let’s look at the steps.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 1

Scrapbook albums come in a range of materials, sizes, and styles. The first step in constructing scrapbook albums is choosing the album itself.

1. Materials: Leather scrapbook albums are likely to be the most expensive. Honeymoon scrapbook albums are precious, however, and you may want to choose durable leather for yours. Cloth-covered scrapbook albums are also a good choice. Some have a window opening on the front cover for a special photo. The cloth used is usually book cloth, so it is strong. Cheap scrapbook albums are also available. These are usually made of heavy cover stock, plain or covered with paper.

2. Sizes: Standard scrapbook albums have a useable page size of 12×12 inches. The scrapbook album itself may measure 13×14 inches or more, but part of that is the book’s spine. Some scrapbook albums are larger – as large as 18×20 inches. Smaller scrapbook albums are as small as 4×6 inches. As a novice, you may want to select from the standard scrapbook albums, since scrapbook supplies are made to that standard.

3. Styles: As the popularity of scrapbooking has increased, the variety of styles in scrapbook albums has mushroomed. Plain cover scrapbook albums come in many colors. Some scrapbook albums have a military-themed cover, featuring the military branch and a gold plated service medallion. Others have a Disney theme, with Mickey Mouse and friends adorning the cover. Tropical scrapbook albums, which you might choose for a honeymoon in Bora Bora, would be attractive in scrapbook albums with a bright red or blue Hibiscus-patterned cloth cover. You might even find unique Bora Bora scrapbook albums.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 2

Once you have selected a scrapbook album, you need to sort the photos and memorabilia you will use. Pay attention to the theme of each piece as well as the colors.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 3

Honeymoon scrapbook albums already have an overall theme – the honeymoon. Your next step will be to decide sub-themes for each 2-page spread. For example, you might have a theme of arrival at Bora Bora, with approach photos of the island from the air. This theme could also include photos taken upon landing. First impressions are important memories. Lay out your photos, deciding a theme for each page or 2-page spread. Then move to the next step.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 4

Background papers are a good way to tie pages together. Scrapbooking paper in standard 12×12 inch size comes in a multitude of colors and patterns. Plain paper is also available. Be sure you purchase paper that is acid free to protect your photos and memorabilia. Choose paper to complement the photos on each page.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 5

With your scrapbook album paper in place, arrange photos. Resist crowding your pages with photos. You will need space for notes and other elements. You might want to add a bit of torn paper beneath photos to set them off from the background. On come pages, you may want to put a paper frame around the photos. Such scrapbooking supplies are available at scrapbooking stores and websites.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 6

After you arrange and affix the photos, it’s time to add journaling. “Journaling” is nothing more than notes or captions that help explain the photos. You may have a memory of what was said when a certain photo was taken – or a comment about what happened immediately before or after. Journaling can be done on small pieces of paper that are added to scrapbook albums much as photos are added.

How to Construct a Scrapbook Album – Step 7

The final touch in constructing scrapbook albums is to add embellishments, charms, stickers, and other small pieces that add interest. Honeymoon scrapbook albums might include small hearts or kisses. Bora Bora scrapbook albums, or other tropical scrapbook albums, might include small sandals or seashells.