Scrapbooks are a beautiful way to showcase your favorite photos and memories. You’ve probably seen them on social media sites like Pinterest. These can be gorgeous and amazingly creative.
Feel a little intimidated about starting your own scrapbook? Don’t! At its heart, scrapbooking is an easy craft. It has no rules, just creativity and joy. Crafters of every experience level can make a scrapbook if they have the right work surface, supplies, and designs.
The Work Surface
A stable, properly set up work surface is vital for scrapbooking success. Your atHand Overbed Table System has everything you need. Just clear other items off of the rotating tray table and set out supplies on the shelf. Use the LED light on your adjustable bed table if the room’s a little dim.
The Materials
Half the fun of scrapbooking is collecting the right materials. At a minimum, you’ll need a blank scrapbooking album, a few of your favorite photos, scissors, adhesives like glue sticks or sticky dots, and a pen. These supplies let you can sketch in your scrapbook, trim corners and create snipped designs, and freehand beautiful ink borders and inspirational quotes.
Want to branch out? There is a whole world of crafting materials for your one-of-a-kind scrapbook. What can you design with these supplies?
- Glitter pens
- Colorful markers
- Watercolors and brush
- Scalloped and zigzag shears
- Translucent packing paper
- Paper printed with cheerful patterns
- Stencils
- Ink pads and stamps
- Calligraphy pens or chisel tip markers
- Stickers
While we’re at it, remember that scrapbooking is about memories and not just photos. You can liven up the pages that contain your favorite shots with other sentimental items from that time. For example:
- Add pressed and dried flowers or leaves from that summer cabin you rented.
- Glue on sparkling white sand from your honeymoon in Belize.
- Add ticket stubs from your son’s first orchestra concert.
- Include a sachet dabbed with your favorite holiday perfume next to the New Year’s photos.
The Design
Are you sitting there, staring at a blank page and wondering where to begin? Try not to sweat it! There is no ‘right’ scrapbooking layout. An off-center photo just means more space on one side for your artwork. However, if you’re really stuck, divide the page into a grid of nine. Arrange five photos in a cross. Each empty corner gets a different embellishment. On the next page, center one special photo in the middle and draw or create a large, ornate ‘frame’ around it. Turn the page again and set three photos in a diagonal line. Write an inspirational quote in the upper space and add pressed flowers to the lower space.
