Have you ever thought about all the photos and other special mementos you have lying around the house from years of kids growing up and other major life events? Most of us insist on saving all those things – old report cards, art projects, school photos – but we never know what to do with it all. All those little memories end up in an old shoe box in the top of a closet, just waiting to be looked at and giggled over.
Scrapbooking is probably the best way to get all those memories in one easy-to-look-at spot where you can pull up a digital version or sit down with something more traditional and take a trip down memory lane. Getting started scrapbooking can be a little overwhelming when it comes to sorting through all your treasures, so here’s a look at how to get started and a what websites are the best for helping your along the way.
Get organized. Getting a hold on all your photos and mementos may not be the most glamorous part of the project, but it’s definitely the most useful and will help you down the road. Think about organizing everything into a timeline, so you know exactly where to find what you need. Plastic bins that can be labeled are a perfect way to sort photos and mementos.
Try www.daisytrail.com for getting started.
Decide on what you want to work on first. Maybe you want to go all the way back to your highschool days or when your first child was born – whatever the event, narrow it down and focus on that time period. Once you have pinpointed a timeframe, decide on a theme for your scrapbook.
www.craftcrave.com is a great spot for getting ideas.
Make a plan for whether you’re going to create a digital or a more traditional scrapbook. If you’re planning to go digital, be sure you have all the necessary items – like a computer, scanner and some sort of graphics program to help with layouts.
Take a look at this article to get going.
If you’re planning to make a more traditional scrapbook, choose an album that suits your theme and is large enough to hold all your items.
Scrapbook.com should have everything you need.
Measure, plan and group all your favorite items on pages that make the most sense, designing each one with your theme in mind. Organize the pages over the course of a timeline (or whatever makes the most sense to you) and most of all, be creative!
Check out www.acherryontop.com for ideas, supplies and creative inspiration.
Have you ever made a scrapbook? Was it digital or traditional?
