Scrapbooks allow you
to not only preserve photos and memorabilia, but to capture the
emotions behind your precious memories.
Putting together a
scrapbook can seem like a daunting project, especially when you first
look at the boxes and piles of unsorted photos. Joy Macdonell,
education director at EK Success, a scrapbooking company, offers
these tips.
* Purchase the basic tools. To get started, buyadhesive, a paper trimmer, scissors, pens, paper and albums. Hermabrand adhesive is recommended, as is the Zig Memory System line of
pens. Always purchase products with the keywords "acid-free,"
"photo-safe" and "lignin-free" to ensure the best
quality.
* Organize your pictures. Sort your images by theme,
occasion, year or people and store in an acid-free photo box with tab
dividers. Write all the important details on the back of the photos
with a photo labeling pen.
*
Having a beautiful photo memory book like the one we recommend below, is also essential!
Select the pictures. Choose the pictures that best illustrate the theme of your page. Store the others. A beginner should aim to have about three pictures per page.
* Sketch the layout and determine the colors. Sketch how
you want your page elements to be organized and use temporary
adhesive so you can move things around. Also, choose coordinating
colors that complement the hues in your photos.
* Crop and mat
the photos. Crop your photos to eliminate superfluous detail. Then
create a simple mat, about a quarter-inch wide on all sides, to put
under the photos so they stand out on the page.
* Embellish
the page. Add life to the page with stickers, creative lettering or
other 3-D embellishments. Start simple; you want your pictures to be
the main focus.
* Write journal entries. This is the most
important scrapbook element because it conveys the details and
feelings about that moment, which can be forgotten with time. To make
journal writing easy, write bullet points to highlight the main
events.
* Take a class. Although these tips will help you get
started, take classes to really hone your skills. Scrapbook Design &
You, for instance, is a 10-class program available at more than 250
retailers nationwide.
