Scrapbooking for Special Occasions

Scrapbooking for Special Occasions 

By Sara Steele, Owner Picnic Hill Create

Life's special events—weddings, new babies, graduations, holidays, and travels—evoke a whirlwind of feelings and memories, often inspiring people to create memory books to preserve and share these precious moments. 

Whether you're a seasoned scrapbooker or just starting out, here are some tips for creating a cherished memory book. From choosing and developing photos to crafting descriptions that complement your design, we'll cover the essentials to get you started. 

First, the star of the show: Photos. Depending on your comfort level with photo editing software, this can be a great place to start determining the look and feel of your book. I primarily use the free photo editing software provided by Google Photos and sometimes the free app Photo Collage. If you’re in a rush, or don’t like editing photos, you can still just develop all the photos and make photo cropping and photo selection choices when you have the pictures in front of you. For thoughts on the pros and cons of this method, check out Veronica’s post here.

Within the photo editing software, you have many choices for cropping photos, applying special effects like black & white or sepia, adjusting coloring, applying a vignette, etc. Additionally, the meta data on the photo usually contains the date the photo was taken. This information is sometimes helpful when trying to keep the events in chronological order. 

Getting your photos developed doesn’t have to be complicated. Big chains like CVS and Walmart can have your prints ready within an hour or two if you’re in a rush. I like to use my local photography store, Rockbrook Camera, because the cost is comparable, but the quality is tons better and the prints are usually ready the same day. Depending on the style of your memory book, you may want to print the photos in a matte or luster/satin finish instead of glossy. 

Once you have your printed photos, I find it helpful to label the back of each one with a Post-It note. I’ll include the names, dates, and any other pertinent information to help me stay organized. Many times I have many more photos that I’d like to include on a particular page than I have room for. In those cases, I love using the photo sleeves that coordinate with my album. They make some that are meant to go in between layouts and others that attach to the page protector to let you layer the photos on top of one another. 

Next, let’s talk about titles. Titles aren’t a requirement for a memory book, but they add a stylistic element that really packs a punch and can share emotion in a way that complements the photos. To me, a memory page or scrapbook layout doesn’t quite look complete without a title. The first consideration is what word or phrase will you use for your title. Puns and wordplay or inside jokes can be a really impactful way of engaging the viewer with the page. Pinterest and Google have loads of title ideas if you provide a general summary of the feeling you’re trying to convey. 

As far as making the title for your page, my go-to is my electronic cutting machine. I’ll use either my Cricut or Silhouette to craft a title with mixed fonts and the exact sizing I want. If you don’t have access to an electronic cutting machine, alphabet stickers are a fantastic option. Even when small in size, they can be combined with layered elements to bring your title to the sizing proportion for your page. Titles are a lot more fun if you add some imagery like hearts and some sparkle from glitter (if appropriate for the theme, of course). 

Last, but certainly not least is journaling. Including the details of the event can be critical to the impact of the memory book for future generations. However, dwelling on this fact can cause a bit of decision paralysis to the one writing the information. Don’t get stuck in your own head! Here are some tips for meaningful journaling: 

Add quotes of what someone said. I’m so glad I included some of the things my daughter said when she was two years old. Reading those quotes brings back all the emotion of that memory. 

Use bullet points so you can use less words without compromising details

Include dates, but many times you can be vague and use something like “Fall 2018”

If you are in a creative writing rut, prompts like “the best part of the day was___” or “I’ll always remember how [person’s name]”

Journaling can be handwritten or typed. Many folks are slightly disgusted by the look of their own handwriting (present company included!) However, the sentimental value of writing in your own penmanship cannot be overstated. Something I like to do is include my handwritten journaling in a “hidden” and/or interactive element of the page. This can be under a photo or in a small envelope on the layout. Another tip is to use your Cricut or Silhouette with the pen tool and a handwriting font. This gives the handwritten look without the size and font irregularities of authentic handwriting.

In conclusion, creating a scrapbook is a rewarding way to preserve cherished memories. By carefully selecting photos, crafting meaningful titles, and including thoughtful journaling, you can create a lasting tribute to your special occasions. While this post focused on the foundational elements, there's much more to explore in the world of scrapbooking! In my next blog post, we'll delve into the exciting realm of layout design. I'll share tips on creating visually appealing and balanced layouts, incorporating different paper textures and colors, and using embellishments to add dimension and personality to your pages. Stay tuned for more scrapbooking inspiration!

Sara