You have never created a scrapbook before, but want to. You have been admiring your friends' scrapbooks for years, and finally decided that you are going to take the plunge. We want to make it simple for you, because scrapbooking should not be difficult and stressful. Below are tips to get started.
Oh, a little advice - make sure everything you use to scrapbook with is acid free and archival safe. We can't stress this enough. Acid free is what will prevent your photos from yellowing, fading and becoming brittle.
Here are the items you will need to get on the road to scrapbooking:
* Scrapbook Album
* Scissors
* Paper
* Paper Trimmer
* Adhesives
* Pens
* Embellishments (completely optional)
Organize Before you begin, go through all of your photographs by purging and organizing them. Get rid of irrelevant photos, or if you can't bring yourself to do that, file and sort them in an acid free photo box. Organize the pictures you will be scrapbooking into a separate box. Organize them by date or subject, whatever will make it easiest for you to get to them quickly.
Crop Take some time to crop your photographs. Cut out any rif-raf in the background (i.e. strangers in the background, empty space, etc). If there is anything taking your eye away from the focal point, you may not want it. This will give your photos a clean look, not to mention the ability to add some more pictures to your layout. Use a nice, sharp pair of scissors for this job.
Choosing a Scrapbook Album Now your pictures are organized and ready to go. Whew...didn't that feel good? I know the feeling! Now it's time to choose what photo album you will be using. There are a few different albums to choose from (3-ring, Strap-hinge, Post-bound). Personally, my favorite is the 3-Ring. They are easy to use and very convenient. It's a snap to move around and add pages. The album lays flat when open, which makes it easy to work with.
How to Mat a Photo Scrapbooking can be overwhelming at times, so make it easy on yourself. Learn how to mat photos for a quick layout idea. Decide on a color of paper to use as your matting. Use a color that compliments the photograph. You can double or even triple your matting for added dimension! Just don't mat too many photos on a page, or it will look overcrowded. Adhere the picture to your chosen paper (see Adhesives below), then use your paper trimmer to cut a nice, straight line about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the edge of the photo. Try to make each side even, or as close to even as possible.
Adhesives Like the scrapbook album, there a several options for adhesives. There are dots, tape runners, mounting squares and glue. I like tape runners because they are easy to use. Stay away from glue sticks - they tend to lose their "stickiness" over time.
Journaling A very important aspect of scrapbooking is journaling. Photographs may say a thousand words, but journaling tells the story.
This is your chance to be that writer you always wanted to be. Or if you are not a fan of writing, and don't have a knack for it, just take the time to jot down the who, what, where and when.
If your handwriting is not so neat, consider using your computer and printer as your journaling tool. Make sure you use acid free paper to print on. There are so many pros to using your computer - it's fast, easy and mistakes can be fixed with a click of the mouse.
How to Make a Layout There really are no rules to scrapbooking; you are your own boss so have fun with it.
* Decide what photos you want to use and crop them if needed or desired.
* Decide the theme, color, and embellishments you would like to use. Play around with your layout. Move your photos around until you like what you see, then go ahead and glue them down!
* Overlap your photos - doing this can actually enhance your page.
* Have a focal point and mat it. Place it to the right or left, and journal in the open space. You can also add a few embellishments to the open space. It's OK to have one photograph on a page.
* Try not to use too many photos on a page (3 to 5 max.). Your layout can wind up looking overcrowded and not very pleasing to the eye. The same goes for adding too many embellishments.
* Use a piece of scrapbook paper as a background.
* Choose embellishments that compliment your photos. If you are doing a day at the beach, use beach-related stickers and paper.
* Using die cuts is an inexpensive way to embellish your pages. If you own a die cutting machine, it will pay for itself with all the money you save by not having to buy extra embellishments.
* I'm a title addict. I need to have a title for almost all my layouts. Letter stickers are very easy and quick to use. Another option is to use a die cut machine. You can also use templates coupled with chalk, pencils or markers to write or draw your titles. This is where your inner Picasso comes in handy!
Get Your Photos into an Album Quickly! OK, you are crazy busy, right? You really don't have the time (maybe even the desire) to sit and spend an afternoon working on a scrapbook album. You are interested in preserving your photos, so how do you do that quickly, without a lot of effort? Easy!
Here are some ideas:
* Have a theme and use this theme throughout your album.
* Steal or borrow ideas from friends or the Internet.
* You don't need to spend a lot of time journaling. Just jot down the basics.
* Use kits or pre-designed albums. These products take all the guess work out of it and leave you with a nice finished product.
* Make sure all of your products are readily available so you don't have to go on a hunt for anything. This will save time.
* Choose what supplies you will use throughout your album and stick with them. The less supplies, the less thinking you will do about what to put where.
That's it, these are the basics. I hope this helps you get started. Scrapbooking is a fun and relaxing craft, so enjoy it. Visit us at http://www.TheScrapbookPeople.com for more ideas, tips and videos on how to "Scrap With Ease."
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