Preserving Memories in a
Photo Scrapbook

You may remember having a scrapbook as a child, You basically cut things out and pasted them in. Or, if you were really fancy you had the special corners you glued onto the pages and then put your articles and photos in the frame you created.

Like everything else, the art of making a scrapbook has evolved and is now quite an interesting, fun and easy hobby. Start making a scrapbook now for that brand new grandchild and what a wonderful gift it will make on his or her wedding day. Or make your scrapbook retroactive, including pictures and articles and clippings you have in shoeboxes and "junk drawers".

It's easy to do. Like every other craft project, organization and planning are key.

First, let's get out those old boxes of photos. Separate them into categories of your choice (year, event, person, vacations, whatever way you choose.) The smaller groupings will make the project less over-whelming and give you a better idea of what you have.

Now select a theme. Is this specifically for a birthday, wedding, graduation etc? Or maybe this is for a specific person, a child, a spouse, a friend. Or maybe it's memories of your travels. It doesn't matter what the theme is, just so you have one.

Of course you now have to edit the photos and choose your absolute favorites. These should be the ones best representing your theme. Of the ones you have chosen you should now pick one (yes, just one) that is going to be your focal point.

You can now select a color theme based on e few of the prominent colors in your focal photo. If your photo is black & white or sepia you must decide if you want the theme to be the more subtle tones of an antique or if you want to choose colors to off-set the neutrals of your photos.

Now start placing the photos on the page of your scrapbook. Don't make everything symmetrical. A little tilt or even overlapping gives the page an interesting look. You can now embellish the page by decorating with stickers or stamping or anything else you'd like.

Keep in mind your theme and color theme, but don't be overly strict about it. In other words, don't think everything must be green just because there is a lot of green in your photo. Many colors will accent green nicely.

Only after everything is exactly where you want it should you consider fixing it to the page. An acid-free adhesive is your best bet. But remember, if you're the least bit unhappy with the layout, DON'T adhere it to the page.

Take some time to journalize your scrapbook. Maybe using a white or silver pen tell a story about the people in the photos or describe the events as you remember them. Always, always, always, include names and dates.

Above all else, remember to have fun. This is a scrapbook, a memory album of good times. Let your personality show in your work and enjoy the process. It will be reflected in your finished product.