Scrapbooking: Getting Started

Scrapbooking, in one form or another, has been around for centuries. The hobby has recently taken this country by storm. Scrapbooks have gone way beyond simple photographs taped to a page with some notes, and is now considered a whole new art form. Over the past decade an entire industry has emerged selling products, tips, tutorials, and magazines for scrapbookers. Avid scrapbookers can even attend conferences to showcase their work and swap ideas with other scrappers from all over the country.

The purpose of this article is to give some helpful tips for scrapbooking, to encourage even those who feel inexperienced and are late to arrive on the scrapbooking scene.

Get Organized

First you need to get together all your pictures and anything else you plan to include in your scrapbook. If you don’t already have some scrapbooking supplies, visit your local craft store and buy some paper and a few things to get going. Once you start the scrapbook you'll find there may be more tools or craft supplies that you would like to use... you can always go back and get more supplies later on.

Start Small

Don’t expect to create scrapbook pages documenting your whole life in one day. It took many years to create the memories, it will certainly take a while to display all of it in a scrapbook. Choose some pictures from a meaningful event and start working on a page for that event. Once you finish that, you can move on to another event, then another, and another

Keep it Simple

Don’t expect the first scrapbook page you create to make the cover of a magazine for scrapbook enthusiasts and professionals. The important thing is that you’re getting started and organizing your memories into a precious heirloom for your family. Don’t worry about getting too creative or adding lots of embellishment on your first page. Focus on presenting the pictures and adding commentary that will get the story across the way you want it to. The layout is not nearly as important as the photos and the story you tell.

Ask For Help

Scrapbookers love to share ideas and techniques with other scrapbookers. Part of the fun of scrapbooking is sharing time with friends as you create these pages. Find a friend who’s into scrapbooking and ask to see some of their scrapbooks. They will love you for asking and you’ll be able to get some great ideas for layouts and page designs that you can use in your own scrapbooks. You can even show your friend the pictures you want to use and get input on how they would design the page. If they’ve been scrapping for a while, chances are they will have some great suggestions and can give some good direction on how to design your pages.

Just Do It

No matter how good your intentions, those scrapbook pages won’t create themselves. Even if you only have 30 minutes or so, sit down and start putting that first page together. Once you get started, it’ll be difficult to put down the scissors and glue... So get started today in the exciting world of scrapbooking!

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