How to Make a Scrap Book

Three years ago, I decided to do something with all the "stuff" I had saved from my children's school days. My daughter was 26 and my son was 30. They were married and had families of their own. Someone invited me to a Creative Memory party, and I was hooked. I don't think they knew I had saved their treasures. Some days when I missed having them close by; I would go through the boxes. I had made a lot of mistakes in my life but saving all of their collectables was one of the best things I ever did.

If I can do this, anyone can. I am not particularly creative or artistic. This is how I completed the process. It's time consuming but actually very easy.

The first decision is deciding what kind of book you want to make and who will be featured in the book. Some scrapbooks are basically like photo albums with comments. Others are filled with treasured items. Some people work on their books a few pages at the time, delaying final completion until a certain event like graduation. Others like me put one together in a few months.

Once you have decided on the type of book, you should know how many pictures and how much memorabilia you want to include in the book. Most of the books are large so you want to make sure you have enough to fill it. The amount of items you have will determine the size of book you decide to make. They range from very small to very large.

It is now time to go shopping for the scrapbook and other supplies needed to complete the job. Supplies can be purchased from specialty stores, craft stores, discount stores or independent dealers such as Creative Memories. You do want something that will last for a long time.

After you have purchased the supplies, sort out the pictures and collectables. You will need a lot of room to do this. Once you know exactly what you have it is easier to decide how it will be arranged. I did mine from birth to current time. I have seen scrapbooks that focused on one life event. Anything you have pictures for could be turned into a book.

When you have decided on the order, it is time to start preparing the pages. There are pre-made borders and artwork you can use or some people draw their own. Usually the pages have a theme, such as first birthday. To fit more pictures on the page you will have to do some cutting to eliminate unimportant backgrounds. This is known as cropping.

After you have the items and pictures cut out, you then glue or tape them to the page. You want to secure them so they will not move. You may want to add more borders, artwork, or comments. I added some of my memories from the time periods involved.

You can utilize both sides of the page, as I did, to increase the amount of space or use the front side only. When you are finished with the page cover it with a plastic, protective covering. These are hard to get off once they are on, so make sure you are finished with that page before applying.

Special effects like locks of hair or the first tooth can fit into pockets that you attach to a page. You can also purchase sheets with pouches made to hold items like report cards and valentines. I even included the outfits my children came home from the hospital in.

After you have completed all the pages and covered them with the protective covering, it is time to put them inside a binder. The binders come in different sizes and they are adjustable. It's a little tricky getting the binder to fit together but with a little effort it can be done.

Most scrapbooks have a place in the front cover to write who the book is to and the date it was completed. It's important to note this. The books can be heavy once completed. I recommend purchasing a tote bag just for the scrapbook. This protects the book and makes it easier to transport.

The last step is to give the book to the person it was intended for. I promise it will be one of the greatest gifts they ever receive. Who would not want to receive a memory book devoted totally to them?

The biggest mistake I made when making the first two scrapbooks was not allowing enough time to complete the project. I had planned to give them as Christmas gifts but did not purchase my supplies until the fall. It takes hours to go through stuff, cut the pictures, arrange them on the page, glue them, cover them, etc. I stayed up all night several times so that I could complete the project on time.

Making the scrapbooks was a very positive experience for me. It allowed me to go back and relive a lot of memories I had forgotten. Sometimes I cried but other times I laughed. I picked up the phone to call old friends. It made me more aware of how fast life goes by and how easy it is to lose touch with people in our lives.

My children were overjoyed with their gifts. For them to be able to go back and read report cards and old love letters was priceless. In some ways it helped them pull their childhood together - some of the missing pieces finally made sense. They talk about the day they will share these with their children. Both of them agreed the scrapbooks were the best gift they had ever received. For me, it was the best gift I ever gave.

I am a personal life coach, writer and speaker. As the owner of Life Transitions, I specialize in helping the abused rebuild their lives.

I am passionate about women's issues and especially enjoy helping them develop their full potential. Life gives us many chances to start over again, like a cat with nine lives. For more information see my Web Site http://www.margaretnortonlifecoach.com Blog with me about abuse at http://www.whentiesbreak.blog.com

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