How to Journal in a Scrapbook

Journaling is an essential part of any scrapbook. When you journal in a scrapbook, you are recording the pertinent details about your photographs and newspaper clippings, as well as any personal feelings you have about them. These written details make the scrapbook much more enjoyable for others to view, because it helps them to know what is going on on each page.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Scrapbook pages
• Acid-free scrapbooking pen
• Scissors for cutting out die cuts and paper piecing
• Colored construction paper for die cuts and paper piecing

Create Journal Entries in Your Scrapbook

1. Think about what you want to write before you write it. This will greatly minimize mistakes being made on your scrapbook page. Take notes on a scrap piece of paper if you need to, and then copy the notes onto the scrapbook page.
2. Find the journal box. Many scrapbook pages come pre-printed with these boxed-off spaces that are intended specifically for your journal entries. This is a good place to start journaling, particularly if you are new to it.
3. Get creative in the placement of your journal entries. If you would rather not limit yourself to a box, be aware that you can journal anywhere on a scrapbook page. Journaling around the edges of a photograph or sticker is one option.
4. Make a border out of your journal entries. Write around the edges of the scrapbook page using an acid-free scrapbooking pen. You can write in a traditional straight line, or you can make your lines wavy or spiral or any other shape you can come up with to keep things interesting.
5. Journal on die cut shapes or paper piecing (cut-out images). You can even create your own die cuts and paper piecing specifically for the purpose of writing journal entries on them. Making a die cut to fit the theme of an album or of a particular page will help pull the theme together when you journal on it.
6. Vary the shape, size and color of your journal writing. You can even do this within the same journal entry. Creating lettering with variety makes the page more interesting to look at and draws readers in with its lively and inviting appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• When making a journal entry in your scrapbook, remember the 5 W's--who, what, when, where and why. Keeping these things in mind will help you know what to write and to stay on track.