How to Start Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking can be a creative and thoughtful way to preserve your family memories. But as a beginner, the hobby can be overwhelming if you don't know where to start or where to get ideas. Here are some basic steps to help you get started in scrapbooking.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Family photos
• Photo album or scrapbook
• Scissors
• Foam adhesive squares
• Glue
• Scrapbooking papers, ribbons and embellishments

1. Organize the family photos that you want to use. These photos should reflect the event or the overall emotion that you want to convey.

2. Gather your supplies. Choose the color and fabric of your photo album. Fabrics such as corduroy, velvet or denim add a nice touch to your scrapbook. Make sure your photos, album, construction paper, scissors and other embellishments, such as ribbons, are acid-free and will not deteriorate over time.

3. Select the theme of your scrapbook. Your scrapbook can capture a family gathering at Christmas, celebrate the birth of a child or honor a deceased relative's memory.

4. Find layout ideas from scrapbooking and hobby magazines, which can be found at arts and crafts stores. Draft a sketch of your layout on a spare piece of construction paper so that you know how much space is available on the page. This will give you an idea of where to place photos and where to write.

5. Make backdrops for your scapbook pages by attaching large shapes cut from construction paper or another colored or patterned paper to the page with foam scrabook adhesive squares.

6. Arrange your photos and embellishments first before adhering them to the scrapbook page. You can move the photos around like a puzzle until you create a layout that you like. Crop your photos if necessary to remove unnecessary space. Once you decide on a layout, glue your photos and embellishments onto the page. Make sure to leave room for journaling.

7. Begin your journal entries. Write about the details of the pictures on the page, including the who, what, when and where.

Tips & Warnings

• Feel free to develop your own unique style when scrapbooking. There is no right or wrong way to create your scrapbook pages.