How to Design a Scrapbook Page
Scrapbook layouts tell the stories of your life. By pairing favorite photographs with written memories, a single page can capture the events, emotions and easily forgotten details from any occasion. Design a page that's decorative while keeping the focus on your images and words.
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Things You'll Need
- Photos
- Cardstock
- Paper trimmer
- Adhesives
- Patterned paper
- Pens
- Rubber stamps
- Stamping ink
- Stickers
- Embellishments
Instructions
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Select a batch of photos to use on your scrapbook layout. They can be anything from highlights from a single event to heirloom images of your ancestors to the snapshots you took of your baby this morning.
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Choose cardstock to serve as the page background. Use white, black or oatmeal for a classic look or shades that coordinate with your photos.
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Arrange your photos loosely on the page until you find a visually-pleasing arrangement. Try a "photo block" (by aligning images in a column, row or square) or place them separately with edges overlapping slightly to lead the viewer's eye from one image to the next. Consider trimming some to accommodate more on the page and to create visual interest.
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Ensure the photo placement leaves enough room for journaling and a page title if you'd like to include one. If you have too many photos to fit on one page, turn the layout into a two-page spread or design several single pages to cover different aspects of the event (like splitting graduation photos into the ceremony, celebratory dinner, gift opening and party with friends).
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Adhere the images to the page with photo tabs or double-stick tape. Give them impact with cardstock photo mats that contrast with the background or mats created from patterned paper that suits the page theme.
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Add journaling directly to the background, on a coordinating piece of cardstock or a decorative "journaling spot." Include details to fill readers in on what they can't see in the photos, like your feelings, mishaps from the day, event planning details or memorable quotes.
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Design a title to give the reader a glimpse of the story. Add the title with rubber stamps, stickers, chipboard letters or handwriting along the top, bottom or sides of the page. Consider allowing the title of a two-page spread to stretch across both pages to tie them together.
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Embellish with accents to express your creativity and add to the appeal of the scrapbook page. Use themed pieces (like buttons or stickers of bottles and blocks for baby pages) or decorative ones like rub-ons, pen doodles, paper flowers, die cuts, ribbon and charms. Keep them from overwhelming your photos and journaling, however.
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Tips & Warnings
Brainstorm design, accent, texture and color ideas by studying scrapbooking websites and magazines. The layout of a magazine advertisement, hues from a new line of clothing or text styles from a billboard can also become inspiration for your layouts. Carry a small notebook to jot down helpful tidbits. (See Resources)
