How to Make a Scrapbook Page

Show off your scrapbook at family gatherings and reunions.

There is no better way to organize and show off your photos than a scrapbook. Scrapbook pages not only form an attractive display, but they are also made with archival quality materials that will protect and preserve your cherished memories for generations. Putting together an album makes a treasured family keepsake, or an excellent gift for someone you love. All those supplies in the scrapbooking stores may make the task look confusing, but with a few basic supplies you can create lovely pages.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Photos
• Cardstock
• Paper
• Scissors
• Adhesives
• Opaque markers and pens
• Scrapbook with page holders

1. Choose a few photos for your scrapbook page. One 5-by-7 inch photograph can be very striking, or you can use three to five smaller images of varying sizes. The photos you choose should somehow go together with a theme, such as a grouping of your grandchildren or pictures from last Thanksgiving.

2. Select a piece of cardstock for a page background. Cardstock is stronger than paper and will make a stronger support. Hold your photos against different color and patterned cardstock and choose a piece that compliments them.

3. Lay your cardstock on your workspace and arrange the photos on it. Don't glue them at this point. Just lay them on the cardstock and move them around until you find a pleasing arrangement that draws your eye across all the photos. Leave a little room at the top for a page banner to write a title, and leave a space to put a square or rectangular scrap of cardboard for writing.

4. Mount each photo with adhesive on a sheet of paper or cardstock that coordinates well with your background cardstock. The piece should be cut so it is slightly larger than your photo and acts as a frame to help set off your pictures and make them stand out against the background. This process is known as matting.

5. Place your matted photos back on the background as they were before. Cut a piece of solid cardstock in the shape of a long, narrow rectangle. Decide on a title for your page, such as, "My Precious Grandbabies" or "Thanksgiving Parade." Write it on the strip using an opaque marker or letter stickers. Lay it across the top of the page.

6. Cut a small square or rectangle of solid cardstock and write the names of the people in the photos, the dates taken, a memory or story you would like to share or any other information you wish to record. Use an opaque pen if your cardstock is dark so the ink will stand out.

7. Affix all the page elements with a glue stick or double-sided tape as you have arranged them. Add additional embellishments if desired, such as stickers or buttons.

8. Slip your decorated page into a page holder of an archival-safe scrapbook. Pages can usually be slipped in the top or side of a page protector. Create and add more pages to fill your book.

Tips & Warnings

• Odd-numbered groupings are more aesthetically pleasing than even numbers.

• Make your mats and page edges fancy by cutting them with decorative-edged scissors.

• Don't overcrowd your page. It's better to have fewer photos and elements so it doesn't look too cluttered. You can always make a second page.

• Use only products labeled as "archival quality" or "acid-free" to preserve your photos.

References

• "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Scrapbooking"; Wendy Smedley; 2000
• Learn 2 Scrapbook: Information for Beginners: Making Your First Page