How to Make a Fire & Rescue Scrapbook
Making a fire and rescue scrapbook is a great way to honor a firefighter or rescue worker you know. With a little creativity, you can create a truly compelling gift.
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Things You'll Need
- Blank scrapbook
- Firetruck wrapping paper
- Red, yellow and orange bond paper
- Wrappers to fire logs
- Prepackaged fire and rescue scrapbook pages (optional)
- Photos of firefighter/rescue worker at work and in uniform
- Access to old newspapers and magazines
- Glue stick or spray mount
- Parchment paper
Instructions
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Prepare the background of the scrapbook pages using a mixture of firetruck wrapping paper; blocks of red, orange and yellow paper and old newspaper and magazine articles about fire and rescue operations. You can also cut out the flames from a fire log wrapper. As an alternative, you can buy premade fire and rescue scrapbook pages from a variety of sources.
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Get a stack of photos of the firefighter or rescue worker, or arrange for a visit to the fire station to take your own pictures. Call various coworkers to see if they have any action photos. Scan the firefighter's certificate and take a sharp closeup of his or her badge. Ideally you will have photos of varying sizes. Pick only the sharpest photos with just the right exposure. The backgrounds are busy, so the photos really need to stand out.
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Put the badge photo and certificate on the front page, along with the honoree's name, printed on parchment paper with singed edges. You can do this by lighting a candle and running the edge of the paper through it just long enough for the paper to turn brown.
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Start arranging the photos, either chronologically or by theme (station house photos, action shots, training exercises, your firefighter or rescue worker with the firetruck or ambulance and in uniform). Don't overdo it--three to four photos should be the maximum to prevent the pages from looking too cluttered and busy.
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Write up captions for each page, or for each individual photo. Go the narrative route--don't just write the person's name and date, but use the caption to impart a little extra information. For example, under a photo of the honoree next to the firetruck, write a little something about the truck and how long it has been in service. For a training shot caption, write how many training exercises the firefighter goes through a year, and where they are held. Print on parchment paper, singe the edges and paste into the scrapbook.
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Tips & Warnings
Mix up newspaper and magazine stories and layouts about fires and rescues with some vintage clips found in old newspapers or magazines on sale either on eBay or at the local antique mall.
Take care not to smear the old newspaper stories. Place a piece of paper over them as you smooth them down so you don't smear the copy and risk getting ink elsewhere on the page.
