8 X 8 Scrapbook Layout Ideas

The pages of an 8-by-8 inch scrapbook are almost completely covered once a photo, title and journaling are added, unlike a the pages of a 12-by-12 scrapbook that leave lots of room for embellishments. Create an 8-by-8 scrapbook if you want to make a very simple scrapbook or you don't have enough pictures of an event to place more than one, maybe two cropped, photos on a page.

4-by-6 Inch Photo Layout

Cut an 8-inch square of card stock for the background of your page. Cut two smaller strips of solid or coordinating patterned scrapbook paper in colors that draw out the colors in the photograph. Cut one of the strips 8 inches long and the other 3 1/2 inches long; you can determine the width of the strips. Cut a piece of paper in a square that is wider than either of the strips. Attach the strip that is 8 inches long so it runs vertically on the page an inch or two from the right edge of the page. Attach the smaller strip running vertically so that the bottom of the strip is an inch higher than where you want the bottom edge of the photograph to rest on the page and the strip is 1/2 an inch to the left of where the left edge of the photograph will rest. Attach the square so that its bottom edge is an inch lower than the bottom edge of the photograph and 1/2 an inch to the right of the right edge of the photograph. Finally, attach the photograph over the top of the square and the smaller strip. Attach a title to the page with chipboard letters or letters cut from paper. Orient the title at the bottom right edge of the photograph with title slightly overlapping the bottom of the photograph. Do your journaling for the page beneath the photograph. Use an acid-free adhesive when assembling any scrapbook pages to protect your photos; double-sided acid-free tape is an easy adhesive to use and it can be found at craft stores.

3-by-5 Inch Photo Layout

Cut a piece of solid colored card stock to make an 8-inch square; this will serve as the page background. Cut two pieces of either solid colored or coordinating print scrapbook paper to 3-by-5 inches. Attach the two pieces of paper and the photograph onto the left side of the page fanned out, with the photograph on the top. Again, choose papers to cut your 3-by-5 rectangles from that draw out the colors in the photograph so that all the elements of the page tie together nicely. Attach a title to the top of the page with chipboard or paper letters. Do your journaling off to the right side of the page. You can write directly on the page or write on a piece of paper that is cut down to fit on the page and then attach your journaling when you are done.

Using Embellishments

Keep your use of embellishments on 8-inch scrapbook pages limited to embellishments that are smaller. A paper flower that is 3 to 4 inches in diameter used on an 8-inch scrapbook page will dominate too much of the page, drawing the attention away from the picture and journaling. Keep your embellishments limited to those that are only an inch or 2 in size. Small brads, ribbon that is 1/2 or 1/4 of an inch wide, miniature paper flowers and small buttons are all embellishments that can add to your page without overpowering it. Limit the number of embellishments you use on a page as well. Don't put more than two or three embellishments on an 8-inch scrapbook page; keep the page clean and focused.