Retirement Scrapbooking Ideas
A scrapbook makes a thoughtful gift for an esteemed colleague who is retiring, one that they will treasure indefinitely. Scrapbooks have been around for decades as a way of organizing and preserving memories.This project can be accomplished by one person, but a committee with each member responsible for a different task makes light work for all.
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Materials
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Scrapbooking is a popular hobby, so craft and specialty stores stock myriad choices of paper, stickers, paper punches, glues, themed embellishments and idea books to create personalized books. Before overspending on supplies, plan ahead. Assess how many photographs you'll be working with and about how many will fit on a page without being too crowded. At present, the most popular scrapbook sizes are 12-by-12 and 8-by-8 inches, so decide which size will be more appropriate. Consider a color scheme: many papers and embellishments are sold in color-coordinated packages to give a scrapbook coherence. Make sure all papers, stickers, pens, embellishments and glues you acquire are acid-free, so that they don't harm your photos.
Gathering Photos and Memorabilia
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Find older photos of the retiree. Enlist the help of co-workers for this. Photograph current employees and consider having them sign the page by their photo. Spread everything out on a large surface to group similar themes or establish a timeline. Include photographs of locations and signs, too: directories, desks, offices and favorite lunch spots.
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Assembling
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Crop or trim your photographs digitally or with a paper cutter, to eliminate unneeded backgrounds and to focus on the subject. Frame each photo with a complimentary or contrasting color of acid-free paper. (This should look like a matted photo, except that the photo sits on top of the colored paper.) The colored paper should extend less than 1 inch beyond the photo on all sides, but there's no rule on this. Arrange the framed photos, embellishments and memorabilia on a full-size (8-by-8- or 12-by-12-inch) sheet of solid or patterned paper and glue in place. Slide the finished page behind the clear plastic page protector in the scrapbook. Refill pages are available for most scrapbooks if additional space is needed.
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