Things You'll Need
Photographs
Paper souvenirs
Copy machine or scanner
Craft scissors
White paper
Glue stick
Embellishments
Hole punch
Ribbon or yarn
Construction paper, unlike most scrapbooking papers, has a high acid content, which can lead to deterioration of precious photographs and paper memorabilia. Make scrapbooks using construction paper by first taking a few steps to prevent damage to your photos and documents. Let children use construction paper to create their first scrapbooks. This allows a child to make a number of scrapbooks to preserve their treasured memories and may lead to a lifelong hobby.
Step 1
Pick a theme for the scrapbook. If you or your child have several photographs and paper souvenirs from school and summer vacation, consider different scrapbooks for school activities, schoolmates and individual summer trips, rather than one album including everything.
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Step 2
Cut the construction papers to the size you want for the scrapbook. Use an assortment of colors or keep the color scheme monochromatic. Consider unique shapes such as a schoolhouse for school memories, house for home and family, car for family trips, or simple geometric shapes. Create a template on white paper to trace onto the construction paper. Save the template for later additions to the scrapbook.
Step 3
Separate photos and paper memorabilia by themes.
Step 4
Make a color or black-and-white copy of each photo and piece of memorabilia, using a copy machine or computer and scanner and enlarging or reducing as desired.
Step 5
Lay out each page, positioning the trimmed photocopies and gluing some to white paper for borders.
Step 6
Use decorative scissors to cut the borders on the white papers and glue them to the construction paper according to your layout.
Step 7
Add embellishments to the pages, including ribbons, buttons, stickers or other items, and write captions or messages with colored markers and pens.
Step 8
Create a cover for the scrapbook with two sheets of construction paper cut in the same shape, and design it with a title and embellishments.
Step 9
Assemble the completed pages, lining them up carefully.
Step 10
Punch three or four holes with a hole punch along the left edge. Lace ribbon or yarn through the holes, tying both ends, or cut individual lengths and thread each hole and tie. Alternatively, punch a single hole at the top, thread a piece of ribbon or yarn through it and tie.
Tip
Paper memorabilia includes stamps, tickets, letters, cards, newspaper clippings, magazine pictures, pressed flowers, drawings or any other paper objects.
By copying the original photographs and paper items, you can save the originals for a more elaborate scrapbook later or add the items to collections, such as a stamp collection.
Additional embellishments include rubber stamps, stickers, ribbons, pressed flowers and fabric scraps.
To make a stronger cover, use foam or felt sheets instead of construction paper.
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