Scrapbooking – Your New Travel Journal
Photo albums are a thing of the past. If you want to save your photos in a more creative way, try scrapbooking!
Nowadays, many of us are busy taking pictures with our phones which rarely see the page of an album. If you want to give your photos a new home – read on! We have plenty of inspiration for you.
Scrapbooking is a popular hobby for a reason. In this article, we’ll explain exactly what it is and why it’s a great idea for saving your favorite travel memories.
What Is a Scrapbook?
A scrapbook is a book full of “scraps” and snippets, which could include newspaper cut outs, postcards, tickets, and of course, photos. You can use anything that catches your eye. Let your creativity run wild!
The goal is to create a personalized book full of memories. So, collect a bunch of stickers, colored paper, and photos, and get to cutting. Cut your pieces into different shapes to give your pages character. Once you have all your pieces, grab some glue and stick them on a page.
Materials You Need for Scrapbooking
- Photo album or book with blank pages
- Different colored paper, cards, photos, etc.
- Scissors, hole puncher, ruler, glue
- Colored pens
- Paint brushes and paint
- Decorative materials such as stickers, yarn, sequences, etc.
You don’t need expensive materials to scrapbook. Most of these things can be found at any craft store or supermarket. If you have something specific you want to use, you’ll need to put in a little more effort to hunt it down.
If you don’t want to do that much shopping, you can buy a scrapbooking kit online. They have everything you need to get started. Just beware, the kits are more expensive than buying the materials yourself. But, if you’re new to the world of scrapbooking, a kit is a convenient way to start.
Things to Keep in Mind
Scrapbooking can be time intensive. So, don’t wait until the last minute to start your book if you want it done by a specific time. If you don’t have the time to collect stuff, shop, and start arranging, this might not be the right project for you.
When scrapbooking, there is no such thing as a mistake. When something doesn’t work the way you thought it would, just glue something else over it. Mishaps like these are exactly what give a scrapbook its character.
Getting Started
Once you’ve collected all your materials you can start scrapbooking! Next, decide on a theme or a design idea – you can always freestyle it as well. After deciding on your design, think about how you want to arrange your pieces. You can group them chronologically, by category, and more.
A travel theme is perfect for you travel photos. For example, you can put photos from a beach vacation on blue paper. If you went on a trip to the jungle or through the woods, you could arrange your photos on a green page. Of course, you don’t have to stick with typical color associations. For example, we wouldn’t suggest using a boring grey background for every city trip you’ve taken. The color choices are entirely up to you. Our suggestions are meant to inspire your own creativity.
Cut your decorative snippets into different shapes, such as hearts, stars, circles, or any other fun shape. Anything goes! You have the chance to do something completely different with your photos. You could even cut out someone’s hair and glue it to someone else’s head. This process can be as chaotic and fun as you want.
Once you’re happy with your page design, start gluing. What you use for glue is up to you. There’s glue, tape, sticky pads, and washi tape. Washi tape is always a good choice because it can act as an adhesive and as a design element since it comes in different colors and patterns. You can also use a different adhesive – just be careful with liquid glue. It can make a huge mess!
After you glue your pieces down, add as many decorative pieces on top as you like. This could be an entrance receipt or flight tickets from a trip. These give your scrapbook a special touch. Rhinestones, glitter, stickers, or markers can also help to spruce up your page.
Keep in mind, you should allow your pages to dry before turning to the next page. Otherwise, you might smear everything you worked so hard to create.
Choosing Photos
Since a scrapbook has more than just photos – e.g., decorations and receipts – you might want to choose fewer photos than you would for a photo album. Choose your favorite images to embellish and decorate, and leave enough space for your creativity.
Once you have your photos, decide what size you want them to be. You can use a regular photo size, Polaroid photos, or even a smaller format. Just be careful not to put too many pictures on one page. Show off your best photos, not all of them.
Try placing your best pictures front and center. You could also put several photos together and make a collage with washi tape. If you have lots of materials and lots of photos, be sure to buy a book with enough pages to fit everything. Don’t forget to make a cover!
Scrapbooking Design Tips
Layering
Give you pages a 3-D effect by layering photos or decorative items. Remember, scrapbooking is not about fitting as many photos as possible on one page. Don’t be afraid to make bold cuts with your scissors.
To create a cool visual, start with colored paper, glue one or two photos to it, and embellish with stickers, glitter, and washi tape!
Collages
To make a collage, you can use magazines, posters, recipes, or other printed materials. Collages are a real eye-catcher and can make for a nice contrast to your photos and memories.
Conclusion
If you’re sick of storing all your memories digitally, make a scrapbook. Let your creativity run free and decide which memories you want to cherish forever. All you need are some basic craft materials and creative decorations.
Don’t worry about making mistakes. Creativity is something that happens throughout the process. Also, don’t get set back by small mishaps. The best part about a scrapbook is easily being able to color over or cover up little mistakes.
Keep in mind that time and materials are the most important factors in making a scrapbook. Don’t let it slow you down if you are missing one of these aspects. Remember: have fun and be creative!
