Creating blogs and maintaining personal websites on the Net can be extremely easy, but they can’t quite approximate the warm feeling you get when thumbing through a traditional scrapbook. A scrapbook is not just a photo album; it can also hold small keepsakes such as letters, postcards, pressed flowers, or just about anything to remember a special occasion or trip by.

Types of scrapbooks

There are various types of scrapbooks, some categorized by how the pages are secured in the collection. A post-bound scrapbook will have you working on loose pages and inserting them into protective sleeves later. A strap-hinge scrapbook, on the other hand, is bound with string, rivets, or some other binding material, and can be laid flat so you can work on the pages directly even when they’re bound.

By size, the most popular ones are the square 12” x 12” types, but you can find other sizes such as the 9” x 9” and 8” x 8” varieties. You can still find the 8.5” x 11” scrapbooks in some specialty stores, but these have become passe and are mostly replaced by square “mini-scrapbooks” measuring from 3” x 3” to 6” x 6”. Their covers also vary, such as leather, cardboard, vinyl, or fabric.

What should you include in a scrapbook?

Photos, of course, and other mementoes that never dreamt could fit into one. You can arrange your photos chronologically or by theme, and most people prefer working on their most recent photos first while the details of the events are still fresh in their minds.

Scrapbookers sometimes opt to crop photos to eliminate distracting backgrounds or to fit several photos in one page. As much as possible, refrain from cropping vintage photos. You might want to scan them to have digital copies first. It’s a good idea to sort old photos with a friend or relative who knows about the details of the event or the people in the photo so you can have a much more detailed annotation.

Use a quick-drying photo-safe pen to write notes on the back of each photo. Store them upright away from sunlight, and use parchment paper if possible to keep them from sticking to each other. Create mats for your photos to make them stand out.

Decorative scissors, which, when used produce edges that are wavy, zig-zagged, or scalloped, are very useful in embellishing otherwaise plain-looking photo mats. Photo corners were used in the good o’ days to protect the photos, and they are still available until now. You can also glue the matted photos or even use metallic brads for added drama.

Brads can also be used to attach journaling blocks. These are narratives that look like pages straight out of a diary or journal, only they are created more artistically. You can print them using a fancy font or have them handwritten by yourself or a calligrapher.

Postcards can be wonderful, sentimental additions to any scrapbook. You can scan and print the side where the note is written so you can present both front and back on the album. Letters can also be included, and instead of gluing them directly, you can paste an envelope onto the page and stuff the letter inside it.

Buttons, ribbons, pressed leaves or flowers can add dimension and creativity to your scrapbook. Other staples are concert or game tickets, restaurant receipts, and plane tickets. The possibilities are endless! Using stickers, colored paper, and stampers, you can fill in the empty spaces of the page to make it look busy.