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You have bought all of the needed supplies and have studied the latest scrapbooking magazines. You are ready to create your first scrapbook page but aren't sure how to start. Follow this step by step guide to designing a scrapbook page.
Select and Size Photos
Depending on the size of your scrapbook, select three or four photos of a related subject. It is a good idea to keep copies of the photos you place in a scrapbook or at least have the negatives available.
If there is too much unwanted background in the photo, try cropping it to a desired size or shape. There are different templates available for shaping your photos into circles, squares, stars, or other shapes. Once you decide what size and shape would best suit the photos, carefully trim away the edges. Trim a little at a time, you can always go back and take off more.
Select Color Scheme
Once all of your photos are cropped to your liking, study them to determine if they have a similar color scheme. Look for similarities in the background colors or the clothing color of the photo's subjects. The best color selection will accent and compliment your photos. To figure out which colors look the best, try laying your photos on a few different colors of cardstock paper. Choose the color that best accents the photograph. Using one color for the background page and another color for matting your photos creates a great looking layout.
Select Page Decorations
After selecting and cropping your photos and choosing the background paper, you are ready to select some page decorations. Stickers, die-cuts, punches and stamps are all great items to use as decorations on your scrapbook page. Choose embellishments that compliment your photos or the theme of your layout. If your layout consists of birthday pictures, use stickers of balloons and confetti to make a party theme.
Stickers, stamps, punches and die-cuts can be bought in many shapes and objects at a scrapbook or craft store. You can make your own accessories by tracing or drawing objects, cookie cutters make great templates. Or use your computer to print out clipart on acid free paper. Keep in mind that less is more when using embellishments, the focus should be on your photographs, not on the accessories.
Matting is a simple but elegant way to embellish your layouts. Matting is done by laying your photos on a piece of cardstock paper and cutting a 1/8 to ½ inch border around the photograph. Matting gives the photos a finished or framed look. For added effect, try placing several mats of different colors behind your photos.
Once you have cut your mats into the desired size, simply glue or tape the photos to the mat.
Include Journaling
Journaling is one of the most important parts of a scrapbook. Journaling provides important details about the events or people in your photos. A page topper or title is one way to tie the theme of the photos together. When writing your captions, follow the theme that you chose when you were selecting embellishments.
Add a quote, a title or lyrics of a song or nursery rhyme, or the title of the occasion to reflect your page's theme. Try writing directly on the page or try matting your title as you did with the photos. Page toppers can be made with acid free markers or by printing them on your computer.
After giving your page a title, include some information about the people in the photos or details of the events. At the minimum, try to include the name of the person in the photo and the date the photo was taken. For more detail and interest, you may want to mention where the pictures were taken or a narrative of the event. As with the page topper, you can hand write the captions or use your computer to print them.
Arrange the Layout
Before you permanently glue the items to the page, experiment with the layout. Lay the photos and decorations out on the page and move them around in different positions until you find the best look. It's okay if some items overlap, overlapping can actually enhance the look of your page.
Gluing and Taping
Once the layout looks exactly as you want it, secure your items to the page. There are several types of adhesives available to scrapbookers including glue, tape, spray adhesive and photo corners. Try using a few different items to see which you like best. Glue sticks work well for die-cuts, page toppers and other embellishments, securing them firmly to the page. For photos, photo tape or photo corners are good choices since they allow the photos to be removed if need be.
Glue or tape all of your items onto your page. Allow a few minutes for any glue to dry, then slide your page into a page protector and it is ready for your album. Follow this step by step guide to create many exciting scrapbook pages.
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