A scrapbook is the best project you can do to preserve your fond memories. 

What Beginners Need to Know About Scrapbooking

The rich tradition of scrapbooking can be traced back to 19th century England, where it was used to log or document their experiences. 

In the early days, people made their scrapbooks using old newspapers, pamphlets, visiting cards, photos, and playbills, to name a few. 

Today, more and more scrapbooking supplies are available for beginners and experts alike. These include patterned paper, embellishments, and acid-free adhesives. They are often used to adorn each layout alongside pictures and other souvenirs. 

In essence, a scrapbook is a collection of scrapbook pages decorated to your liking. 

What are the Necessary Scrapbooking Supplies for Beginners?

Before you create your scrapbook, you need to get all these necessary materials: 

Cardstocks

Available in plain design or decorative print, this acid-free paper can be used to make photo mats or background design. 

Patterned Papers

This acid-free paper comes with various prints and designs. Like cardstocks, they can create photo mats, background designs, and scrapbook page accents. 

Scissors

Straight or craft scissors allow you to cut and trim the photo or cardstock as needed. 

Adhesives

Glue, glue dots, stickers, and tapes help keep your embellishments affixed on the scrapbook page. 

Journal Pen

A journal pen for a scrapbook layout should have pigment ink. It should also be waterproof, fade-proof, and non-bleeding. 

Scrapbooking Album

This will serve as the body where you place every layout for viewing. 

With the help of page protectors for books, you can preserve your photos and other decorations.

Embellishments

These extra supplies are great ways to add some pizzazz to your scrapbook. 

You can choose from stickers, ribbons, beads, fibers, and metal frames to craft a creative album. 

Scrapbooking for Beginners: How to Make One From Scratch

Now that you have all the items needed to make a scrapbook, it's time to get started! 

Channel some scrapbooking inspiration.

The best way to start is to think of an excellent idea for your album. 

You can take inspiration from life events throughout the years, such as birthdays, graduations, and weddings. Having the right style in mind will help you as you go looking for the necessary materials. 

Here are some good ideas for scrapbooking for beginners: 

• I am thankful for...

• Positive affirmation

• A day of my life

• Goals for next year 

• Dream vacations

If you can't seem to choose from the many fun ideas out there, you can always start your first album with a general theme. As you progress, you can make your scrapbooking albums more specific.

Think of a story.

With several ideas in mind, it's time for you to choose the stories you want to tell in your albums. 

For example, if you're making a baby book, you might want to allot one month for every page. Here, you can detail your infant's milestones, such as crawling, standing up, or walking. 

On the other hand, if you're working on a general scrapbook, this is the opportunity to think of more ideas for the next pages. 

Choose photos.

Find the best pictures from each photo album you have at home. For example, if you're working on a baby book, you should be looking for a new photo every month. 

It’s much easier for a general scrapbook as you can get any picture you want for each page! 

Add the page elements.

When it comes to creating your album's look, planning is essential. This will help save you from the common mistakes of scrapbooking for beginners, such as a photo that was cut too much or a design that doesn't feel like it goes well with the theme. 

If you're working on specific ideas, you will want to set a uniform page layout design for consistency. This will not only make your scrapbook beautiful -- it can also help you maximize your supplies and save hours! 

Should you work on general albums, the best way to go is to play around with the page elements. Although this is the case, you should strive to harmonize your new designs with those from the previous pages. 

Cut and post your photos. 

Should you need to change your photos’ size, there are certain tips you need to follow. 

For one, make sure to draw a border at the back of the photo. After which, you can cut the image with a scissor or a cutter.

You also have the option to mat your photos. This helps draw focus on the picture, thus making it stand out more. To make such a border, you can always use new cardstock or patterned papers. 

Use adhesives to post the photos on the areas that you had mapped when you got started. 

Add a page title.

Like any other album, adding a page title can help underline your scrapbooking theme.

A good option is to handwrite your title. You can use swirls and other designs to embellish the text. 

You can also use stickers, stamps, stencil letters, or even a printed title of cute fonts.

Write your story.

This scrapbooking portion is what many call journaling. This is the time for you to add fun captions, quotes, lyrics, and other things you will love to see on the page. 

Again, you can do freehand writing or use stenciled or printed text. 

Add the embellishments.

To make your scrapbook more interesting, don't forget to post embellishments on each page. You can glue them, tie them, or sew them -- it's up to you!

House your layouts.

Keep the photos you love protected by placing each paper in the scrapbook. As this will help prevent damage and dust accumulation, this will keep your pages looking brand new. 

What are you waiting for? Follow these tips to get started on your first scrapbook!