Chapter 1

How to Prepare For Your Scrapbook

Creating your first scrapbook can seem very overwhelming; however, with these helpful tips it can become a very rewarding experience. When you decide to start on your scrapbook you will have to ask yourself a few questions.

• What is the purpose of this album?  For who or what am I creating this for? 
  
  
• How will I choose the size and style of the album that is the easiest for me to create my scrapbook? 
  
  
• What are the basic supplies I will need to complete my album?
  
  
• How many photos will I need to fill my album?  Do I have copies available of the photos I am going to use?
  
  
• What is the easiest and least expensive way to design a theme for my album? 
  
  
• How much time will I have to spend on my scrapbook? What shortcuts can I take to save time and money?

Deciding on the album that is right for you is the first step towards preserving your memories. Albums come in many sizes, themes, and styles. The most common size albums are 12x12 and 9x9. If you feel the larger albums would be time consuming you can chose an 8x10 scrapbook. This would be a good selection if you feel you will not have enough photos to display in a 12x12 album.   Many people prefer the 12x12 album, due to the fact that many stores carry ready to make pages is this size. There is also a 6x6 album that is perfect for a brag book. This size is convenient to take with you to display outside of the home.
 
Once the album size is decided, you can choose the type of album that will best suit your individual needs. There are many styles to choose from. Popular albums for many first time scrapbookers are themed albums. They come in several different options. The albums could be portrait themed, baby books, ABC albums, or wedding albums. You can choose an album for any theme you are creating a scrapbook for.

You will also need to decide on the style of album you would like to work with. There are three main types.

• The easiest and most popular is the three-ring album. This style is easy to add refill pages and allows you to add or take away pages you do not need. Since the pages are removable you won’t feel pressured to fill the whole scrapbook.
  
  
•  Post bound albums accommodate top loading refill pages. This is convenient for rearranging pages without having to take the album apart.
  
  
• Another popular scrapbook is the strap-hinged album. This is a very durable high quality scrapbook that comes in many sizes and colors. This album is perfect if you plan on using a lot of bulky embellishments. These albums tend to be a little more expensive than the other ones. They are very durable and worth the money if your budget allows for this. If your heart is set on purchasing one I would wait for a sale or look for coupons in your local newspaper. If you have a birthday or special holiday in the near future consider asking for an album.
  
  
• If you are undecided on which album is right for you don’t be afraid to ask for someone’s opinion. You can always take a look in a craft magazine to look at different album types.

You can also choose from a variety of different album covers. You may want an album with a picture frame on the front cover. This is a great choice for a wedding album. You can decide if you want vinyl, linen, or leather covers. Make sure the album you decide on is durable and in good quality. If you are creating this scrapbook as a gift, such as a wedding gift or baby shower there are albums with interchangeable title covers. You can spell the babies name on the front cover to personalize the album.

Once you have purchased your album you will need to select page protectors. Hobby stores carry many sizes of page protectors. You will want to make sure the page protectors do not contain PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride). PVC may contain acid that could damage your photos over time. Always have plenty of extra page protectors on hand. You don’t want to make an unnecessary trip to the store. To save extra money, buy page protectors in bulk. If you design a different size scrapbook in the future you can cut the page protectors to the size you need.
   
There are basic items you will need to start on your scrapbook. In this section I will give you a list of the items you need in the beginning and items you can purchase as time goes on.

• The most important item is adhesive glue. There are many different adhesives to choose from. You will want to use an acid-free adhesive such as photo splits or photo squares. I would recommend these for beginners because you can remove the photos or any memorabilia without ruining your page. Many companies make this type, such as, 3M. Another popular adhesive is glue sticks. However, it is not recommended to use this product in areas with high humidity. It could cause your photos to peel away over time.
  
  
• Always avoid using any water based adhesives. These types of adhesives are not photo safe. This includes Elmer’s glue and Rubber cement; both are not acid-free and could damage your photos.
  
  
• Another very important item you will need is paper. This paper is the background on your pages or designs with your paper punches. Deciding on the correct paper could possibly determine the quality of your scrapbook. First rule of thumb is to never purchase paper with a high acid content. Make sure the paper has a ph of at least 7. This number determines the amount of acid found in it. The higher the number, the lower the acid content. Paper should also be lignin-free. This will ensure the quality of the paper and keep it from turning brown.
  
  
• You will also need to think of the color of paper you will be using in your scrapbook. You will want to choose your photos for your scrapbook before purchasing paper. Choosing a color of paper to coordinate with your photo will bring out the subject you are displaying.
  
  
• Next is to purchase pens for your scrapbook. A basic black pen can do the trick. If your budget allows, a white pen would be great for any journaling you would like to add to your photos. You can also use this pen to write any information on the back of the photos. The pens need to be acid-free, waterproof, and permanent. Remember, you can always purchase a variety of pens in the future.
  
  
• Cardstock is an option you can use as a way to accent your photos. You can purchase cardstock separately or as a bundle. You will learn more about cardstock and tips on using this product in another chapter.
  
  
• Scissors or shears will also be needed. If you are creating your scrapbook on a budget a simple pair of scissors will do. Make sure the scissors are clean and sharpened. You can also find scissors at your hobby store that have replacement blades. This can save you money in the future. Decorative shears may be an item to use. They can add a nice subtle touch to your scrapbook pages.
  
  
• Embellishments can be purchased at a store or add your own touch with your personal memorabilia. If you wish to add stickers to your scrapbooking pages they will need to be acid-free. Stencils are also a nice touch to add to your pages and are relatively low-priced.
  
  
• A tote or bin will provide you with storage for your scrapbooking items and keep the clutter out of your living space.
  
  
• To protect the area you will be working at, lay down an old sheet or tablecloth before you start. This will catch any glue that could drip onto your furniture.

Some of the items you will need can be found in your home. A ruler is a good tool to have. This will provide straight lines and edges. Tweezers will assist you in picking up small items you need to glue on your page. Cotton swabs are also good to use to dab up glue that may have dripped on your page. Cookie cutters can be used for templates. Purchasing templates from a store can be a very expensive accessory to have. You do not want to purchase more items than you need all at once. This can become overwhelming and time consuming.

If you eventually would like to add some scrapbooking tools to your collection, purchase one by one when your finances allow. Here are a few tools you may to purchase in the future.

• A paper punch can be used for many designs and embellishments. This item is relatively inexpensive and worth every penny. Paper punches come in different designs and sizes.
  
  
• Die cuts are another way to create unique designs. They are a nice enhancement to any scrapbook page. Die cuts tend to be a bit more expensive, so wait for sales at the craft store.
  
  
• Mulberry paper is cardstock that is textured. This type of paper gives a wonderful background to a vintage theme.
  
  
• Templates are the most popular item used to create several scrapbooking designs. There are three main types of templates:

Die Cut Templates are an image or picture of a specific design. They are used to add character and definition to your scrapbook pages. Some popular templates used are; hearts, flowers, balloons, and silhouettes of houses, people, and animals.

Lettering Templates can help you in creating fonts and lettering designs. You simply trace the letter onto your scrapbook page or cut out the letter and glue them directly to your pages.

Envelope Templates can assist in designing different sizes of envelopes. You can custom create a size of envelope to fit different size cards or design a small size envelope to decorate your page.

• Acid-free chalk is a subtle enhancement to add to the letters on your title or around the edges of the cardstock.
  
  
• Rubber stamps can add a little touch where it is needed. This is a simple and clean embellishment to add to any scrapbook page. Before purchasing your stamps check to see if it is photo safe.

Just remember, if you don’t have a hobby store in your area many retailers carry the same supplies. Target and Wal-Mart both carry a wide variety of scrapbooking supplies. Both offer low prices on many of their items and will accept coupons.  

You will need to decide on a theme for your pages in your scrapbook. Many scrapbookers start with the basic holidays, such as, birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. Some other ideas can be your children’s first day of school, weddings, or just a special memory you want to preserve forever. Make your scrapbook an all occasion’s theme if you have several topics you want to display.

• Think of the color of cardstock to use with each theme. Try to use the colors with other themes on your pages to save money. An example would be to use green and red for a Christmas page and use the red for a Valentine’s Day page.
  
  
• If you need to use a white piece of background paper, simply turn over the colored paper. This will save you time and money.

Now that you have the basics to start your scrapbook you will need to decide on how time to spend on it.

• Clean and simple pages are ideal for scrapbookers who can not spend a great deal of time on their hobby. Using simple embellishments will also help with the savings.
  
  
• Setting aside a certain amount of time each day will eliminate the stress of completing your scrapbook.
  
  
• Store your scrapbooking items is an organized fashion. Keep items on a page stored together. This will allow you more time designing your pages instead of scouring through all of your bits and pieces.
  
  
• Only concentrate on creating one scrapbook at a time. If you have ideas for other projects while working on your current album, you can write down the ideas for a later scrapbook.

Now that you have your basic tools to prepare you for your new hobby you can move on to the nest step.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...