The loss of a loved one is something we learn to live with, but not something we truly ever get over. Keeping that person's memory alive by remembering him and introducing him to the next generation can help turn the tears into smiles. One way to do this is with a memorial scrapbook page.
Simple Vintage Memorial Layout
Use a neutral colored background. Place an “In memory of” banner across the top of the page. Convert a photo of your loved one into sepia tone and mount it on black cardstock with black photo corners or surround with nice border. Place the photo to one side of the page. On the other side, add a business-card-sized piece of card stock with name, birth date, death date and some famous quote of the deceased. Find a square color image (approximately two-by-two inches) of something you find pretty, such as a garden, the open sea with birds flying overhead, a sunset or something that person like. Affix it below the name card. Print the epitaph or a verse on a piece of vellum and cut it to a square slightly larger than the square image. Put the vellum over the image and, holding it in place, in the top center, punch two holes. Thread a small ribbon through the holes and tie a bow to hold the vellum cover in place.
Remembering the Good Times
Instead of focusing on your loved one’s death, create a layout focusing on her pass life. Use soft pastel hues for the background such as pink or blue or the color she like. Take the photos of your loved one and use photo-editing software to convert it to almost black and white. To do this, reduce the color saturation until it is just tinted. Increase the color tint so that it is slightly red. This will give a hint of a glow to the skin and some other areas of the photo for a surreal look. Line the photos up on the page and use small tags to journal your memories of the person on your scrapbook page design.
Goodbye Mommy/Daddy
Allow children who are grieving for a lovely parent to express themselves with their own memorial scrapbook pages. Provide them with scrapbook materials and help them select their favorite photos and images. Look around for other mementos the child may like to include, such as brochures from a vacation they remember, a photo copy of the bedtime book that was read to them every night, or tickets from a recent circus trip. Don’t give the child a lesson in scrapbooking, simply allow her to create as her instincts guide her, and help her when she has trouble. As an adult, this may become one of her most treasured memories of her lost parent.
Unborn Child/Newborn
Miscarriages and stillbirths are tragic because of the loss of what might have been. Make a small memorial scrapbook and give it a memorial title, such as, “Our Lost Angel.” A memorial page can feature a pregnant belly, a dad holding up a baby T-shirt, a decorated nursery, an ultrasound image, death announcement, or a postmortem photo.
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