How to Stitch and Embroider on Your Scrapbook Pages

I love the look of sewing on all my paper crafts, from scrapbooking layouts and ideas to greeting cards design. Sewing and embroidery adds dimension without a lot of bulk and has the added benefit of attaching elements to the page in the process.

You can sew by hand or with your machine. Both techniques are easier than you might think. Here is a simple how to.

Hand Stitching and Embroidery

Get Ready

Use a pencil to lightly draw the design on cardstock (regular paper generally is not strong enough to withstand all the extra handling that sewing requires.) Another option is to draw or trace a simple design onto lightweight paper (such as tracing paper) and temporarily adhere it to your page so it does not wiggle around during the next step.

What to stitch? It is generally best to keep your design simple and stick to just the outline of the image. You can embellish later when you fill in your design with chalks or colored pencils. Popular choices for scrapbooking embroidery include snowflakes, fish, hearts, and flowers, but you can use absolutely any simple design you can find.

Where can you find simple designs? Make a freehand drawing or trace your favorite designs from die cuts, stickers, stamps or templates. Here are two ideas I loved from Creating Keepsakes magazine: Trace a design from your kids' favorite coloring books or trace around your child's hand or foot and embroider the outline.

Get Set

Place your page on a surface that is firm, yet allows a little "give." I like to use a mouse pad or my Coluzzle mat. You can also use a pillow, cushion, or a piece of Styrofoam. Now pierce holes in the cardstock about every 1/8 of an inch depending on the effect you want to achieve, while following the lines of your design.

Choose a piercing tool most appropriate for the thickness of your thread. If you will be using thread or floss, use a straight pin, a needle, or a safety pin. For larger holes, use a push tack or a paper piercing tool. Again, you will want to consider the look you are trying to achieve before choosing a tool. (If you marked your page with pencil, this is the time to erase.)

Stitch!

Stitch the design. The backstitch is the simplest, but you can experiment with different stitches as you practice the technique.

Now you can fill in the design with chalk, if you wish. You can also apply chalk directly to the floss to create just the right color.

Machine Sewing on Paper

Machine sewing on paper is much the same as sewing on fabric. It takes a little practice, but try not to let the idea intimidate you.

A few tips:

• Before you start to stitch, make sure your bobbin has enough thread to finish the job. If your bobbin runs out of thread midway, you will be left with holes in the paper that you will have to work to conceal.
• Do not try to machine stitch more than 3 layers at a time.
• Do not "knot" the thread as you would when sewing on fabric by going over the same spot repeatedly. Secure the thread underneath by adhering it to piece of paper, and it will not unravel.

The Possibilities

You can stitch with thread, ribbon, yarn, raffia, jute, fibers, and embroidery floss, such as DMC. Floss is inexpensive, widely available, and comes in every shade imaginable. Plus you control the thickness because each floss is made up of 6 strands. Use them all, or just one or two. Or use one or two strands of more than one color.

Once you have had a little practice, you may want to start sewing on everything.

Here are more ideas:

• Create your own backgrounds and borders by piecing together cardstock blocks or strips.
• Embellish and attach die cuts for a custom, dimensional look.
• Create paper or fabric pockets to hold journaling blocks, extra photos, or simple memorabilia.
• Stitch around lettering and titles.
• Embellish journaling blocks.
• Draw attention to a photo by stitching on the mat.
• Adhere vellum to your background. (Vellum is translucent, so it will often show the glue that lies beneath it. Try stitching it on instead.)
• Create decorative handmade accents that you attach to a page. One popular technique combines sewing with tearing. Sew along an edge first, then tear just on the other side of your stitches. Push the torn edge up.

Find out more on Scrapbooking Paper

There exists selection of papers obtainable for scarp booking. You’ll be able to choose either patterned paper vellum color paper or specialty paper. Patterned paper will help you to generate scrap booking quickly and beautifully.

Sharon Ann baby boy papers have sixteen papers and a number of piece cuts to enter the initial 12 memorable months of one little one. The Sharon Ann scrap booking paper is obtainable for girl babies individually. The borders and styles are perfect and can make your memorable recollections thrilling.

Double sided patriotic papers are having twelve inches card stocks. You can also get Simple prints in paper like one particular color dot stripes plaid gingham and so forth. It is possible to get the outstanding colors here. Little one line papers will help you to design your scrap booking layout and listed below are 3 printed vellums and 3 textured card stocks here that allow you to operate superbly.

His story is the name of rugged texture design paper. It will consist of large gingham blue marbled brushed turtle shell and so forth. The sand stone and h2o coloration sand stone will offer you a powerful history that fits all of your outdoor photographs.

Patriotic patterns are excellent for almost any photographs. The stars alphabetical cord stocks scarlet stars red and blue stars on vellum are perfect back again ground for just about any pictures and photographs. The navy gingham and navy stars on vellum will supply a good looking back again ground and it will not disturb the photograph.

Paper addict could be the largest residence for scrap booking papers. Its a lot more than 6000 kinds of paper. There are numerous new additions to this listing. Ancestry assortment offers a large assortment of papers in which it is possible to keep loved ones photographs and photos. Ancestry family historical past manual guide has 38 pages produced up of soft papers and youll retailer any loved ones background here. Additionally it offers some outstanding lay out ideas.

Bo bunny is yet another paper assortment in paper addict. There is great deal of colourful paper types here. It contains flowers colorful dots hearts stripes and a great deal more. It is possible to decide on something from here that may suit your scrap booking needs. Basic grey model has gentle back again ground with colorful stripes dots monograms mini monograms and a lot more. This may be excellent for sending messages to pals and conveying regards to teachers.

Scrap bour Italian papers have amazing rose images as back again ground. Scarpbour velvet collections grace assortment Elizabeth collection Paul collections st.Danis collections sublime collections are the most important paper types that provide a powerful back ground to your scrap books.

Scrapbour Italian fashion collections are most appropriate to express your enjoy towards the spouse. The back again ground features a beautiful young lady image with flower track record. Scrapbour soire assortment has also stunning photos o a youthful lady but these papers are currently not offered.

Scrap guide papers should be beautiful however robust to make albums. You’ll be able to use the scrap guide paper layout in web internet sites to create scrap guide albums. They are not only funny but they will even remain for lengthier time period as being a token for the memory. You’ll be able to get separate scrap guide paper for Valentine’s Day, Xmas, Fathers day, Birthday and so forth.

Interesting Scrapbooking Style & Material

Scrapbooking Material - Finding the Most Interesting Embellishments You Could Use

If you search the internet today, you would find it really easy to stumble upon a variety of scrapbooking material and accessories that you would certainly have to complete your scrapbooking project. Actually, you may use almost any kind of object and material to serve as your decoration for it. But the most basic kinds of adornments found in every scrap booker’s toolset would be die cuts, tags, laces and ribbons, templates, stickers, stamps and many more.

What may be considered as the most popular scrapbooking material would be the stickers. This is probably due to the reason that they are easy to find and they come in wide types and various design. The most important thing to keep in mind is for you to pick stickers that will complement the general theme of your scrapbook. Furthermore, scrap bookers just simply adore them as they are super easy to apply. You simply need to stick them on.

Ribbons come second that can be bought in various types of forms, sizes, textiles and colors. These are typical because most scrap bookers do albums for the popular events like wedding ceremonies, birthday parties, baby showers or school parties. And for certain, the ribbon is an item that can really relate to any affair. Along with it, you may also create new shapes such as knots, bows or perhaps use it as edges of your scrapbook pages. You may also use it to gather together buttons and beads.

The buttons, beads and eyelets are important embellishments in spite of how small they may be. You simply have to stick them, preferably using a glue on, so that they won't fall off. These small objects can truly add extra decorative styles to your each and every scrapbook page. When you use eyelets, it can help if you would have an eyelet tool available also always.

Should you not want glue, you may then only sew them in tiny holes of the pages and use a simple needle to sew it on by making tiny openings. The brads are used to be inserted and secure any type of materials on your page to be fastly held. Other people also use tags as a way to put a greater feeling of journaling to your scrapbook project. It also makes it much more elegant and presentable and creates simplicity to anyone who may wish to view it.

Stencils can work quite a bit too especially when you like to include drawings to your pages. They are suitable for individuals who believe that they don't have the knowledge for sketching. The stencils through pencils allow you to draw objects with superb accuracy to make you feel better about your own drawing. So, despite the fact that you are not so imaginative when it comes to drawings, the stencils can help you considerably with the challenge.

Die cuts and pastels are essential embellishments to use too for your hobby. These may help provide a completely new look for your scrapbook and also be able to add several colors and shadings with your instruments and materials available.

What's Your Scrapbooking Style?

Even if we all chose the same page elements and photos to create a page layout, every page created would be different from the rest. No two pages would be exactly the same. The more you scrapbook, the more you will develop your own personal style. There are so many facets to a scrapbooking page. Consider how you use color, your handwriting or use of computer fonts, your paper choices and placement of embellishments. These are just a few ways that help define your personal scrapbooking style.

Your approach to scrapbooking changes as your experience in this hobby grows. Look back at the pages you did years ago. Now look at the pages you did recently. See the difference? Your style has changed perhaps from learning new techniques or experimenting with new products. Your albums reflect your unique personality, and each page shows your personal approach to this craft. There are so many different ways to scrapbook. No one way is correct. We each experience the creative process of designing a page layout in our own way.

Scrapbooking styles can be defined in different ways. Looking through a scrapbooking magazine, you will see a variety of different styles. Some pages will be simple. Others will be complex. Each page sets a different mood. It might be romantic or fun. Here are a few possible labels we could use to define scrapbooking styles.

Traditional

This approach to scrapbooking is usually clean and simple. Nothing fancy on these pages. The embellishments are left to a minimum, and the photos are cropped into standard square or rectangle shapes if they are cropped at all. The pages are sophisticated and classic.

Modern

This style uses lots of contrasting colors with bold patterns and strong accents. Pages elements will have hard lines and geometric shapes. There will be few fancy or decorative page accents.

Romantic

Sometimes this approach might be considered vintage or shabby chic. You'll see a lot of patterned paper and techniques like distressing used to soften the page. The colors usually are pastels, and often floral patterns. Handwriting, script or ornate fonts are used for journaling.

Whimsical

This scrapbooking style uses the newest techniques and mediums. Bold colors used in unique combinations along with playful patterns like dots, checks and stripes. You won't see many fancy page accents. Instead, you might see paper dolls, cartoon shapes and 3D elements.

Conservative

Earth tones define this style. Think of texture and monochromatic color choices. Pages will often have fibers, like jute, and torn paper edges.

Which scrapbooking style shines through in your pages? We may shift between and overlap style at times and even within an album. Sometimes it may just be a result of the theme we are working with or our mood on any particular day. However, for most of us, we will lean toward one style more often than any of the others. For new inspiration for your next page layout, try to apply a new style to your page. Have fun with the creative process and let your personality show in every page you make.

Creative Scrapbook Ideas for a Memorial Page

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.

Two-Page Scrapbooking Ideas

An ideal way to feature several pictures from one event is to create a two-page scrapbook layout. This two-page layout allows you ample space to showcase your pictures, text and concentrate both pages on the same theme. If you incorporate extra elements such as the use of corresponding accents, titles, borders and decorative items, providing a focal point and arranging your pictures in a symmetrical fashion, you are sure to complete a cohesive two-page scrapbook layout.

Theme Design

Tie your two-page layout together by featuring the same event on both pages. Themes that incorporate a lot of difference size of pictures work well on two-page spreads layout, such as birthdays, weddings, vacations, family reunions and children's milestone events.

Type of Paper

Use the same patterned or solid paper on both pages. Another option is to use paper that coordinates from the same package of paper, such as using a patterned paper on one side and a solid paper on the other side that are in the same color family.

Pictures

You have several options for displaying pictures on your two-page layout. One option is to include a larger picture, such as an 8-by-10 on one page and a series of smaller pictures on the corresponding page. Another option is to include journaling about the pictures on one page while displaying the pictures on the other. You can also place pictures in the same location on the two pages to make it look like one large page. Placing a picture on the edge of one page, trimming it down the middle and gluing the other side of the picture also helps to create a cohesive design, an alternative method is to create a collage of pictures that spans both pages with tiny decorative items.

Page Titles and Borders

Make a title for your two-page layout that is split between the two pages. For example, you can have the phrase "Our Family" on one page and "Vacation" on the other page to finish the title. Use the same type of letters and font for the title portion on each page to unify the design. Similarly, add a border from the beginning of the left page and have it wrap around to the edge of the right page to have nice look and feel. A corresponding title and border will help your pages look like one large layout.

Accents

Mirror the accents from one page to the other to achieve symmetry. Repeat the same shapes from punches, texture with paint or embossing, stickers, adhesive accents and themes of quotes. Both pages should look like they belong together and are part of one overall design. If you use a picture frame or corners on one page, repeat the look on the corresponding page. If you place journaling tags inside small pockets, add coordinating pockets on the other page.

Focal Point

Create a focal point between the two pages. Arrange pictures and embellishments in a triangle shape to make the pages more fluid as you direct the eye from one direction to another across both pages.

Doodle Ideas for Decorating a Scrapbook With a Pen

Doodling is a popular free-form style of drawing by using any type of drawing tool. It's an extension of your personality and creativity. Inexpensive and not meant to be perfect, doodling adds whimsy and flair to scrapbook layouts and design. It is something that comes so naturally that many people don't even know they are doing it all the times. People start doodling as early as elementary school and some may start even early -- filling notebook pages with random drawings of self expression. Use that creativity and put it in the pages of your scrapbook design to create the accents that will make it unique and stylish.

Scrapbook Page Borders & Corners

Page borders add a finishing touch to scrapbook layouts. Make doodles free-hand directly on the background page or add them to stickers and color paper already used as borders. Even a few small doodles can change the look and feel of a page design. If you are scared of making a mistake free-hand, use a stencil for the base of your border and embellish with more doodling. Waves, zigzags, dashes, vines, vertical or horizontal lines make ideal borders. Doodles in the corner of pages can accent your theme and help utilize the full page design of your scrapbook layout.

Beautiful Hand-Lettered Titles

Titles in your own handwriting add an authentic touch to your page layout especially the title of the page. Sometimes you just don't have the correct font type or sizes in your collection of stickers, rub-on transfers or die-cuts for titles. When this happens make your own font style from doodles. Draw a light line in pencil as a guide to keep your letters straight and erase it after you have finished your title. Chisel-tip pens held at a 45 degree angle are ideal for calligraphy lettering, while fin-tipped pens are best to add curls, dots and hearts to ordinary letters.

Polka Dots & Swirls

Random doodles are perfect for filling dead space on a page. You don't need expensive embellishments, stickers and die-cuts to liven up a page. To add a festive flair to your page try doodling stars, polka dots, swirls or random drawings. Thin-tipped markers work well for doodles. First draw your doodle lightly then once the ink is dry go over it again with the same pen or another color to accent it.

Stylish Photo Frames

Doodling a photo frame will liven up a photo. If you can't find the perfect paper to use as a mat just free-hand dashes, dots, waves, zigzags or your own thin and thick or add some color lines to create your own frame. The possibilities are endless to your imagination and creativities as to what you can draw to make a photo frame stand out. Have a layout that is pet-themed? Doodle small cat faces or paw prints all around your photo of you and your pets. Have a photo of a child's birthday? Doodle birthday candles or small cakes all around the photo to make it festive.

Ideas for the Construction of Scrapbook Pages

Scrapbookers enjoy seeing their photos displayed creatively in a memory book. It can be a very rewarding experience, however getting started on a layout can become cumbersome when you first begin. But, there are ways to make the construction process of your layouts easier. Don't just start gluing down photos without a plan; follow a few tips and put some thought behind your layout to create a page you will be proud of.

Theme

After choosing a few photos to be grouped together, it is important to determine the theme or sub-theme of the page. For example: the theme of the scrapbook might be honeymoon but the sub theme of a particular page is Spa Day. The theme will determine the style of papers you choose, title and the embellishments used on the layout. You will lay the photos out according to where you place your embellishments and how the title will be placed on the page. You can also look for creative quotes and tailor your captions to the theme.

Papers

Background paper and mats are important when constructing a scrapbook layout. Adding visual interest to the page, the papers can either make your photo pop or distract from the beauty of your photograph. Papers come in solid colors as well as a variety of patterns. You can go with all solids or choose a mixture of patterns and solids together. Look at the colors in the photograph and choose paper that compliments the photo. Some scrapbookers prefer to use papers within the same family throughout the entire scrapbook to pull it all together while others like for every page to be of a different color and pattern scheme.

Scrapbook Pockets

Sometimes scrapbooking your photos alone just isn't enough. If you are the type of person that collects souvenirs, tickets, ribbons, school assignments and other memorabilia along the way, you would benefit from adding a scrapbook pocket to your page. A big no-no in scrapbooking is over-cluttering a page. This pocket will display your memories making your page look organized and far from cluttered. To make a pocket use a medium to heavy-weight cardstock. Fold the paper upward to desired depth and press down on the crease. Glue the outer edges of the paper, press down and hold until the glue has dried.

Two-Page Layouts

Double-page layouts are ideal for utilizing multiple photos and letting your idea or theme flow onto more than one page. To balance the pages out use coordinating paper, mats and embellishments while trying to maintain a symmetrical layout. Also, treat the two 12-by-12 inch pages as if they were one large 12-by-24 inch page. Spread the photos, titles or embellishments across the pages and then actually cut straight down the middle of a photo or title to split it between the two pages. Avoid cutting down the middle of someone's face in a photo. This is a good method for a picture with two people in it or a landscape photograph.

A Masquerade Idea for Scrapbooking

Masquerade pictures inserted into your scrapbook pages add vibrancy and interest to your album. Other pages may focus on classic colors and basic designs, but masquerade pages help channel your creative spark and wild side into your scrapbook album.

Themes

Several themes are appropriate to base your pages on. You may wish to model your themes around your own experiences. A masquerade party, the circus, acrobatic routines and Mardi Gras are a few events that lend themselves to a masquerade page for your scrapbook album.

Paper

Masquerade pages can be full of color. Use a lighter tone such as a brown or taupe if you want your pictures to pop against the background. For a bright punch of color, use jewel and earthtones, such as purple, gold, blue, green, orange or red. Masquerade pages also evoke an old or vintage look, so classic colors like black, white and gray will also work. A busy pattern matches the busyness of a masquerade or you can stick with solid papers.

Masks

A mask makes a meaningful focal point for your masquerade scrapbook page. Use a white "Phantom of the Opera Mask" or decorate your own with paint, markers or glitter. Your kids can make their own masks to add to the page with the help of flowers, construction paper and feathers. Place one or more masks in the center of your page or by the corners.

Photos

Add photos to the page that show off the bright colors for your masquerade page, such as pictures of you or friends wearing a mask, pictures of decorations and the event. One photo will suffice or you can make a small collage in one section of the page. Another option is to make a two-page layout with the pictures placed in the same location on both pages for symmetry.

Embellishments

Add dabs of glitter on the page for decoration. Vintage embellishments like picture frames and stickers of masks add glamour and Old World charm to your page. Use feathers and swirl cutouts around pictures and the sides of your page to accessorize your page.

Scrapbook Ideas for Everyday Life

Favorite Things

Every year, around the same time, ask your child about his favorite things. When he is younger, include things like colors and toys. As he grows older, eliminate these and ask about friends. No matter his age, you can ask about food, TV shows or movies, songs, games, places to go, restaurants, books and activities. You can just use a photo of your child at this age or pair photos of him with these things or places in your scrapbook.

Events

Daily events, such as picnics, school occasions, birthdays for family and friends and outings to the zoo or park, can provide some of the most challenging events for scrapbooking. Include just basic journaling, like who, what, where and when on these scrapbook pages. Pack as many photos as possible in without overcrowding your pages. At the same time, be selective with your pictures -- you don't need to use all of them. Keep embellishments to a minimum and let the photos take center stage.

Schedules

Schedules -- you and your children have them, as basic as they are. These change throughout our lives, so document them. You can scrapbook your own schedule, your spouse's or your child's school schedule. Pair with appropriate photos for this season of life. For example, when the children are toddlers, you might take them to the park after breakfast. Include a few pictures of your children playing at the park.

Journal Your Heart

If you are creating a scrapbook for your child, journal your heart to him. Write about his birth, from start to finish. Write about how you met his father. Tell him what your favorite song or book is and why. Expand upon a character quality you value, like love, patience or forgiveness, and tell him why. Make it personal. If you don't want the world to read some of your most intimate thoughts, hide your journaling in a secret envelope or on the back of your layout where everyone won't read it. Include a random favorite photo.

Scrapbooking preserves your treasured memories for future generations and years to come. While you want to remember the important events, such as weddings, vacations, graduations and milestone birthdays, life mostly consists of the little things that make up your daily routines. Several different perspectives and fresh ideas will help you scrapbook everyday life creatively.

Ideas for a Scrapbook for a Deceased Mother

Journaling

Journaling for a deceased relative is one way to incorporate memorable moments into your scrapbook album. Ask each family member to write a page about her favorite memory with your mother. Place the letter on the page exposed or inside of an envelope. Add pictures that correspond with the memory if possible, or use a picture that captures your mother and the other person.

Chronological Album

Your scrapbook for your deceased mother can take the route of the traditional scrapbook in a chronological order. Start with her birth, her childhood and her meaningful personal relationships. Add information regarding your own upbringing and quotes that she made that taught you important lessons. You can embellish your album with store-bought accessories, or use mementos that your family has accumulated over the years. For example, use birth certificates, childhood drawings, pages from her journal or any other items that you can get your hands on that depict the life of your mother.

Funeral Album

You can make a scrapbook album that focuses on the funeral and related events if you prefer. Gather mementos surrounding your mother's death, such as the newspaper obituary, funeral program, a copy of the eulogy, poems or bible verses recited at the funeral, pictures of her headstone and pictures of the people who attended the funeral. You can also add pages from the funeral registry.

Memorial Album

Another option for your deceased mother's scrapbook album is to make a memorial album. This album commemorates her life and details meaningful moments in her life. Some options for items to include are a list of her professional successes, her famous recipes and her family's sentiments. Include poems and bible verses that relate to her personality and her journey to the afterlife. Leave space open in the back of the book and let people who attend the funeral or wake add their own memories.

Losing your mother can be one of the most devastating events that you will ever have to endure. Commemorating the love and affection that your mother showed you in a scrapbook could be a therapeutic activity that reminds you of the joy you experienced during her lifetime and offers you the comfort of treasured memories.

Birthday Scrapbook Embellishment Ideas

You probably scrapbook to document important and everyday events for your child or family. While birthdays represent a popular scrapbook theme, it can sometimes be difficult to decide what embellishments to use. Several fresh ideas for decorating your birthday scrapbook layouts will help you jump-start your creativity.

Stickers

You can find all types of stickers at your local craft store. Remember to include brightly colored alphabet stickers to spell out the words "Happy Birthday" and your child's name and age. In addition to obvious birthday-themed stickers, look for three-dimensional stickers to add an interesting touch to your scrapbook. You can make your own three-dimensional stickers in a minute or two. Carefully remove the sticker from its sheet. Apply a dusting of baby powder to the back. Place a pop dot on the back of the sticker. Adhere to your scrapbook page.

Stamps

A wide variety of companies design birthday stamps you can reuse over and over. Stamping techniques with different types of inks, embossing or using markers can keep these embellishments fresh. Include a stamp on a tag. With some types of inks, you can even stamp directly on a photo, depending on the size of the photo and the amount of white space the photo contains.

Party Decor

Include the party decor itself in your scrapbook. Add a napkin or the themed paper plate or paper cup. Remember to include two copies of the invitation, one for the cover and one for the inside. If these items are too large, cut a small piece to highlight the colors or theme of the party.

Punches and Die Cuts

You can use punches with basic shapes to create your own embellishments. Punch out some oval shapes and group them together for balloons. Draw your own strings. Specific birthday-themed punches, like candles or cupcakes, add a decorative touch to your scrapbook. If you don't have your own die-cut machine, you can use the one at your local scrapbook store for a small change. The personnel will usually help you find the dies you need.

Non-Traditional

Go with a non-traditional idea. You can find items to add to your scrapbook pages that are not specifically birthday-themed. Use buttons, paint, tags, bright paper clips and fiber. Add brads or eyelets. For a frilly birthday tea party for little girls, add ribbon, charms, lace or vintage buttons.

Scrapbooking Page Layout Ideas and Suggestions

Scrapbooking is one of those things that keep our memories alive and brings smiles to people’s faces for years to come. It allows you to relive the feelings and occasions as if they happened yesterday.

What is Scrapbooking?

Scrapbooking is basically a journal in which you keep your records through out your life. You can capture events that mean the most to you and your family. For instance you can capture birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and family vacations. You can scrap anything that you find special and want to share for years to come.

Now that you are entertaining the idea of a scrapbook, it is important you make those memories as alive and beautiful as possible. Here are some layout ideas:

• Depending on the occasion, make the page have color coordination. Use themed paper and/or matching colors to accent the photos.
• Pictures, take and record as many as possible, whatever the occasion, and later on you will be glad you did.
• When you get photos back from developing, write a few memories on the back so that you can remember all the little details you want to preserve. Sometimes we forget the smallest things that made the occasion special, writing them down will make it a lot easier when you start the journaling.
• Keep mementos from the occasion to add to the pages. Birthday cards, airline tickets etc. Use these as backdrops for photos or as the title to the page.
• Use accents such as brads, photo clips to add to the layout. A little dimension adds to the character of the pages.
• There are several different ways to make a scrapbook layout. These pages are very personal to each of us for different reasons. Chose for yourself what works best, however, there are many ideas and examples available in case you run out of scrapbooking page layout ideas.

Whatever way you choose to record your memories, a scrapbook has to represent you and the ties you what to capture and save, so even if there are many ideas, it is what connects you to the memory that will be the right choice.

Take the time to create a scrapbook, if you don’t have one already; it is sometimes better then an album or a standard journal and can become a bit of yourself. Memories created in a scrapbook live beyond you, to be cherished and enjoyed forever, so don’t just create a scrapbook, put a bit of love and soul into it. You will be happy that you did when you look back in years and live those times again.

Organize Yourself to Scrapbook

When starting a scrapbook, take time to organize some ideas and make a plan. Now is the time to decide how the layouts will be organized. Forms of organization may include a theme or color scheme. There may also be a chronological format. The album may be about one person or family, including heritage albums. Or it may be organized by event.Most people want their album to have a look that is coordinated and cohesive.

How can you plan for that? Here are some ideas to help:

• Choose coordinating paper. Many companies make paper that coordinates with similar colors or theme. It is easier to bring your “look” together if it was made to be together in the first place. Coordinated paper doesn’t have to be made by the same company though. Bring together a few similar patterns or colors. Or just run one similar color or paper throughout the pages. It will help tie everything together.
• Grab a few sheets of matching cardstock. It isn’t always about the patterned paper. Cardstock can be used as page bases or photo frames. It can be stamped to make personalized patter papers. It is always good to add some neutral color(s) too. That doesn’t always mean white. Black, grey or browns, even to an off-white are all acceptable neutrals.
• Decide on photos. Is there a certain event, person or place to scrapbook about? It is good to get photos that go together, rather than random ones. Note: layouts can be made completely without photos. If the theme was determined first, this will be easier to do. Just make sure the photos go with the theme!
• Get embellishments that help coordinate the layouts. Maybe use the same embellishment on each page. Or use a similar embellishment but in different colors or textures. For example, use ribbon on each layout, but use a different color or use thick or thin ribbons to make it similar but not “the same.”

Now it is time to learn your tools. A couple of the basic tools needed are a cutter and adhesive. Learn how to use them. Practice a few cuts (and measurements) before using them to cut for the album layouts. Do some research as to what adhesive works the best for the project or use you have for them. Learn where to use a lot of adhesive vs. less.

The plan is now ready. Start working on each page one at a time. Use sketches or find designs that work for the album. Soon, the album will be complete.