Scrapbooking Basics Article

Do-it-yourself scrapbooking tips

Scrapbooking is a method for preserving a legacy of written history in the form of photographs, printed media, and memorabilia contained in decorated albums, or scrapbooks. The idea of keeping printed materials of personal interest probably dates to shortly after the invention of printing. Similarly for photographs. Historically, scrapbooking was a tradition similar to storytelling, but with a visual and tactile, rather than oral, focus. You know that every occasion is the right occasion to take a picture, right? You have holidays, reunions, sporting events etc. But what should you do with your pictures?

Well since 2000 there is a new trend called scrapbooking. With scrapbooking all memories are safe. Anyone can do it, as you’ll see.

You have the option to do it the easy way (by internet) or the hard way (yourself) because you start with nothing at the beginning. It’s more work but more personal.

What do you use while doing your album? Anything you want!!! Paper, pictures, leaves... whatever you like as there are absolutely no rules, since it’s your album and your treasure.

If you want your pictures to look good for ages, here are a few tips:
1. If you are seriously considering putting your original pictures in your album, look for the paper that mentions acid-free. If not, you’ll have a bad surprise one day. All your pictures will have turned yellow or not as sharp. That is a direct cause of the acid.
2. If you do not want to waste time making borders? Just use a color printer. But be cautious, as there are certain types of ink that can discolor your pictures in the long run. Also, be sure to use acid-free paper for printing.
3. As I mentioned previously, there are absolutely no rules when you scrapbook and you can use any materials you want even though they pose a risk to your memories. Don’t despair however. There is a product called the Archival Spray*. It’s a spray that goes over your souvenirs and creates a barrier against acid.

Font-free
You might ask "What is a font?" It’s a writing style for digital typing. So font-free means that you will not use a computer on your scrapbook page.

There are so many fonts that it is easy to find one that appeals to you. However, handwritten journaling is more personal for a scrapbook. If you don’t like your penmanship, there are many options, like stickers and different templates.

If you are looking for a free font scrapbooking page, there are four items you need to consider;

First, there are templates; you can find many alphabet templates, in various shapes and sizes. You simply need to choose the more suitable template for your scrap album. Once that is done, you simply have to outline that letter in pencil and color as you desire, that’s it. This makes a permanent marking.

Secondly, there are stickers... there are many companies out there that make letter stickers, in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some even make pre-written statements like "Happy Birthday!!" or "Congratulations" for the more popular themes. You only have to make sure that they are acid and lignin-free and of course that they match your theme.

Thirdly, there are stamps; you can find them in many designs, plus, you can get archival-quality ink in various colors. Still you have to remember that all products used need to be acid-free and lignin-free, or photo-safe.

Fourthly, there are die-cut designs, which are like stickers, but you need to put on your own adhesive. Just like all the products that we mentioned before, you can find them in various designs and they are all available online.

All those materials can be found in crafts stores around the world or on line, but you need to remember that you can do it all yourself and do your own lettering with special non-acid and non-lignin pens and markers.