Expandability. Be sure to get a scrapbook that has a binding that will fit
additional refill pages. It would be disappointing to get to the end of your
album with pictures from a special trip that need to be put in another book
because you have run out of room.
Page protectors. Top-loading page protectors protect your entire scrapbook page (along with your photos) from fingerprints and accidental spills.
The important thing is to protect the creative work you have put together if a
lot of people, especially children, will be looking at your albums.
Extras. Look for extras, such as scrapbooks that include CD pockets.
Scrapbooks that include pocket pages in addition to full scrapbook pages will
be the most flexible.
Choose a theme
Choose a theme or a date to start with for your scrapbook, then carefully
organize your photos by page. A birthday, wedding, new baby in the family or
a summer vacation are all good theme ideas. The theme of your photos will
help determine the style of your album as well as the style of your pages.
Create your page
Selecting photos. When beginning to develop your scrapbook page layout,
choose photos that you would like to put together on one to two pages. Be
selective when choosing photos for your layouts. There is no rule that every
photo you take needs to be in a scrapbook. If some photos are blurry, badly lit
or very similar to another, leave them out, give them to friends or family, or let
children scrapbook them.
Cropping. Many pictures have space around the focus of the picture that
isn’t necessary. By cropping or cutting your photos into different shapes, you
can include more photos on a page and accentuate the subject of the photo
more clearly. Various tools are available to aid in cutting shapes or straight
lines. However, don’t cut everything, especially photos that have meaning or
may be of historical value at some point, or an original print that you don’t
have negatives for.
Matting. Simply matting a photo on card stock in a complementary color
can add to the look of your scrapbook page. When choosing a paper color, be
sure that it complements the colors already found within your pictures.
Noncomplementary colors or patterned paper that is too busy may detract
from the main focus—your pictures.
Page layout
Once you are comfortable with how you have cropped your pictures and
have picked a paper color to accentuate them, play with the layout of your
photos on the pages. Remember to think about the following:
Balance. Think of your page as a balancing scale: You don’t want one side
to be heavier than the other.
Focus. Think about what photo you might want as your main focus and
highlight it with a special frame or double mat.
Journaling. Be sure to leave ample space for writing in your layout. Words
will be as important to telling the story as your pictures. At the very least
include the who, what, where and when of your photos. Consider also telling
other stories the photos don’t capture. A
