A creative way to make a lifelong keepsake full of memories
After a fun vacation, I often find myself scrolling through my camera roll and being overwhelmed by all the fun memories my friends, family and I have captured. Sometimes it can feel like a lot, which causes some memories and photos to be forgotten in the shuffle. In recent years, I have found a new way to enjoy reminiscing about a trip: scrapbooking.
I have been scrapbooking from a young age. For all of my childhood vacations, my dad artfully crafted beautiful scrapbooks that I still look through now. Each time, they bring me a lot of joy and immerse me in the memories of each vacation. As I grew up, I started helping my dad with the scrapbooks. After each trip, it is so fun to look through our photos together and then work hard to craft something amazing that will be cherished forever!
Recently, I have started to create my own scrapbook/junk journal for my travels abroad. In my scrapbook, I focus on finding little bits of “junk” that will add to my scrapbook. Some examples of little scraps that would be perfect are stickers, napkins, hotel cards, brochures and more! It is so enjoyable to go through a vacation with this mindset because it allows me to look at small details and appreciate the little things. Instead of rushing through each must-do location, this type of travel offers enjoyable small experiences that help create a keepsake that will last a lifetime.
The scrapbook I use is from a company called Journal Club. I adore this company because of all the features their product has including a map to color in countries visited, fun checklists and templates to guide the scrapbooking process. I got this scrapbook last year and since then, I have added my trips to Italy and Canada. After returning home, it is so fun to look through all the things I’ve collected and pick the perfect photos to craft the perfect spread for my trips. Also, it helps me disconnect from technology and really dive in and create the perfect representation of fun memories.
Scrapbooking has also inspired me to be more creative. Laying out the perfect spread is no easy feat. It takes a little practice, a vision and, of course, creativity. For my pages, I print out small images, gather my favorite pieces of junk and use colorful letters to create a mini time capsule of my travels. I get these letters from junk mail, food packages and more. This is a crafty way to recycle what I would typically throw away and I feel like it really adds to the pages!
I start with laying out my images, typically going in order of what I did. Then, I add the corresponding junk and finish off with the colorful letters to make each city stand out. I am by no means an expert—scrapbooking just helps me be creative and unwind. Different techniques work for everyone and each one is great. I recommend trying out a few methods and finding the one that works best for you.
Since moving to college, I have not been able to scrapbook my vacations as much, but to keep the fun alive, I have used my iPad and the app Goodnotes to create a digital scrapbook. Instead of documenting fun vacations, I focus on my new experiences as a college student. This allows me to continue to enjoy all my experiences in college and create something that will help me remember the fun times. I still try to collect little fun things, but instead of gluing them into pages of a scrapbook, I take pictures and use them as fun ways to spruce up my digital pages.
All in all, scrapbooking is a fulfilling activity that has many benefits. It allows people to slow down and enjoy the moment while on vacation, encourages creativity when creating fun layouts, helps keep memories intact and creates a portal back into fun moments. I encourage everyone to try out scrapbooking and see if they like it.