It’s official: you now have six more weeks of winter to sit around and aimlessly ponder about all the things that spring has to offer. On the other hand, you could pick up a hobby that keeps you busy while giving you a way to organize your thoughts creatively. No, it isn’t journaling…it’s scrapbooking, and I highly recommend it.
I personally prefer hardcover scrapbooks, as does my mom, who has at least three dozen binders spanning from 1993 to the present. They are so fun to look through, but I think that the work is sometimes more satisfying than the result. Arranging pictures, cards, stamps, and even little souvenirs in photo albums is an ongoing project that can honestly last a lifetime. You can add to it every month or sit down halfway through the year and compile your memories from holidays, birthdays, and meet-ups with friends.
There’s another option if you aren’t looking to print out your photos or clean up cardstock and stickers. Digital scrapbooking is a huge craze nowadays, and it’s super easy and cheap, since a lot of tools and programs for photo editing are free! You can also do a hybrid of digital and physical scrapbooking, where you edit your pictures with Adobe, arrange them on digital scrapbook paper, then print the final product out on cardstock.
You can even make your own stamps electronically, or find pre-made ones online, and print them out on sticker paper. I prefer picking them out at Hobby Lobby, where letters and themed stickers are 3-5 dollars, but there are plenty of options for beginners and scrapbook masters alike.
Start out with a season or a holiday to get the hang of things. For example, take your pictures from summer and form a few themed pages around it, complete with stickers and cardstock with similar motifs like the beach, the Fourth of July, or even a camping trip (2.50$ at Hobby Lobby, by the way). Then keep progressing from there, going through all of the important parts of your life that you want to preserve.
