Growing up, my mom had always documented phases of life, trips, events, and everything in between in the form of pasted photos, colorful stock paper, and themed stickers all in a binded book. The first 10 years of my life are forever immortalized through my mother’s beloved scrapbooks. Also growing up, my dad and I would spend time together by making our own kind of scrapbooks. Using just a plain, black-and-white composition notebook, my dad and I would glue funny comic clippings, crayon family portraits, Hannah Montana stickers, and anything else that I thought was worthy of being in my “book”. Flash forward 15 years later, I was living in a new place and starting a new phase of life. Wanting to journal but never sticking to it long, I decided to make a little collage that represented the past few days. A ripped price tag, receipt from a boba shop, crude pencil drawing of my friend, and a colorful backdrop from a magazine perfectly composed my past weekend. And from then on, scrapbooking has become my favorite hobby.
I’ve had friends tell me they would love to be able to scrapbook but never think they could, but I don’t think that’s true. If you’re looking to get into scrapbooking, or even just want to make a fun little collage, here are some of my tips as a scrapbook lover :)!
- No Pressure
Scrapbooking should be fun and personal. There isn’t a right way or wrong way to do it. Little mistakes and imperfections just make it more real and personal! The best part about scrapbooking is that it is unique to the individual and there are absolutely no rules. So, don’t put any pressure on yourself!
- Structured vs Collaged
My mom’s scrapbooks contained printed pictures with meticulously cut paper frames accompanied by a neatly written description of the events in the photo. In my mind, this is a more structured form of scrapbooking. The other kind is more of what I do, which is often a messier but thoughtful conglomerate of scraps and clippings in the form of a collage. Find which works better for you or maybe some version of an in-between! Again, there are no rules :)
- Start with something personal
The easiest way for me to find inspiration to scrapbook is to start with something that is personal to me, that has meaning. This is often a photo but also has included things like stickers, letters, ticket stubs, and brochures. Starting with something that has meaning can be motivating and can lead to inspiration of what else to include on your page!
- Magazines
Magazines have become my bff. I love flipping through the pages and finding a random phrase that I want to tape down or a random picture that fits perfectly with the vibe of what I’m going for. Magazines also can provide solid or patterned backgrounds for your work! I’ve used clippings from Homes & Gardens to Vogue, you never know what you’ll find.
- Stickers Stickers Stickers
Simply, stickers solve all problems when it comes to scrapbooking. Page too boring? Add stickers. Not enough color? Add stickers. Empty, awkward space? Add stickers. Actually it’s perfect? Add a sticker anyways. Stickers are so much fun and can add that last extra thing that makes your piece absolutely perfect. I always order sticker sheets from shops online, specifically from Japan. Japanese shops have a huge assortment of sticker sheets and I guarantee you’ll find something you’ll like. My personal favorite store is: cutethingsfromjapan.com.
- Themed
If you find yourself still lacking inspiration, then your work is a great way to kickstart your motivation. I love making pages that are inspired by my favorite movies. You could also do this with a band, a place, a vacation trip, or something even as simple as a color! Theming your work can help narrow your focus and make it easier to work.
These are just a few of my tips but at the end of the day, scrapbooking is personal to you! Do what feels right and what you love! Have fun!