How To Make A Memorable Scrapbook For Your Child.without Having A Masters Degree In Art!

When my son was only a few months old, I was fortunate enough
to be invited to a scrapbooking party. I had no idea how much
fun putting together a few pictures could be! Immediately, I
was hooked. I had been taking pictures constantly since the day
my baby was born, and now I finally had something to do with
them all!
 
Even though I take most of my photos with a digital camera, I
really enjoy putting the “real” pictures down on paper. It is
almost “therapeutic” for me. After a long day, and my son is
put to bed, this is my time to devote to his scrapbook - and it
is fun.
 
I’m no master of the creative arts by any means. In fact, my
pages are pretty simple. But I have learned a few tips along
the way that have made my scrapbooking a success to me.
 
*Journal - The reason I enjoy putting pictures in scrapbooks is
that it allows me to write down what was going on in the
picture: where we were, what we were doing, what I was thinking
at the time - all the things that I know I won’t remember 20
years from now! I try to take notes on journal paper while the
images are fresh in my mind. That way, when I’m ready to sit
down and create a page, I can add the journal notes. Plus, I
want this to be a gift to my son that he can look back on when
he’s older. The more notes I write in his book for him, the
more special it will be.
 
*Include a range of topics - I try to make pages of neighbors,
our home, and friends of the family in order to preserve the
memories of people and places that may change over time. I
never thought much about doing this until we moved out of town.
But now I can put together a page with pictures from the house
my son was born in, the neighbors we had when we lived there,
and the friends that we visited in that town. Since my son
won’t remember these things, he will have the stories and
pictures to enjoy.
 
*Add special keepsakes to the book - I’ve included pages from
his favorite books (that he has ripped out!), his hospital
bracelet from when he was born, cards he has received for
special occasions, even his first knit cap! The great thing
about scrapbooking is that it doesn’t have to just be pictures!
Your local arts and crafts store can offer many options to help
you include odd-shaped items or things that are just too
precious to put glue on. Items such as plastic sleeves and
pocket folders can serve this function and are a great asset to
your memory book.
 
And for those of you who only have a digital camera, or just
prefer to do your scrapbooking on your computer, I recommend
you read David D. Deprice’s article, “Family Album in the
Digital Age” at
http://www.youngparentsmagazine.com/articles/Family-Album-In-The-Digital-Age.htm
for more information on “computerizing” your memory book.
 
Most importantly, make it fun! If your kids are old enough to
help with the project, let them! This is a great activity that
kids and parents alike can get enjoyment from. You will be
preserving precious memories while giving your children the
gift of your time. Best wishes and Happy Scrapbooking!

About The Author: Jennifer Tarzian is proud to be a
stay-at-home mom. For all your parenting resources or to sign
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