Some people are good at arts and crafts because, through these, they get to have their creative juices flowing. However, some are not as well-versed in these activities. Regardless of whether you are an expert crafter or someone who is merely testing the waters, below are some simple steps if you want to get started in scrapbooking.
Collate and sort your photos
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One of the primary things that you need to do, to begin with scrapbooking is to collate and sort all the photos that you will include in it. From the photos that you have collected, you have to choose a focal point photo that will be the main picture in your layout. As much as possible, maintain a single focal point for a balanced and pleasing scrapbook. Crop the rest of the photos that you wish to include in a smaller size, making the focal image the largest one.
Choose a paper and embellishments
The next step that you need to do after you collate and sort the photos you want to include is to choose the paper and embellishments that you will use. To have a good idea of which materials are best used for scrapbooks, explore online sources, particularly if you want to know where to learn how to scrapbook as well. As much as possible, you should go for a paper that is in solid colors, effectively accentuating the photos. There is also the option for you to go for patterned paper pieces that you can use as embellishments later on.
Create a background
To put together a page in your scrapbook, you need a canvas. In this case, you can consider using 12×12 inch scrapbook paper to paste your images. You can even create a background using patterned paper and card stock. If you prefer the latter, you have to top the card stock with a strip of patterned paper until the background becomes 12×12 inches in size.
Arrange the photos accordingly
To emphasize your focal photo, you can double-mat it. In this case, what you need to do is to place the photo on a mat of white card stock. Frame it with a slightly larger card stock of bold color that you prefer such as red or blue. This is an effective means of arranging the photos you chose in case you cannot make the other photos that you need to include on the page smaller.
As for the rest of the supporting photos, all you need to do is to match them in a single piece of card stock in groups. Just make sure to experiment with your layout first without using any adhesive. As soon as you are happy with the way that they look on your page, then you can already paste them on your background.
Add a bit of journaling
Over the years, you may find that the photos on your scrapbook may lose their meaning if you fail to put a short but sweet caption in them. For this reason, add a bit of journaling into your scrapbook pages either by using your handwriting or printing the text using your computer. Just make sure to place the correct caption alongside your focal photo for more emphasis.
Include the embellishments
As soon as you have effectively arranged the photos and text on your scrapbook page, the next thing you need to do is to include all the embellishments that you wish to add. This is where unique and cute stickers come into play. You can also add glitters depending on the theme that you want to achieve with your scrapbook.
Bind the pages
Finally, when you have come up with various pages for your scrapbook, the last thing that you need to do is to bind the pages. There are various ways on how you will be able to do this, with some types of binding only temporary, allowing you to add more pages as necessary. Nevertheless, you can also go for a permanent binding if you deem that you are done with the scrapbook you have designed.
When it comes to scrapbooking, make sure that you first collate and sort the photos that you want to include. From there, choose the paper and embellishments that you want to use before you can create an appropriate background. Arrange the photos accordingly and add a bit of journaling. You should also include the embellishments you have chosen before you finally bind the pages. When you follow all of these steps, then you will be able to come up with an amazing and unique scrapbook.
Image Source: BigStockPhoto.com (Licensed)
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