The Guide for Scrapbook Newbies - Part 1

By definition, a scrapbook is basically 'a book with blank pages to which you attach photographs, letters, newspaper stories, etc., that help you remember a person or time'.

People make scrapbooks for all sorts of reasons, whether it’s because they simply enjoy making them or because they wish to highlight and preserve moments in their lives that are happy or are proud of. To avid scrapbookers, scrapbooking is an art that requires a great deal of time and attention to details. On the other hand, to the average person, scrapbooking might just be a simple collection of photos in an album.

Regardless of whether you are an enthusiast or a first timer, there are a few general tips to help get you started. Of course if you’re an enthusiast you might already know these tips but it doesn’t hurt to go over them again right? For those newbies who wish to make their first scrapbook, these tips will help guide you through a few simple steps in order for you to make your first scrapbook.

Tip 1: Find the right size

Picking the right size to work with is tied to what you’re making the scrapbook for. As it is with anything you do, it is very important to know what the purpose is for what you're doing. Knowing what sort of documents you want to preserve or keep in your scrapbook will help determine what size of the book you should be working with. If it’s a simple scrapbook to preserve photos, maybe you just need a small 8x10 scrapbook. If you’re making a scrapbook for genealogy purposes, you might want to go with the 17x11 since that is the common since for genealogy documents.

If you are not sure of what size to use or if your scrapbook is going to have multiple sized items, then you may choose to use the typical 12 x 12 size. Most scrapbooks today are in the 12 x 12 size which is a nice square format to work with and you can easily get binders and sheet protectors of that size at any stationary store. However, there is no written rule that you must use a 12 x 12, as there are other various sizes like the larger 17 x 11 or 14 x 17, or smaller sizes like 8 x10, that are also great to work with. These sizes are typically harder to find, but of course we have them at Keepfiling – both binders and sheet protectors. You can visit our Scrapbook and Artwork Page to see which page protector sizes we carry ideal for scrapbooks.

Remember, when you are planning your scrapbook, the first important step is to have a clear idea of what it's going to be for as it will play a big part in helping you decide which size you will want to work with.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our guide which will reveal our next tip!