Where Do I Start?

Creating scrapbooks is an enormously fun activity, one that can be done on your own, with a group of friends, or with the whole family. Scrapbooks make precious gifts especially for grown children and grandchildren. Your albums can be as simple or creative as you want them to be. It is said that it is better to have your album done simply, finished and up to date; rather than elaborate, fancy and unfinished.

Why not sign up for our Getting Started: An Introduction to Scrapbooking & Cardmaking class? You will learn the fundamentals of Scrapbooking, such as what tools are needed and how to use them, organizing your photos, selecting the right album, cropping, matting, color selection & layout. There is also an introduction to Cardmaking, a complimentary craft to Scrapbooking, since a lot of the same supplies are used. This class is always FREE*! For more information, check out our Classes Page.

Click here for a list of Classes offered at Precious Memories!

Organize your photos. Organizing for a great scrapbook and getting your precious photos out of shoe boxes and into an album can be a daunting task. But if you take things step by step you can take the fear out of sorting and put the fun into doing. Taking time to organize your photos will make scrapbooking much easier. One of the most convenient ways is to sort your photos in chronological order, but if that is not possible you can also sort by theme, event or occasion. Once your photos are organized, store them in a safe, acid-free environment that is dark, cool & dry (i.e. photo box).

Choose an album. In general, most scrapbooks are 12x12, but other sizes are available such as 6x6, 8x8, 9x9 and 8.5x11.

Now you are on your way! Most people prefer to start with their current photos and work their way backward. This way you can preserve your most recent memories while they're still fresh in your mind. If you start with the beginning of 30 years of pictures you may never get caught up & you'll always feel overwhelmed.

While sorting your photos you may want to record important details, names & dates on the back of your photos. Never use pen or pencil. We recommend a Stabilo pencil because it is acid free, and it won't cause indentations or crack the emulsion of the photo.

Now that you're organized, you are ready to start! Remember that the secret of a well-designed scrapbook is eye appeal! Not jumbled thoughts and scrambled pictures, but page after page of interesting themes & photographs. When you look at a page the viewer should be able to make connections even though the subject is not known personally.