Scrapbooking

CEBU, Philippines – One can capture favorite memories in a custom scrapbook. It’s easy to turn a traditional scrapbook into a sweet showcase by just getting creative with the collections. Some tools and supplies, such as a puncher and any coloring materials, are the requirements.

Perhaps vehicles can be drawn on plain tags with pre-punched holes and the day’s highlights recorded on postcards, creating picture-perfect pages or stickers of favorite cartoon character put here and there, alongside a fairy-tale princess or prince. Miniature travel souvenirs may also be glued in the insides together with the memorable pictures from the travel. Class pictures or family pictures kept in memory box can be great materials for a scrapbook project, where the names of those in the picture and their significance in the scrapbook maker’s life are described.

One way of creating a scrapbook is a “book within a book.” One can create small albums in the scrapbook, each with a distinct story to tell – like about the family, about classmates and about neighbors or playmates. Stiff paper covers along with paper spines and corners give the scrapbook or the albums within a fancy hardcover feel. The whole scrapbook may have a closure made with a paper fastener and string.

Here’s a common example of how to make a scrapbook, which kids can try at home.

Materials needed:

• 3 sheets of paper (Cardstock is the best)

• Scissors

• Pictures

• Glue stick or double sided tape

• Markers

• Ruler

• Optional: sticker, ribbon, stencils

Instructions:

1. Make each paper an 8 1/2" square and fold each piece in half diagonally (both ways) and horizontally and vertically. Be as precise as possible. Fold them back the other way so they will be easier to fold later on.

2. Overlap one quarter of your first piece of paper onto your second, and then glue. Then take the two pieces that are now glued together and attach them in the same way to the last piece of paper.

3. To make the booklet, fold the centers of the top and bottom piece of paper to the inside. The middle sheet of paper is folded to the back.

4. Open your booklet and arrange the photos in a pleasing way. Use markers, stencils, stickers and ribbons to decorate the pages.

5. Take note that some of the pictures will be on a fold line and will need to be cut so that your booklet will fold nicely. Take care to cut your pictures in an interesting way. Try not to cut people’s faces. Don’t forget to add a personal touch.

6. Design an eye-catching title page for your scrapbook.

(kidsgen.com, marthastewart.com)