How-To: Scrapbooking And The Importance Of Journaling

Ever come across an old family album, maybe when you visited your grandparents, and wondered who all those people in the photos actually were? It might be that nobody remembers them anymore, and more precious links in your family chain are broken forever.

It can be very frustrating to come across some great old photographs or albums, and no one has taken the trouble to label the pictures or give you any idea of the who, what or where. Frequently, there’s simply nothing at all to help you identify who you’re looking at, and what made this photograph important enough to be taken. Nameless, dateless, placeless.

You can prevent this with your own albums by simply taking the time to do a little journaling. These days, you don’t just stick a photo in an album and label it – the process has become an art form: scrapbooking. The basics of how to do scrapbooking as opposed to merely taping your photos onto a blank album page is what this article is all about.

You see, a scrapbook is much more than just some random snapshots in a plastic sleeve. They are vibrant chronicles of your family’s history, intended to be passed down to the generations that come after. So you need to add some words to the process – what scrapbookers call journaling.

There are a number of good reason for journaling.

Firstly, it offers priceless genealogical data for later generations.

Secondly, journaling will ensure that your life, and that of your family, is preserved in a tangible way.

In addition, you aren’t required to provide a running narration of each picture to everyone with whom you share your scrapbook! They are free to stroll through your memories, stop at any picture that catches their eye, read the captions and stories, and enjoy it at their leisure.

Want to learn how to enliven your scrapbooking with journaling?

To start with, you’ll need acid free, permanent marking pens created especially for scrapbooking. These pens are particularly important to use as they are photo safe. They won’t damage the photos around them with the passing of time.

It’s nice to get pens in a variety of colors – but simply black is always an option, of course. It’s not the colors you use, it’s making sure to get the words written down.

At a minimum, be sure to write identifying information to go with your photos. That could include people’s names, and what their relationship to you might be. It doesn’t have to be elaborate – “My brother Tyler Smith”, “my daughter’s swim coach Leslie Jones” or “my roommate Theresa Johnson.” Adding a bit more info than simply a name helps those looking at your scrapbook to get a fuller picture.

Adding the date the photo was taken, as well as where, can also be helpful identifiers. But many people aren’t content simply identifying their photos – they want to take their journaling a step further. They might want to tell the story that is behind the photo. It can be as simple as a short paragraph describing the bare events, or it can be a more elaborate, multi-page memoir.

If you’re just getting started with journaling, and not sure how to proceed, here’s a short “how-to” scrapbooking lesson:

Lists are a good idea to put in your scrapbook, in lieu of regular paragraphs. If you’re creating a scrapbook for a toddler, say, try making a list of some of their favorite things (very Sound of Music!) – toys, songs, foods, bedtime stories, and so on – sprinkling them around the scrapbook wherever you see a blank space that needs filling.

How about asking someone to write a little something in your scrapbook, just like your high school yearbook? Have your child’s father write his perspective of their trip to the zoo. Get a buddy you went on vacation with to write about the things she saw and did.

Find quotes and poems related to the theme of your scrapbook, and use them to help fill some empty spots. Not sure what to do with that blank space above your Christmas photos? Look for a cute Santa poem to paste there.

Whether you decide to keep it simple and just add the important identifiers, or take the opportunity to get more elaborate and creative with your story-telling, journaling will make your scrapbook uniquely personal.

These basic tips on how to make your scrapbooking efforts cherished as an heirloom should get you off to a good start. You will also be gifting the next generations with information about your life and family that they will be very grateful to have.

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