7 Design Tips for Creative Scrapbook Pages

1.   Getting Started.

Always start with clean hands; dirt and oils may keep your photo and paper memories from enjoying a long life. Collect your materials from a variety of sources. Use photos, newspaper clippings, award certificates, ribbons, ticket stubs and other items to help tell an interesting story. Saving them all in easy-to-access organizer pages makes for easier page creation.

2.   Plan for Success.

Plan ahead with a layout for a great-looking page. You can sketch out a design on scratch paper first or arrange your scrap elements until you have a pleasing design. Make sure to save space for photo captions and your written notes.

3.   The Theme's the Thing.

You want to tell a story with pictures, images and words so it's helpful to organize your ideas around a theme. This can be a season (family winter activities); a holiday (Fourth of July, Easter); an event (weddings, the school play); a place (the vacation in Colorado, Grandma's house); or a person (newborn babies, brothers, sisters, friends).

4.   Get Creative.

There's no limit to your imagination, so why limit your scrapbook to photos and paper? Use stamps, stencils, stickers and fabric to decorate your pages. Embellish with special edged scissors and colored or metallic markers. Use cotton for clouds or add leaves, feathers and other unusual elements to make your pages original and exciting. Page additions, such as fabrics, textiles, and other 3-D effects really stand out on larger 12 x 12 size pages. Be sure to protect your memories with 12 x 12 page protectors, so that all pages will be stored safely in your book.

5.   Color Crazy.

Use complementary colors for visual interest. Stay within one color family to support your theme or to let your photos and images pop out of the background. Let color help you define the mood of your page.

6.   Words of Wisdom.

Readability is key when you’re adding photo captions, handwritten thought or explanations to your page. Make sure the size, color and shape of your type style can be easily read. Consider a variety of sources for your type; it can be computer generated, handwritten, or clipped from newspapers and magazines for a “ransom note” effect.

7.   Crop Job.

While some pictures work best square-cut, you can add interest to others with some creative cropping. Trim photos into unusual shapes with scissors or carefully tear the edges of your paper and images for a softer line. Try “tiling” photos by cutting them into quarters then reassembling them.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Let your creativity stand out!