Many people would love to start scrapbooking but are simply unsure where to begin.  Those boxes of photos may seem overwhelming and walking through the aisles of supplies may be intimidating.

I’ve found there are five simple steps you can followto get started scrapbooking.

1. Gather Your Supplies. No, you don’t need one of everything. Start simple. Choose an album, a few sheets of acid-free paper, acid-free adhesive, maybe some stickers, rubber stamps or embellishments and the pens you’d like to use to add captions or journaling.

2. Organize. Take out your photos and memorabilia (if you want to use them) and sort through them.  Discard any photos that you simply cannot use. Next you’ll want to choose which ones you’ll include in your scrapbook.

You may also want to take a little extra time to sort other photos into shoeboxes or organizers for future scrapbooks.

3. Take a Class. Taking a class is an excellent source of inspiration and motivation.  You’ll also learn techniques that are sure to make your first scrapbooking experience more enjoyable and memorable.

4. Be Creative. You’re scrapbooking for fun so go ahead cut away, hearts, stars, whatever you like. And don’t be afraid to crop your photos.

You may even want to try a pair of edgers to add some decorative edging to your photos.  Add some stickers or try out rubber stamps. Then lay everything out and play with your arrangements until it’s just the way you want it.

You may want to check out some of the layouts that can be found in galleries on scrapbooking web sites. Remember, it’s your scrapbook, so why not make it what you want it to be. There’s no right or wrong way to make a scrapbook, the choices are personal.

5. Take Your Time. Set aside a little time every day, or a couple times a week, to work on your scrapbook. Doing this you’ll be less likely to lose interest since you’ll be able to see your scrapbook coming together with each session. Equally you’ll be less like to rush through it and end up disappointed.

Are you fresh out of ideas for the perfect wedding or anniversary scrapbook?  Let me take a few minutes to give you some tips and ideas that will inspire you. 

And remember, you’ll want to add  touches of the couple’s personality, taste and style to make the scrapbook more personal and meaningful. This is much simpler to do than
you may think.

If you’re scrapbooking a wedding there are a number of steps you can take and items you can include that will really enhance its intimacy and reflect the couple.  First, consider the theme of the wedding.  Whether it is a simple color scheme or a full-blown theme, add elements of this to the scrapbook. 

Next, if there was a poem read or personal vows exchanged you’ll want to add it to your scrapbook.  You can type and print them in a nice font or hand write them, either way it will be very special. 

Third, add items like place cards, gift lists, invitations and pressed flowers to your layout. 

Last, but not least, place a photo of the happy couple either on the first or last page of the book.  You will have created a scrapbook that will be cherished forever!

When creating an anniversary scrapbook one of the most important things to remember is to use colors to embellish the book that represent the number of years the couple has been married, especially if it’s one of the more symbolic anniversaries such as the 25th or 50th. 

If you’re unsure of what colors to use or if you think the couple simply wouldn’t like the color, you may revert to the colors used at their wedding.  When filling the scrapbook try to gather photos of special occasions like previous anniversaries, honeymoon, special trips or parties and the like.

You may also want to include a copy of the lyrics to “their” song and an invitation to their anniversary party.

You may also want to consider a chronological layout for this type of scrapbook.  Years from now when the couple looks through it, it will be like a stroll down memory lane.

And last, but certainly not least, try to include at least one photo for every year they’ve been married.

If they’ve not been married for many years or you don’t have the space for many photos, select the ones that you believe are most precious and significant to them.

“Scraplifting” is a term used loosely by some scrapbookers. It describes the process of seeing scrapbook layouts or ideas in magazines or on the Web and copying them for your
own layout(s).

Most scrapbookers are happy to share their ideas with others because they realize that they too have received inspiration, motivation or ideas from others in the past. Scraplifting can be the highest form of flattery when the person being copied views the
“scraplifting” as an opportunity for someone else to have a creative experience with the help of another.

Other scrapbookers don’t see scraplifting the same way. They believe it to be unethical and call it CASEing (copy and stealing everything).

For those scrapbookers who believe scraplifting is okay, they say there are unofficial guidelines that should be followed. Scraplifting is a complicated subject too. The general rule of thumb is: if you use 70% of another person’s scrapbook, it’s a scraplift, under that it’s an “inspired by you”.

If you do scraplift, you MUST credit the original artist in your comments, possibly even linking back to the original, but do not try to pass it off as your own, unaided work.

This of course also means that you need to keep some kind of track of who the original poster was. Some will ask the artist’s permission first before scraplifting.

Scraplifting allows many a “starting point” when they are otherwise at a loss for where to
begin. It is also a way for others to get ideas for color, placement, materials and embellishments they can use on their own pages.

Some scrapbookers view themselves as “creatively challenged”, but don’t want to give up on wonderfully unique way to organize and display their family photos, memorabilia, history and journals. Scraplifting can also be used as a time saver.

Rather than spending your precious time wracking your brain the whole night without any output to show for the next day, scraplifting is an option. There are scrapbook magazines and gallery websites that exist to allow scrapbookers to showcase their work, for inspiration and to allow others to scraplift.

Finally, remember that if you have copied a layout or a design, especially in full, do not submit the idea as your own to a magazine, idea book, layout contest etc. for any type of publication or compensation. Scraplifting is meant to share ideas and to be a fun and easy way to get your photos and mementos organized in a quicker fashion.