How to Make a Scrapbook From Scratch

A scrapbook is a memorabilia of prized possessions. It provides a way to make a compendium of memories with old photographs, newspaper cuttings, pictures you liked and trinkets that have been treasured for far too long. Scrapbooks are perfect gifts for friends and family, who are far away. In fact, if you've embarked on the beautiful journey of motherhood, you can start making a scrapbook for your child to present it to him/her on the18th birthday. It is a extended effort, but definitely the one that will be treasured for life. The contents of a scrapbook are reminiscent of days of yore and hence is a gift that will be valued above any other.

Things You Will Need

• Hard paper to make scrapbook cover
• Blank pages to fill the scrapbook
• Glitter, stickers and other embellishments to decorate the scrapbook
• A box for the scrapbook
• Scissors
• Hole puncher
• Ribbon (you can pick any color of your choice)
• Ruler
• Tape or adhesives
• Photographs and mementos that you would want to put in the scrapbook

The kind of paper you use to make the scrapbook will decide the way it looks and how durable it will be. For instance, card stock is a type of paper that is more durable than normal writing paper. This makes it a perfect pick for scrapbook covers. On the other hand, patterned handmade paper has a long life and is available in different patterns, shades and sizes. This paper might be a little expensive but it will make great pages for your scrapbook. Many photographers use archival paper for printing some of their best shots. Put in a few pages of this paper, if you are going to print photographs.

Instructions

• With the ruler, measure an A4 size page and outline the same on the hard paper for scrapbook cover. Once you've marked it, cut the cover of scrapbook. Make sure the cover page and the end page are of the same size.
• To make the pages on the inside, use a softer paper. Cut them an inch less than the cover. This will protect from folding or tearing. You can use any kind of paper to make the inside pages.
• Now hold the inside pages and the cover such that the inner pages are well covered. Give them a slight fold in the exact center and with a hole puncher, punch two holes. The holes must be congruent, so that the pages and the cover does not move when you bind them.
• Now thread the ribbon through the holes and tie a knot on the cover or at the back. This will now the bind the pages together.
• Trim off the extra ribbon and your basic scrapbook will be ready.

Decorating the Scrapbook

Now comes the fun part of making a scrapbook. All those waste items such as pieces of ribbons, buttons, old laces, glitter and a score of stickers will be of good use. With so much of decorative material, it will get a little difficult to decide how to go about decorating. So, decide a theme for your scrapbook. Think about what are you going to be putting in, in the scrapbook and who are you gifting it to. Summarize your thought process and you'll have a theme for yourself. It is important that you stick to your theme while decorating the scrapbook. You can also use fabrics to decorate your scrapbooks. Some of those old tattered clothes that you don't have the heart to give away will give the perfect introduction to your handmade scrapbook, if you use them as a cover. Once you are done decorating, fill in your scrapbook with personal mementos you've collected.

Once you are done giving your work of art its finishing touches, place it in a box. This will prevent your scrapbook from dirt and weathering, making it look new with old memories, no matter how old it gets.