Scrapbooking for genealogists: 3 creative ways to preserve your family’s history

Whether you've spent several days, several years, or some time in between in trying to uncover your family's history or researching your href=http://www.7dayfamilytree.com/> last name origins, you’re no doubt looking for some creative ideas for preserving whatever it is that you’ve found. After all, computer printouts of a bunch of names are nice to have, but you won’t exactly be proud to pass that around at the next family reunion, would you? And think about this: wouldn’t it be wonderful if one of your ancestors had considered generations to come? You can do what you wish someone had done for you – you can preserve the past for the future.

Themed scrapbooks help cover up the gaps

One of the easiest ways to preserve your discoveries is with a scrapbook. You can compile a complete family history, or you can create a themed scrapbook. A themed presentation is a particularly good idea if you’ve perhaps had a lot of success in finding information about a particular aspect of your ancestors’ lives, but have a lot of holes in the complete picture.

If that’s the case, consider themes such as these:

Early ancestors: This kind of scrapbook might include:

* A map of the location where the earliest ancestors you've traced lived.
* Short biographies.
* Copies of deeds, wills, and estate documents.
* Old photographs.
* And, if you've managed to locate their graves, photos of the cemetery.

Migration: Simply record how your ancestors migrated. Include:

* Passenger lists of the ships (check The Ships List at http://www.theshipslist.com/).
* Photos.
* Passports and naturalization papers.

Family occupations: How did your ancestors earn their living? Did they farm? Were they doctors or lawyers? Actors? This kind of scrapbook could include:

* Copies or transcriptions from journals.
* Copies of memberships in societies.
* Prizes and awards won.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. You’re limited only by your imagination.

About the Author

Chris Simeral is the creator of the 7 Day Family Tree Genealogy Research Toolkit. To learn how to stop researching your genealogy the hard way, or to access the free genealogy mini-course, visit 7DayFamilyTree.com.