Getting Started

Introduction to Scrapbooking for Beginners

If you are brand new to scrapbooking, then you’ve come to the right place!  In this section we’ll help you get started with this rewarding hobby.  We’ll cover basic supplies you need to begin, how to complete your first page, and some great classes we offer here at Bloomin’ Scrapbooks for beginners.

Recommended supplies for beginners:

• Archivally safe album
• Page protectors for your album
• A good pair of scissors
• Paper trimmer (at least 12 inches long)
• Adhesive (tape tabs in a dispenser are the easiest for beginners)
• Pens (especially a black, acid free journaling pen)
• Assortment of acid-free paper (cardstock and patterned)
• Stickers or other page enhancements

Step 1:  Sort Your Photographs

Sorting your photos can be a huge task.  You can go through and organize by years or by themes to get started.  Some themes might be family, childhood, baby, wedding, holidays, vacation, birthday, etc.

• If you choose to organize your pictures by years, start with broad categories like baby, toddler, pre-school, elementary school, junior high, high school, etc.  You can then take each of these categories and break them down into a more specific time period or event.
• Once you have your pictures sorted, be sure and store them safely in an acid-free container.  Find a system that uses dividers so you can find the pictures you are looking for easily.
• Label and store your negatives, too.  You never know when you might need to make another copy for a school project, to give to a relative, or to replace a damaged or lost photograph.

Step 2: Choose a Scrapbook Album

Next you need to select an album to use that will fit your needs.  Before you head to Bloomin' Scrapbooks to purchase one, you will need to ask yourself a few questions.

• How many photographs do I have that need to go into this album?
• Have all of the pictures for this album already been taken, or is this an album that will be ongoing?   For example, a baby shower is a one time event and after the event you will know exactly how many pictures you have to work with.  If you are making an album for one of your children, you will be continuing to take pictures and adding them to the album over a period of time.
• Do you have memorabilia (newspaper clippings, ticket stubs, etc.) that must also be included in this album?

Once you know the answer to these questions, you can decide the best size of album for your project.  There are many sizes of scrapbooks on the market today.  The most popular remains the 12x12 size.  Other sizes available include 81/2 x11, 8x8, 6x6, and more.  The smaller size albums are nice for gifts or for a project that is not ongoing. 

Step 3:  Complete Your First Page

Many people are often very nervous about completing their first pages, however, if you follow these simple steps you will be creating layouts in no time. 

• Select 5-7 photos of one theme to go on a two-page layout, or 3-5 photos for a one-page layout.  Keep in mind that not every photograph has to be scrapbooked.  Select only the best photos to highlight the event, feeling, or moment that you want to convey.
• Select 2-3 colors of acid-free paper that will complement colors found in the photographs.  Experiment with different color combinations to find the perfect colors to enhance your photographs.  You may want to include decorative paper that supports the theme of your pages. 
• Choose a photo to be your focal point.  As a general rule, select a photo with sharp images, vivid colors and well-lit subjects, or a photo that conveys the mood or theme of your layout.
• Crop your photos.  When cropping your photos you want to remember a few things.  First, cropping is where you trim off unneeded or unwanted parts of the photograph.  This is best done with your straight edge paper trimmer.
• Mat your photos, adding extra prominence to your focal point.  Mat several photos.  You may want to double or triple mat photos to add prominence to a special photo.  Generally, it’s pleasing when double or triple matting to vary the width of the mats.
• Add journaling.  No page is complete without adding your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.  Take a few minutes to write down not only the “who” and “when”, but also the “what” and the “why”. 
• Add a few extras.  As you get more comfortable with scrapbooking, try your hand with some embellishments – stickers, die cuts, rubber stamps, and punches are among the most popular page accents.  Use these items sparingly, you don’t want them to over-power your photos.
• Arrange photos, journaling, title, and embellishments on your pages.  As you arrange these elements, pay close attention to the direction your eye moves.  In general, well- designed pages are well balanced and will lead the eye throughout the entire layout.  To check the balance, imagine that your layout is on a scale.  Does one side tip the scale?  Once you are pleased with the layout, simply adhere your elements to your page.  

For further instruction on beginning your first scrapbook album you may want to consider taking some classes at Bloomin’ Scrapbooks & Stamps.  Our SDU (Scrapbook Design and You) program is perfect for going over the basics and moving you into the next level of scrapbook design. 

Intermediate Scrapbookers

Advanced Scrapbookers