Top 10 Most Unique Wedding Scrapbook Ideas

Looking for a way to make your wedding scrapbook better than average?  Here are the top 10 most unique wedding scrapbook ideas to add interest and pizzazz to the most popular scrapbooking theme:

1)  Kids’ Quotes

Throughout your wedding scrapbook, let your pictures and children’s quotes about love and marriage tell your story.

There are a couple of ways to do this.  You can plan ahead and put someone you trust in charge of interviewing the children at your wedding.  Give them a series of questions to ask separate children.

You could also wait until after the wedding to collect your quotes.  Go someplace where there are a lot of kids and perform interviews.

Feeling lazy?

Find adorable kid quotes online.  For instance, here’s a quote from Mike, age 9, about what people do on a first date:  “On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.”

Use the quotes to inspire pages in your wedding scrapbook.

2)  Wedding Song

Write lines from you wedding song on each page of your wedding scrapbook.  Let the words and sentiment of the song inspire the pages for an especially romantic scrapbook.

For instance, if your song is “At Last” by Etta James, your first page could simply have the words “At last…” accompanied by perhaps a picture of the bride and groom being announced for the first time as man and wife.

3)  Wedding Colors

A simple way to bring continuity to your scrapbook is to only use shades of your chosen wedding colors.

Choose embellishments, pictures mattes, stickers, and even pen colors for journaling accordingly.

4)  Emotions

Choosing a word that describes a single emotion can make your pages significant and interesting.

For instance, put the word “Anxious” at the top of the page above a picture of the groom waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle.

Journaling additional stories on each page is completely optional!

5)  Chapters

Divide the scrapbook up like a novel with chapters.  Here’s one straightforward idea:

Chapter 1: Before We Met
Chapter 2:  Dating and Engagement
Chapter 3: Wedding
Chapter 4: Honeymoon

Create any kind of chapter titles you want. Be creative!

6)  Fairy Tale

Tell a once upon a time story of your courtship and marriage.

Journal in the third person, telling the tale of how one princess met her prince or knight in shining armor.  Don’t feel compelled to use Disney themes unless you want to:  a fairy tale can be a whimsical, colorful story that can will across as sophisticated and beautiful when you choose gorgeous colors, pictures, and elegant embellishments.

7)  Use only materials from your wedding in the scrapbook.

If you have saved everything from your wedding and don’t want to part with a thing, consider incorporating them exclusively in your wedding scrapbook.

Include your invitation, napkins, wedding program, name cards, wine labels, corks, color samples, dress fabrics, ribbons, pressed flowers, and favors to make your scrapbook the ultimate personal wedding keepsake.

Make duplicate copies of your flowers and cut to make your own bouquets scrapbook embellishments.

8)  Focus on the pictures.

Choose a simple design that places the spotlight on the pictures.

If your pictures are bright and colorful, consider using muted, neutral backgrounds.  Or, showcase gorgeous black and white photographs atop of vibrant and colorful backgrounds.

Either way, the eye will be drawn to a story in pictures.

9)  Vintage

Create a timeless effect by choosing a vintage theme.  Consider “aging” your photos by printing them in sepia tones or by tinting them.

Use vintage papers, classic quotes about love and marriage, and plenty of lace.

10)  Music

Photocopy copies of the sheet music used in your wedding.

Remember to include processional music, any hymns or songs sung during the ceremony, recessional music, mother/son song and father/daughter song, as well as the first dance and any other reception music that was meaningful to you.

Use these copies as background in your wedding scrapbook.


Scrapbooking Paper Piercing 101

Scrapbooking paper piercing is an age-old craft that can lend elegance and new dimension to your paper-craft projects.  Use paper piercing to provide a unique look to your scrapbooking pages!

What is Paper Piercing?

Paper piercing is a decorative process. Simply put, paper piercing refers to the method of taking a sharp needle and poking a series of tiny holes into your paper to create various patterns.  The effect is that the design looks like sewing stitches, which is why paper piercing is sometimes also called “faux stitching.”  Paper piercing designs can be simple or highly complex, completely unique or followed from a pattern.

Beginner Paper Piercing Tools

To begin your very first paper piercing project, you will need:

  • Heavy cardstock paper.
  • A sharp needle.
  • A mat. (To protect your table from scratching!  Use any type of mat that will absorb the needle.  Mouse pads work well. Large foam sheets purchased at craft stores are also good options.)
  • A pattern. (Optional.)

Starting a Simple Paper Piercing Project

  • Choose a pattern. (Any type of pattern that you can poke a needle through!)
  • Choose heavy cardstock.
  • Place pattern over heavy cardstock.  Tape the pattern to the cardstock to keep it in place.
  • Place cardstock over the mat!
  • Follow pattern, making small perforations with your needle.
  • When finished, remove pattern from the cardstock and admire your design!

Suggestions for Successful Paper Piercing

  • Craft stores sell piercing tools.  Holding a needle to poke holes into paper can get tiresome after a while.  If you really enjoy paper piercing, consider purchasing such a tool.
  • Cardstock is a great beginner’s choice because it is heavy and less likely to rip but easy to perforate.  After you get a feel for paper piercing, experiment with different types of paper, including vellum, scrapbook paper, duplex paper, metallic paper, etc.
  • Test how patterns appear with the holes punched closer together or farther apart.  Experiment with various designs.  Remember that on one side of the paper is a flat design while the other side has a lifted design.  There is no right or wrong way to display either design!
  • Paper pierce borders, letters, pictures, monograms, or frames.
  • Experiment with different patterns.  Anything can be used as a pattern!  Stencils and sturdy templates work very well for paper-piercing.  Some people use children’s coloring books, cut-outs, die-cuts, or download patterns from the computer.  Craft stores sell templates specifically made for paper-piercing projects.  Consider drawing your own patterns or templates and scanning them into your computer for future reference.
  • Make paper-piercing designs really pop by chalking around them.  If the design isn’t recognizable after you have finished piercing the paper, use marker or pens to bring the visual together.

As you become more skilled at paper piercing, you will find that your options for creativity are limitless.  Many incorporate stamping with paper piercing, combine paper piercing and embossing for a truly dynamic effect, or add paper piercing to their own original artwork, actually incorporating the “pattern” directly into their scrapbook page.

Paper piercing is a relatively easy and visually stunning scrapbooking technique that takes a little time and creativity.  The results are always worth it.


Where to Look For Scrapbooking Jobs

Looking to take your passion of scrapbooking to the next level?  Believe it or not, there are plenty of ways to turn your hobby into a money-making enterprise.  Scrapbooking is quite possibly the most popular craft out there, and memory-making is big business.  If you think you have an especially creative eye, have excellent communication skills, and are organized and passionate about your craft, read on to find out your options for scrapbooking jobs!

Types of Scrapbooking Jobs

There are a variety of types of scrapbooking jobs.  You could create and sell scrapbooking supplies, be a salesperson for already created products, design and sell already made memory books, teach scrapbooking classes, be a salesperson at a scrapbooking store, work in computers designing scrapbooking software, write scrapbooking tutorials or books, or form your very own scrapbooking home-business, where you can focus on whatever you want to focus on.

Scrapbooking can be a full-time career, or a part-time job to bring in some extra cash. Here are some examples of where to look for scrapbooking work:

1) Look for Teaching Jobs in Your Community

Most cities and towns have community recreation courses that they offer residents and most are eager for teachers with skills to come forward and share their knowledge and talents.  Find out what towns around you offer community education classes.  Contact the director and offer to create and teach a scrapbooking class for beginners, for advanced students, or even a short class on holiday or theme scrapbooking just to get your feet wet.  This is a great way to build experience and make some money doing what you love.

Also consider offering your talents to your local JoAnn fabrics, AC Moore, or Michael’s store.  Consider teaching a class to teens at a local YMCA or even through a local school district. Contact other scrapbooking stores in the area as well and offer your services as a scrapbooking teacher.  Store managers and education administrators are always looking for competent, reliable, skilled, and passionate teachers to work in their stores.

2) Search through Job Listings

You might be surprised at how many different types of scrapbooking jobs are out there! Many are home-based jobs, looking for people to write online scrapbooking tutorials, or running a scrapbooking website or blog.  There are companies who are looking for buyers to select the best scrapbooking merchandise in their stores.  Scrapbooking companies are always on the lookout for specialists and designers and salespeople. If you have a degree in art, consider searching for job designing scrapbook supplies like paper, stickers, or embellishments.

Find jobs at various employment websites, including simplyhired.com, monster.com, scrapbookupdate.com, and scrapbook-jobs.com.

3) Start a Home Business

There are several different options to consider when starting a scrapbooking home business.  Remember that creating a successful home business requires a keen business sense, stamina, front money, and above all, constant creativity and enthusiasm.  Here are some home-based scrapbooking job options:

Consultant

You can either choose to work for a company as a consultant, or go your own way.  Many people who love scrapbooking have had great success working for companies like Creative Memories, selling their products and providing scrapbooking advice to clients.

You can also advertise yourself as an independent scrapbooking consultant, offering your services to those looking for someone to offer advice, ideas, and knowledge about scrapbooking.  There are a number of ways to profit from consulting: offering private classes, group activities, products, and special events helps build a client base and keeps business lively and interesting.

Search for other ways to make money crafting at home by visiting work-at-home websites like WAHM.com or Womensworkstation.com.

Design Custom Scrapbooks

Possibly the most flexible scrapbooking job.  You can take in clients on a per-diem basis and create custom-made scrapbooks to their liking.  You can also design your own scrapbooks, without pictures, of course, and sell them individually on a website.  Consider opening a store on Etsy.com or Ebay.

Making profits from any home-business can be slow-going at first.  You will need to be able to work fast, find and keep clients, and be prepared and capable or providing all overhead costs for your new business.  You also need to be an aggressive salesperson, willing to approach people and businesses and offer them your services.

Some ways to make your home-business successful include:  offering clients a monthly newsletter via mail or e-mail, having a business website creating and distributing business cards, participating in local craft fairs, finding where to buy and then buying scrapbooking supplies in bulk for less, advertising your product or services on professional looking fliers, in the newspaper, or online.

As you can see, there are so many ways to turn your passion into a thriving enterprise.  Consider what you can bring to the business world of scrapbooking, brainstorm some career goals, and have fun finding the perfect scrapbooking job.


10 Best Scrapbooking Layout Ideas

Looking for great scrapbooking layout ideas?  We have scoured the web and found some invaluable resources to help you create amazing, organized, and well-designed scrapbooks layouts.  Take a look at our ten favorite spots for layout-design inspiration:

1) Scrapbooking Sketches

From everything-about-scrapbooking.com, a site for beginning scrapbookers, comes advice about using scrapbook sketches to plan great layouts.  There are simple layout designs right on the website, as well as other sketch resources, including a link to 63 scrapbooking sketches and a book recommendation:  500 Scrapbooking Sketches by Jennifer Gormly.  Even the least artistic person can create a wonderful layout with these easy to follow, printable plans.

2) Crazy for Scrappin’

This site has a gallery of page layouts to browse through and get ideas from.  Thankfully, they separate the layouts by category.  The layouts are submissions from all types of scrapbookers, some amateur, some advanced.  See how other people have turned their memories into beautiful layouts!

3) Scrapbooking Kits

The regular scrapbooker in search of inspiration should check out Scrapbook Doodle’s scrapbooking kits, mailed directly to your house.  Choose a kit according to the month and receive paper, stickers, and embellishments to use to make beautiful, coordinated scrapbooking layouts.

4) Heritage Scrapbooks

This amazing site is a visual archive of vintage scrapbooks.  Browse actual historical scrapbooks that date from 1700. Perusing this site is a wonderful way for scrapbookers to get inspiration as they consider archiving their own vintage photographs.

5) Scrap Maps

This awesome resource has layout plans you can customize!  Simply choose the page size you will be working on, the number of pictures you want to use, and voila… a selection of layouts that fit your exact demands.

6) Creative Memories Project Ideas

We like Creative Memories’ website because it is constantly updated.  It includes a new project idea every day!  Browse completed projects, an assortment of scrapbooking layout ideas according to theme, season, or occasion.  The website is always fresh and up-to-date.

7) Lily Belle Scraps

Sometimes it’s nice to check out a personal blogger’s scrapbooking creations.  LilyBelleScraps.com is a regularly updated blog that details one woman’s scrapbooking adventures.  What makes this site particularly special is that with each project, she provides downloads of the papers and elements she uses, so that you can print them off and create your own page.

8) HP Activity Center

Choose your own project on HP’s website, where you can create a customized, printable project in seconds.  Many of the projects are free, come with customer reviews, and are great for either getting new ideas or starting a new project.

9) Two Peas in a Bucket

This popular website’s layout gallery is a wonderful resource for the advanced scrapbooker.  There are constantly updated, gorgeous full-page layouts to gawk at.  The gorgeous colors and innovative ideas will surely generate a great layout plan for your next project.

10) Choubox Scrapbook Design

This is a lesser-known about site.  We like it because it is well-organized, easy to understand and navigate, and comes with great tips, including an article entitled Scrapbooking 101.  You can purchase pre-fab layouts on this site, but the creator is happy to provide advice and provides layout sketches you can customize and download.  She even has a Christmas layout e-book available for only 1.00!  What a steal!


Scrapbook Paper Storage for Beginners

Scrapbook Paper Storage for Beginners

Newcomers to scrapbooking often find themselves with a lot of new supplies, and no place to put them!  Scrapbooking storage is often an afterthought, but finding a place to put your new materials can be as fun as scrapbooking itself!

The backbone of any scrapbooking project is paper: patterned papers and solid stock papers, embossed papers, and themed papers… you will need a place to put them!  Scrapbooking paper comes in a range of sizes, but 12 x 12 is the conventional scrapbooking paper size and is difficult to store if you do not have the right storage product.  Scrapbooking paper is often bought by the sheet, lovingly purchased for a special project. Improper storage will increase the likelihood that your paper will become bent, creased, stained, or damaged in some other way before the project even commences.  Scrapbookers will find that purchasing storage for their paper will save them money in the long-run by protect their most valuable scrapbooking commodity!  (After personal photos, of course!)

Deciding what type of paper storage depends on where you plan to stock your scrapbooking supplies.  You may have craft table or desk devoted to scrapbooking.  Perhaps scrapbooking supplies need to be relegated to a closet or stored under a bed or in some other remote area.  Those very short on space may want to store all their supplies in one easy, portable location.

For those who have room to spare, having stackable trays to place on your workspace makes organizing your paper easy.  Stackable trays are available in most craft stores and are made to fit a range of paper sizes. You can generally buy as many or as few as fit your needs.  Stackable trays make it simple to separate paper according to color, type, or theme.

Save room by storing your paper on an organizer that is attached to the wall.  The Clip it Up Swinging Arm comes with 15 metal swivel clips, perfect for organizing and hanging paper.  The arm simply mounts to the wall.

Those who plan to store their scrapbooking supplies in a closet or cabinet should look into containers that can be easily put away.  The Container Store has sturdy plastic paper containers that are perfect for separating and protecting your papers.  The containers are clear so that you can easily see what’s within.  They are perfect for labeling.

Do you have extra cabinet space?  You may want to consider a folding file or upright cases.  The ScrapOnizer Ultimate Toolbox Organizing system includes four 12 x 12 cases that fit together in a holder.  The cases are clear, perfect for labeling, and provide a neat, streamlined storage system for your paper.

The Advantus Corporation Cropper Hopper 12×12 Expandable Paper Organizer is an accordion style file folder specifically designed for scrapbooking paper.  It is sturdy, has large, extended labels, and folds to fit neatly in a cabinet or drawer.

Those who want portable storage can choose simple portable paper holders or all-in-one totes that carry all their scrapbooking supplies in one spot.  Crop In Style is a brand that sells transportable scrapbooking storage in a number of scrapbooking stores.  The totes always come with ample space to store paper.  Often, the totes are large enough to place an accordion file folder within, making papers that much more organized.

Crop in Style also makes a Paper Taker tote that organizes and carries just papers; it is smaller, lighter, and easier to transport than an all-in-one tote.

No matter what the type of paper storage, follow this checklist to make sure the storage will properly protect your papers:

1)      Make sure the storage container or folder protects papers from getting bent or creased.

2)      Make sure the storage container provides organizational qualities: can the papers be separated and labeled accordingly?

3)      If papers will be stored for a long time, make sure container can be sealed tightly, to preserve the papers and to prevent aging.

Organizing your paper will make scrapbooking more enjoyable: no more scrounging for that perfect red background sheet!  Make the best of any scrapbooking project by storing your papers correctly.