Strategies To Start Scrapbooking With Ease
To some people, scrapbooking looks difficult and they don’t know where to start.. You might wonder, how many photos do I need, how big should the album be and/or how should I place my photos? The nice thing about scrapbooking is that there are no rules! Think of yourself as an artist! Do what you believe is suitable and don’t worry about trying to get it just perfect. Keep in mind that the goal is to provide yourself with a way to enjoy – by yourself or with others- your pictures more than you would if they were tucked away in a closet somewhere.. At the same time, you’ll be placing the wonderful memories associated with the photographs into a piece that will go on for years and years to come.
With that in mind, you still have to start somewhere. Here are a few tips to get the momentum started:
- Study: There are plenty of websites available (like scrapbookingtools.org) that have articles and great ideas. Visit your local stores and read books, too. Don’t feel pressured to copy the pages you look at in the magazines. Rather, use them to generate ideas and for inspiration. Lots of scrappers use magazines to “scraplift” design features or templates. Start with a basic idea in mind for the layout, then inject your own personal taste or style by adding embellishments or other ready-made scrapbooking products.
- Find a pal: To some extend, scrapping is like exercise…without the sweat. It’s a whole lot better when you have a pal for encouragement and assistance. You can even borrow some of their tools for scrapbooking. To keep things easy to remember, select a specific time and date (like the first Saturday each month) for your activities and stick to it. Your local scrapbooking store most likely has regular crop sessions – why not plan on attending one with your scrapping pal? This can be a nice option for those who are limited on room.
- Start small: Smaller albums tend to be easier to scrap than larger ones. Before you work your way up to the standard 12×12, begin with a 6×6 or even 8×8 album to learn the ropes. Smaller albums require less photos, less embellishing and therefore less time. It will also be a great motivation when you see the final product!
- Contemplate a frame or altered object: Even less demanding than a small album are photo frames or altered items, including key chains or cards. You can complete most with just one photo, and after the single page – you’re done! Frames make excellent personalized gifts, as well. Some words of advice: If you decide to scrap a frame and plan to decorate it with 3-dimensional items, be certain to buy a shadow frame or a frame made expressly for scrapbooking. Otherwise, you’ll have a difficult time closing the frame.
Before you know it, you’ll begin to discover shortcuts on your own which will help you get things done faster and better each time you do it.
For more scrapbooking tips, and scrapbooking ideash visit http://www.scrapbookingtools.org