Scrap Booking is More Fun than Photo Albums
Scrapbooking is not only a fun way of passing time and organizing all of those pictures and mementos, it is a great way of organizing those prized possessions to show off to family and friends.
Recently I have decided to take on the project of scrapbooking all of these items instead of just sticking them into a photo album. I never was interested in something like this before, mostly due to lack of time. I have always admired other people's albums and wished that I had the time and crafting ability to take on such a project, so I decided to educate myself and learn more.
I went on the internet and looked at tons of websites on scrapbooking and where to get supplies and how everyone else came up with such great ideas. To my amazement, I was hooked. I still do not have the time to spend hours and hours on a project, but I set up a little corner where I can leave everything and work on it in my spare time.
Baby Steps Work Best
I have always preached about doing organizing projects in small baby steps, but somehow neglected to take my own advice (DUH!). I am making such great headways, one baby step at a time, and my albums is really looking great. I find myself looking for ideas of things that I can use when I go shopping, in the strangest places.
What to Use
I have used pieces of material, poster board, construction paper, wallpaper, boarder paper, gift-wrap and a multitude of weird things for my borders on pages and around pictures. Everything matches the particular picture or event.
I have a book (rather several books), that now tell the story, of my families life and memories. It is according to not only years and events, but also special moments in that period that I do not want to forget. I can go to my book and I will know exactly when something happened and what happened before and after, as well as the date and even the weather on that special day. This is so much nicer than just opening a book of pictures!
Spruce Up Your Photo Taking Ability
I am not great when it comes to taking pictures, a matter of fact, up until recently, my photography left a lot to be desired. Then, one of the readers of my newsletter told me about a website at www.kodak.com, in which I could see a tutorial on photography and get tips on how to take good pictures for my album. I was so thankful that she did. My pictures have all improved and are bright, clear and impressive.
Keep Track of Events
I keep track of every photo that I have taken and write down all of the information that I need to add around my photo. It is important to have the name of the person, place or thing in the photo, the period that it happened, the event that was taking place and any other cute things you would like to add. When you get the pictures back, add this piece of paper to the envelope and then if you do not get to it for a while, your information will still be handy and will refresh your mind.
Storing Pictures until Ready to Scrap Book
When I get the pictures back, I insert the piece of paper that holds all of the information about the pack and then put them in a Zip lock bag. On the outside of the bag, I write the period that it happened in, the events that are on the pictures and a few of the names of the people in e pictures. This way when I am ready to add them to my book, I have all of the information handy and I can lay my bags out according to dates. I store these in old shoeboxes according to year so that I can keep them dry and in a dark place, but you can use photo boxes or other containers, the choice is yours.
I also keep any other things that I have collected to add to my book such as: tickets, postcards, brochures etc. in the same bag.
About Jan Hayner- Jan offers tips, hints and shortcuts on organizing and house cleaning at Home Organizing. Get organized and rid yourself of stress using her free pamphlets, 50 Cleaning Shortcuts, 50 Things to Do in 10 Minutes and Guilt busters for Working Moms. She also offers a monthly newsletter, blog and chat room.