How to Make a Scrapbook Album

1. The first step to learning how to make a scrapbook album is gathering your photos and sorting them. Most people scrapbook their photos by date, but they can also be sorted by theme. If you have TONS of photos, sort by decade first, then go back to each decade and sort again. It is best to scrapbook the most recent photos first if you have alot. If you start from the very beginning, you may get discouraged when you see that it’s difficult to get caught up. Also, you will remember details about the most recent photos for when you do the journaling.
2. Decide what type of scrapbook you’re going to make. Will you be making a family scrapbook or one for each of your kids? Some people that have an abundance of photos only do special occasions like Christmas or Birthdays.  You may wish to concentrate on certain years, like a baby’s first year or a special trip you took.  If you want to save your baby’s momentos, visit Baby Scrapbook Ideas.
3. When learning how to make a scrapbook album, you will need to learn about choosing different types of scrapbook albums. Albums come in many sizes. If you don’t have many photos, you can choose to do a smaller size like 6×6 or 8×8. If you have alot of photos, large photos, certificates, or newspaper clippings, you will need a 12×12 scrapbook album. There are three basic styles of albums, strap hinge (Creative Memories Style), Post Bound (Most common in craft stores), and Binders. All three have advantages and disadvantages. Most of mine are post bound albums, but I am finding that since I have so many photos, binder scrapbooks may be a better choice for me. When buying refills make sure the refills are the same manufacturer as the album.

Tools and Supplies

1. When getting started, you may not have a lot of tools to choose from. As you learn more about scrapbooking, you will learn which tools work best for you. Gather your scrapbooking tools. The basic tools needed to get started are a 12″ paper trimmer, pair of scissors, adhesive, corner rounder, and black archival pen. There are tons of other tools to choose from. Once you get started, you’ll other tools like Die Cutting Machines and Punches that make scrapbooking alot of fun! Below, I have highlighted the brands of scrapbook tools that I use.
2. You will also need scrapbooking papers, stickers, and embellishments. I recommend kits if you’re just starting out. Kits will have a variety of papers, stickers, and other “doo dads” to make your page pretty. Everything will be color coordinated, and there are often ideas on the packaging to get you started.
3. Even years after learning how to make a scrapbook album, you will still need some inspiration! Some people are naturally creative and can do it on their own. Others struggle and need a guide or some ideas to get them started. If you need a kick start, search the Internet for Scrapbooking Sketches, or look through magazines and books. Pinterest has tons of scrapbook layout ideas!

The most important tool you will need when learning how to make a scrapbook album is a 12″ paper trimmer. I like the Fiskars brand, because it lays flat and fits nicely into my scrapbooking tote. It is also a good price if you don’t want to spend alot of money on a premium paper trimmer.  You can purchase refill blades so the trimmer will last for years.  The trimmer has measurements on the bottom and sides so that you can trim photos, cardstock, and patterned papers.

Here is a graduation double layout. I made pocket pages to hold the program, announcement, tickets, and other memorabilia.

Honeybee Scissors by EK Success

Honeybee scissors aren’t a necessity when learning how to make a scrapbook album, but they sure are helpful! I love these Honeybee Scissors and couldn’t make a scrapbook without them! They are very sharp all the way to the pointed tip which makes them great for cutting tiny things. They are also coated with teflon so that if you cut tape, they will wipe clean very easily.

Corner Rounder

When I teach people how to make a scrapbook, they are amazed by this little gadget. A corner rounder is a punch that rounds the corners of your photos. It gives your photos and photo mats a nice neat finish.

Scrapbooking Adhesive

You can’t make a scrapbook without adhesive!  The biggest mistake that I see beginners make is not using the correct adhesive.  Wet glue like Elmer’s or Tacky Craft Glue will wrinkle your photos and papers, leaving an ugly mess.

I love EZ Runner tape runners. They are my favorite scrapbook adhesive. They run very smoothly right to the end of the roll.  I’ve been using this for years!  I have tried many others, but I always come back to the EZ Runner.  It is great for people who don’t have alot of strength in their hands, as it is large and easy to hold. It doesn’t take much pressure to roll on the adhesive. I recommend this for older scrapbookers who have lost dexterity in their hands.

When you move on to more advanced techniques, you will need other types of adhesives like glue dots, glue pens, and ribbon glue.  To learn about other adhesives, visit Scrapbooking Adhesives.

This little boy scrapbook page used the Cricut to make the dump truck and tools. The layout is simple and can be changed if you don’t have a Cricut.

Pens for Journaling in your Scrapbooks

Choose good quality, fine tip pens for journaling in your scrapbooks. They should be marked archival.  Zig and Sakura are good brands to choose.  When learning to make a scrapbook, journaling is probably the hardest part, but it’s important to have dates and names recorded for future generations!

What to do with Polaroid Pictures

Instant Polaroid pictures were very popular in the 70’s and 80’s, and I think we all have a few in our collection. DO NOT cut Polaroid pictures! They contain chemicals that will ruin your photos. Use them just as they are.

Get rid of Magnetic Photo Albums

Magnetic Photo Albums (the kind with sticky pages that have the plastic covers that fold over) are bad for your photos! These types of albums contain lots of chemicals that cause your photos to fade. If you have trouble getting photos out, try using dental floss and a hair dryer.

After reading these tips, I hope you’re ready to make your first scrapbook!

Here are some other posts that will help you.

Beach Scrapbook Layouts

Baby Scrapbook Ideas