Vacations make memories that can last a lifetime. Whether
it’s a weekend camping trip or a week long cruise, lying on the beach or
hitting the slopes, vacations get us out of our normal routines and help us
build lasting memories. What better way to record those memories than with a do
it yourself vacation scrapbook?
A scrapbook is more than a photo album – it tells the story
of your vacation. A scrapbook is an easy craft project to share with your
children and makes a great gift for those with whom you shared – or would like
to share – your experiences.
There are as many different ways to approach the craft of
scrapbooking as there are stories to tell. If you are working with small
children, a scrapbook that includes a variety of textures will help cement the
experiences in their minds. Take the time to think about this project while you
are on the vacation and you’ll find numerous items that can be gathered for
later use in your scrapbook.
For a trip to the beach, consider gathering small shells
that you can use to decorate pages. A pocketful of sand from the beach can
replace glitter to add texture to a page or two. For a camping trip, consider
collecting a few flowers to be pressed into the book. Did you attend a show or
visit a theme park? Keep your ticket stubs and other small reminders of your
time there. If your vacation included a fancy restaurant, a menu or wine label
can bring back the dinner conversation years later.
You can also build textures in other ways. Use pinking
shears to trim page edges. Cut out and layer pages to create a pop out effect.
Use puffy stickers and paints to add depth to the page, or attach fabrics or
different types of paper to change the feel of a page.
While textured scrapbooks are fun, they tend to be bulky and
difficult to keep in good condition for long periods of time. For a more
contemporary and long lasting scrapbook, consider building one using an online
printing service, such as Smartpress.com.
A professionally printed photo book makes a sleek and stylish scrapbook that is
much more durable than the traditional paste and paper version. A personalized
calendar is also a fun alternative to the typical scrapbook. Printed scrapbooks
are also convenient when you want to gift them to more than one person, since
you simply order additional copies for each one.
You can still use your own photos as well as anything that
can be scanned, such as tickets or postcards. You can edit and arrange your
pictures easily without having to order prints first by simply uploading them
from your digital camera. Additionally, you can add graphics and effects that
are more difficult using traditional photo prints. Using effects, you could
create an retro comic book from your vacation photos or use a filter to make
your scrapbook into an antique adventure journal.
Whether you choose to break out the scissors and glue or
prefer the mouse and digital enhancement, make sure that your scrapbook tells
the story of your time away. Use it to capture the spirit of your vacation, the
adventure of going new places and trying new things, the joy of spending time
with cherished loved ones, even the frustrations that you will laugh about for
years to come.
Way before scrapbooking as we know it because so popular, I made scrap books using all the items I did along the trip. Napkins from the ice cream stand with the stand name on it, left over foreign change, and even the credit card statement! I actually get compliments on them because they're not so cluttered with what I call "extra clutter" - but is all about my trip.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great idea. I truly never thought about this. Thanks for the post. I've tons of pics of the grandkids.I'm definitely going to use your suggestions. :)
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Thanks for the tips on both traditional and new scrapbooking methods. I do like to keep stuff from my trips around but never get to scrapbooking them.
ReplyDeletei love maing scrap books there just memories that you can look back at
ReplyDeleteI am afraid that our vacation pictures are all stacked in a photo box (unopened) - since we upgraded out devices we now only have digital photos. I miss making scrapbooks and I may start again.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good idea. We ever we vacationed I of course liked to take tons of pictures. As we traveled I would pick up post cards or ticket from places we stopped at as well as a restaurant napkin or menu. I would write little tidbits of information as we seen it. That way we had all the things we needed to make a nice vacation book that everyone would enjoy looking at.
ReplyDelete