Family history scrapbook
The old family photo album has come
of age. It’s no longer a book of black pages with paper corners holding photos
and other documents.
Now it’s colorful, creative, and fun. And, it has a new
name—scrapbooking. A scrapbook is a work of art. Download the Free Rules of Graphic Design for
guidelines to give your creation a professional look.
Family
history in a scrapbook form 
Family stories often include
people for which we have no photographs.
While conducting a genealogical
search, you may come across documents, maps, diaries, letters, etc. that you
can use as images to tell that part of the story.
Mat copies of them and add to
a scrapbook page with a journal.Add these elements to pages that have photos
as well. Give your stories a historic matrix to deepen the interest and understanding in your family history.
Associated scrapbook pages
Types
of scrapbooks
- Traditional paper (preservation time, 22+ years)
- Archive (preservation time, 70+ years)
- Digital (preservation time, 5-22 years)
Traditional
paper scrapbook
Plenty of colorful elements
and stickers. Use material that is free of destroying acids and lignin to make
your scrapbook last as long as possible. Use printed copies of digitally edited photographs. You can then
make them as gifts and still preserve your original photographs.
Scrapbook
materials
Buy scrapbooking supplies in
scrapbooking and craft stores, many department stores, and online. Here’s what
you need.
- Album—post, 3-ring, or spiral
bound, 8 ½” x 11” or 12” x 12”
- Themes—pages and add-ons
with common color scheme and motif
- Construction paper &
cardstock—used to make mats and objects
- Die-cuts—colorful cardstock
objects
- Stencils—guides to help draw
objects
- Stamps—to make ink objects
on the pages
- Punches—to cut fancy shapes
in mats
- Stickers—add to pages and
mats
- Specialty scissors—plain and
fancy that cut patterned edges
- Exacto knife—used to cut
windows in top mats
- Marking tools—markers,
colored pencils, crayons
- Writing pens—waterproof, pigment-based, fade-resistant,
permanent, quick-drying, archival-safe ink pens for journaling
