If you are a scrapper you may find yourself wondering while you scrapbook what to do with all those other things you would like to keep besides the photographs of your cherished memories. You may have ticket stubs, maps, cards or even small mementos that you would like to work into your scrapbooks but you may be unsure of exactly how to do that. While there is always the option of simply tossing those keepsakes into a shoe box and up on a shelf you may want to consider creating a keepsake scrapbook either in conjunction with your photographs or together with your photos to give a complete picture of your memories. So if you are wondering what to do with all those other cherished items here are some tips on creating keepsake scrapbooks.
•Sort your keepsakes according to importance. It is important to understand that in the moment that tiniest scrap of paper may be supremely important and sentimental but do you want it in your scrapbook? Going through your keepsakes and grouping according to occasion and importance will give you the chance to see what you really want to keep and what should be tossed.
•Ask yourself what can be worked into your scrapbook? Can the tickets to Disneyland or that Broadway show be worked into the page that your photos are on? Can the map you used on your road trip be the background for your vacation photos? Sometimes the keepsake you want to add to your scrapbook can be neatly worked into your photo page which adds a whole other dimension to your scrapbooking.
•How many keepsakes do you have? These are items that cannot be worked into a photo page either due to their size or shape. If you have only a few things that you want to keep in a scrapbook you can build a page to hold them. Adding a pocket onto a photo page will let you slip small mementos in that you want to keepsake. You can either build a pocket by adhering a sturdy piece of cardstock to your page on only three sides (leaving the top open to slip small items into) or you can purchase pre-made sheets that have pockets already done that you can then place photos around. This allows you to store the keepsakes next to the pictures they pertain to.
•Do you have several keepsakes or larger items that you want to put in a scrapbook? Perhaps you have something to large or bulky to place into a small pocket. If you are dealing with items like this you can purchase keepsake pocket pages that can be interspersed with photo pages. This allows the viewer to see the keepsakes (and even remove them for viewing) but again allows them to be stored next to the photos that they pertain to.
•Do you want to do strictly an album for keepsakes? Sometimes you may just want to make an album to hold keepsakes. This can be certificates, cards, artwork, or any other item that is special and sentimental to you. These types of scrapbooks can be easy to assemble if you have the right materials. A visit to your local craft store can show the multitude of products available for storing and displaying items in a keepsake scrapbook. There are pages of varying sizes and styles that will let you store and display your keepsakes for years to come. Just remember to be sure and add your thoughts and journaling since these items will not be displayed with photographs to document their significance.