Have you ever looked at someone’s completed scrapbook with page after page of beautiful layouts and thought, “I could never do that!” The truth is that with a just few basic tips you can be well on your way to making your own beautiful scrapbook pages and filling an entire album in just a short time. If you have assembled your photos and have a few basic materials to get started with you are ready to go. Here are some scrapbooking tips for beginners that will get you started in the wonderful world of scrapbooking.
1.Sort your photos and select the theme you will be working on. Keep in mind that generally, 5-7 photos fit on a two-page spread and 3-5 photos fit on a single page. Remember that you do not have to scrapbook every photograph just select only the best photos to highlight the event, feeling or moment you want to convey. At this point you may want to crop your photos in order to enhance the focus for your intended page.
2.For the next step you will need to select 2-3 colors of acid-free paper that will complement the colors that are found in the photographs. You can experiment with different color combinations to find the perfect colors to enhance your photographs. You may also want to include stationery or decorative paper that supports the theme of your pages.
3.Choose a photo to be the focal point of your page. As a general rule, it is best to select photos with sharp images, vivid colors and well-lit subjects.
4.You will then want to shape and mat your photos to add extra prominence to your focal point. You can do this easily in a variety of way such as matting your photo with a wider border than the others, or double or triple-matting it. While shaping your photos, be sure to keep in mind that simple shapes such as rectangles, ovals, circles and squares are among the most eye-pleasing shapes.
If irrelevant or distracting details appear in the background you can simply trim them out. Remember that this does not mean you have to cut out all of the background because frequently, ordinary items pictured in the background will bring a flood of memories essential to journaling and reminiscing.
5.Add your journaling. No page is entirely complete without adding your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Take a few minutes to write down not only the “who” and “when,” but also the “what” and “why” for a complete remembrance of what the purpose of your photos were.
6.Arrange all of the photos, journaling and titles on your page. As you are arranging these elements, pay close attention to the direction your eye moves. A general rule to keep in mind is that well-designed pages are well balanced and will follow a natural flow that mimics the letter Z. To check the balance of your page, imagine that your layout is on a scale. Does one side of the page tip the scale? Once you are pleased with the layout, you can simply adhere the elements to the page.
7.Be creative and try a few extras. As you get more comfortable with scrapbooking, try your hand with some decorative embellishments such as stickers, die cuts, rubber stamps and punches. These tend to be the most popular page accents. Just remember to use these items sparingly you do not want them to overpower your photos.
8.Congratulations! You have now successfully completed your first scrapbook page. You will find that as you scrapbook more and more, you will develop your own style, but these tried-and-true basics can serve as a strong foundation.
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