Posts Tagged ‘Christmas Scrapbooking Ideas’

The season of thanks is upon us, and we want to capture those family memories in a way they will always be easily recalled, for life’s good times always slip quickly away, like sand sifting through an hour glass. One fine scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving is to create a recipe memoir, which tells the history of your family’s thanksgiving in the form of recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. Here are some tips on how to organize your Thanksgiving recipe scrapbook memoir material.

Gather all the recipes you want to include in the memoir and any photos or ephemera you want associated with the presentation. Take your time with this phase of the operation, no matter how anxious you may be about completing your scrapbook ideas for Thanksgiving before the holiday. You will feel terrible if you omit one Thanksgiving scrapbook idea and then find it after you have completed the memoir / scrapbook.

As you gather recipes and photos for your scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving, make some notes about each one. In fact, buy a special journal just for these notes and keep it for other scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving.

How does reading about the recipe make you feel? What special memories does it evoke? Are there any family tales or funny stories associated with the recipe? Is it hand-written or typed? Write down your thoughts as they cross your mind. Make a rough sketch of your pages so you will know what will go where and what supplies you will need to fulfill your Thanksgiving scrapbook ideas.

Decide on a format for your scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving. One effective scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving is to organize the material as if it were a cookbook to be passed down to future generations. You are creating a family heirloom just as priceless as any other, and maybe even more so because of the specific effort involved. If you wish to use a cookbook format as your scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving, consider dividing the book into different sections just like you would find in a real cookbook; one for appetizers, entrees, desserts, etc. Instead of an appendix, list the names of those whose recipes you have included.

Do not scrimp on materials for your scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving. You want your memoir to last, and it won’t without purchasing fine quality materials. Don’t be afraid to try something different for your scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving. What about chalking, paper piercing or punch art for your cookbook/scrapbook memoir?

If you decide to go with chalking as one of your scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving, practice adding and blending colors on a separate sheet before applying chalk to a cutout to get a feel for blending techniques. Chalking is a very inexpensive scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving and is a very effective way to adorn a page with color. Use a light touch for a soft look and a heavier application for more intense color. Opt for photo-safe decorating chalks, which contain concentrated pigment and are acid-free. Use them carefully and if they break, save the pieces because they still can be used for other scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving.

Paper piercing is another technique to consider for your scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving. Using a template, a piercing tool and pad, you can create a unique presentation for your cookbook / memoir. Designs can be either flat or raised but the results are endless. Many themes and styles are available and piercing can add texture or be combined with stenciling or embossing for additional enhancement of your scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving.

Punch art also offers a myriad of possibilities for your scrapbook ideas for Thanksgiving. You can use it to decorate the borders or headers of your cookbook memoir to accentuate its Thanksgiving theme. Set your own stage with the colors of the season; orange, burgundy, gold and brown. Punches are very versatile and they can be made into many shapes and sizes, only limited by the confines of your imagination. Some of the more common punches are standard geometric shapes, hearts, stars, spirals, leaves and bears. Like the words to that old song, when it comes to punches for scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving, anything goes.

So consider your cookbook / memoir scrapbooking ideas for Thanksgiving as something your family will treasure for many holiday seasons to come. Get inspired to make it a unique creation that will bring pride to any bookshelf in your home. Let your imagination run free and wild while remembering to have a happy, healthy and memorable Thanksgiving holiday.

Interested in starting a family scrapbook for Christmas, but have no idea how or where to start? Well, you’ve come to the right article, and “x” really does mark the spot for information about Christmas scrapbooking ideas designed to save you time toil, trouble and money. Read on and get inspired.Pick a theme and stick to it.

It may take time to establish the exact theme desired, but this is one of those steps that the entire Christmas scrapbooking operation hinges upon. It will determine your content, direction and outcome. So pick carefully and thoughtfully, for the Christmas scrapbooking idea that you save may well be your own. Changing themes for your Christmas scrapbooking has the same result as what Abraham Lincoln said about “changing horses in mid-stream.”Collect material that reflects your Christmas scrapbooking theme.

Remember that anything goes, and the world is your source of material for your Christmas scrapbooking. Consider all kinds of paper ephemera; namely, cards, newspaper clippings, letters, lists of all kinds, tickets to shows, cartoons and any other physical artifacts from the life of the subject or subjects of your Christmas scrapbooking. Consider stuffing it all into a big basket until you can sort through it all and refine your selection.Remember the special can be found in the mundane.

Life is made up of many simple moments and you want to capture those that reflect the passion of the theme of your Christmas scrapbooking. Everyday photos are just as important as those commemorating important events. Take pictures often so there’s a lot to choose from. Even a Christmas scrapbook can hold a memory of summer if it is pertinent to the theme presented in your Christmas scrapbooking idea.Design each page as a whole story in itself.

You may want to use creative design techniques such as paper piercing, punch art and inking as well as simple color schemes to differentiate the pages of your Christmas scrapbooking and insure that they stand alone. Create a title for each page and lay out everything, along with a caption for each item, to see how it all looks in your Christmas scrapbook before gluing it all down. Balance your photos and captions first and then decide which technique will accent that page uniquely. Remember too that not every inch of space on a page in your Christmas scrapbooking need be filled. A little space between photos and captions is a good thing, as Martha Stewart used to say (and probably still does). Display your photographs proudly while Christmas scrapbooking.

Photos are the heart of most scrapbooks and different showcasing techniques can render unique holiday flair to your Christmas scrapbooking. Some thoughts along these lines might include: old fashioned photo corners, matting shots against Christmas scrapbooking colors to set the images off from the white paper and silhouetting photos (cutting them out of their backgrounds). This last technique works best with full-bodied images. Capture the specific and unique qualities of your Christmas scrapbooking family.

One way to do this is to find quotations, stories, jokes and cartoons that pertain specifically to your Christmas scrapbooking family. The extra care you take in selecting these items cannot fail to show in the final presentation of your Christmas scrapbooking product. You can also use markers to draw your own cartoons, family portraits and doodles, should you feel so inclined. Let your children dictate photo captions. Sometimes, they have great Christmas scrapbooking ideas. Use your imagination with your Christmas scrapbooking and create decorative borders with fingerprints, handprints and even foot-prints, if you can figure out a way to handle them artistically without ruining your carpets. Have fun and let the child in you come out and play for a little while! That’s what Christmas scrapbooking is all about!Go for Imperfection.

If you are going to have children participate in your Christmas scrapbooking, you will have to let go of the idea that results will be perfect (whatever that is). Leave the masterpieces for the likes of Michelangelo. (Your Christmas scrapbooking won’t include ceilings anyway.) Settle for finishing the project with all the children putting in their two cents.Buy products of higher quality that will last.

It is the effort behind your Christmas scrapbooking that will surely touch the heart of its recipient. Spend a bit more to transform your Christmas scrapbooking idea into an heirloom that will stand the test of time. Make sure the papers you buy for your Christmas scrapbooking are free of the plant component, lignin, which will cause fabric and photos to turn brown. It should say “lignin free” on the package. As far as paper goes, buy 12-by-12-inch, acid-free, 100-pound stock pages in many colors, pre-cut with holes and laminated on the edges. While you are at the store, stock up on acid-free markers and double-sided tape, rubber stamps and pads, glue sticks, adhesive photo corners and pinking shears or other such “crazy” scissors that make decorative edges.

Be guided only by your imagination. Things may turn out differently than originally planned, but that only proves that art really does imitate life. Most important, have fun while working on your Christmas scrapbooking project. You are sure to look back on it with love and pride as you pass this new family heirloom on to future generations. That’s a true Christmas legacy and a gift that will withstand the test of time!

Whatever time of year and whatever holiday you may be celebrating, there’s a reason to make a scrapbook to honor it. The motive behind holiday scrapbooking ideas is the simple fact that time slips away quickly and memories, the priceless stuff that life is made of, are elusive. To capture them for future generations, decide on holiday scrapbooking ideas for all the holidays of the year, but perhaps one scrapbook per year, if you will, insuring thought and consummate effort into your final holiday scrapbooking ideas. Here are some thoughts about how to go about this seemingly monumental task, which like most things in life is accomplished one step at a time.

Write down your thoughts in a holiday scrapbooking ideas journal before you begin. Include some of the following: feelings, plans, hopes and dreams for the holidays. Collect material for your holiday scrapbooking ideas that reflect the ideas expressed in these notes. Use journaling as a tool to document your photos.

Write down as much information as possible about the photos and ephemera you have chosen for your holiday scrapbooking ideas. This could include when and what time of day it was taken, the location, the occasion and of course, who is in the photo. Even though these details may not seem that important, for the future generation, for those who weren’t there when the photos were taken, this is all priceless anecdotal information. Record it for always and incorporate it all into your holiday scrapbooking ideas. Journaling also helps to tell the story of the holiday you are commemorating, no matter which it may be.Personalizing your holiday scrapbooking ideas.

This will greatly depend on the type of scrapbooking paper and pattern you select. There are a myriad of choices available on the market today, so pick those designs for your holiday scrapbooking ideas that best suit you and your family’s collective personality. Paper patterns can also serve as a subtle backdrop to your holiday scrapbooking ideas. Remember that the photos are the main attraction, and you will need something to complement but not overshadow their impact. Anything goes, however, so let your imagination go as wild as it dare to express your holiday scrapbooking ideas. Most important of all, make the choice that reflects your own unique holiday scrapbooking ideas. Holiday mementos for every holiday under the sun.

These run the gamut of all the holidays themselves, ranging from Christmas cards and holiday poems to colored pictures drawn by children, or cards with holiday sayings that match the unique theme of your holiday scrapbooking ideas. Special holiday stickers can also enhance your theme, but don’t go overboard with them while expressing your holiday scrapbook ideas. Stickers are very versatile and can be stitched, painted, embossed or glitterized!Include the whole family in the project.

A family rather than an individual within a family celebrates a holiday, even though some holidays are more family-oriented than others. Encourage everyone in your family to gather items and photos that mean something specifically to them. Figure out where and how these images will fit into your holiday scrapbook ideas later. Each family member should have a page in your holiday scrapbook if it is at all possible. Never lose sight of why you are creating your holiday scrapbooking ideas.

The motive is to have fun and commemorate those special moments that keep us all alive and smiling. Remember too, that if you instill a tradition of exploring your holiday scrapbooking ideas with your children, the chances are that they will also do it with their own children when the time comes.

Organize, organize and then organize some more of your holiday scrapbooking ideas. You might want to keep your scrapping and craft supplies in either glass or plastic containers, which work well because contents can easily be seen from any location on a shelf. Don’t be intimidated by misconceptions about holiday scrapbooking ideas.

Many people would have thought at one time that holiday scrapbooks and the like are for the more artistically inclined among us. Nothing could be further from the truth and with all the advancements of digital scrapbooking, it couldn’t be any easier than it is; simply upload the photos of your choice, crop them, add embellishments with software and then print them all out to express your holiday scrapbooking ideas.

Another misconception about expressing your holiday scrapbooking ideas concerns the amount of time involved. Many think it is too time consuming. Limit your ideal to capturing a moment and feeling in time and nothing more, and you can finish your holiday scrapbooking ideas in far less time that you might have imagined. Do not feel that everything must b done in chronological order.

This is one tip that will save you a lot of time. If you are stuck or bored with one section, move on to another more passionate one because inspiration shows in the end.

Whatever you do, enjoy the holidays that comprise your life. They represent the best of our experiences and as such, should be savored, like a glass of the finest wine.

How can you give a gift that will go on giving long after it is unwrapped, lauded and put away? If you are considering making a personal scrapbook for some of the special people on your list, check out some of these Christmas scrapbooking ideas listed below. (You may have to concentrate on a few people if you are pressed for time. Next year, you can do the people you missed this time around.) It’s no small job, and will require planning on your part, but when you are finished, your Christmas scrapbooking idea is sure to be the talk of all the family this holiday season.

Think of yourself as the FBI and that maniac, J. Edgar Hoover. Keep secret files (photos, etc.) just like he did on everyone who is the subject of your Christmas scrapbook idea. Only work when inspired. It will show otherwise. Gather photos and ephemera enthusiastically. Use only those items that make you laugh, cry or seriously reflect on that person, or you with that person, or something along those lines. Sort the wheat from the chaff (but not necessarily in that order). If you are ambivalent about including pieces in your Christmas scrapbooking ideas, they probably don’t belong.

Decide on the type of scrapbook you want to make. Here are some thoughts on that.

• If you want a recipe album, concentrate on a few recipes that are especially meaningful to the subject of your Christmas scrapbooking idea. Follow the course of history for the particular family member as connected to that recipe or recipes (photos eating, making, transporting, enjoying, etc). Considering the levity of the occasion, focus on desserts for your Christmas scrapbooking ideas, if you can.

• Christmas scrapbooking ideas for young children

ABC scrapbooks are the perfect Christmas scrapbooking ideas for kids and they are very easy to make. Devote each page of your Christmas scrapbook idea to one letter of the alphabet. Use photos and other ephemera to illustrate each letter in a personal way. For example, A is for Aunt Betty, etc.

• Teachers appreciate homemade gifts from students. For your Christmas scrapbooking idea, consider helping your child make an album for a special teacher on your gift list. If you really are organized and start early enough in developing your Christmas scrapbook idea, you might even be able to coordinate a “group gift” by sending each child in the class a page to make for your Christmas scrapbooking idea.

•Teenagers and pre-teens are a more difficult group per se, as their ideas are constantly changing with the different fads and trends. Two weeks from now an adored rock star may well be a thing of the past, and thus, developing Christmas scrapbooking ideas for this age group can be a challenging venture. Consider a “friends” scrapbook for your Christmas scrapbooking idea with pre-made pages for photos, addresses, phone numbers, email (and MySpace) addresses for each special friend.

• One simple Christmas scrapbooking idea for grandparents should involve photos. Try to get everyone in the family involved. For different grandparents, you can duplicate pages to make multiple scrapbooks.

• Special, unexpected touches to your Christmas scrapbooking ideas can include the kind of trappings you use to decorate your unique Christmas scrapbooks. Save pieces of wrapping paper to use for the picture backgrounds of your Christmas scrapbooking ideas. Use the ribbons from your Christmas gifts for decoration by tying bits and pieces along the spine of your Christmas scrapbooking ideas. Have the children write letters to Santa and save, scan or reduce them for use as embellishments for your holiday pages.

• If you are really strapped for time like so many of us are but are determined to execute your homemade Christmas scrapbooking idea nonetheless, consider purchasing some of the many bound hard cover digital photo books that are available on photo Websites. You can still be the captain of the desired design with your own digital photos, albeit online. This Christmas scrapbooking idea can be very cost-effective and you can order multiple copies for several people on your Christmas scrapbooking idea list.

• Finishing touches for your Christmas scrapbooking idea can include a last section that includes your thoughts, feelings, plans and hopes for the years to come.

Start working on your Christmas scrapbooking ideas now while there’s still a bit of time. A rush job always shows and if you organize yourself, you can get these Christmas scrapbooking ideas completed in plenty of time for Christmas. Celebrate your memories and give them a way to live again and again. They are the gifts that last.