Introduction
If you like to scrapbook you probably have all sorts of materials that you use. There are papers (of all shaped, sizes and patterns), tapes, stickers, embellishments, cutting tools, the list could go on and on. Many people enjoy scrapbooking their photos and journaling what that particular picture is about. But with so many memories that are stored in items such as cards or other mementos, it is hard to know what to do to incorporate all of your precious memories on a flat sheet of paper.
Instructions
There are all sorts of ways that you can recycle cards and mementos for your scrapbook. With some basic tools and some guidance, you can jumpstart your own imaginative ideas. Start with an idea for a page that you want to make that incorporates a page or a memento (i.e. a birthday or Christmas page). Gather the materials that you want to have represented on the page and figure out the format for your page. If you are having trouble thinking of ways to recycle cards and mementos for your scrapbook, here are just a few suggestions to get you started.
Use card as a photo frame
Often times cards are very big (compared to your pictures and embellishments) and it is difficult to find room for them on the page of your scrapbook. Instead of displaying your card by itself on a page, use the card as a photo frame for your picture. You can either simply place the photo on top of the card or you can cut out a window (like a photo mat) for the picture and secure a photo to the inside of the card so that the card serves as a picture frame. Use the front cover or the inside of the card (where the message and signature is) for both of these scrapbooking ideas.
Cut out card illustrations
If you are looking for something even smaller than a card size, cut out only a portion of the card and use it as a decorative sticker. Cut out the figures on the card and use them to decorate the scrapbook page.
If it will stick on a page, use it!
Sometimes it is difficult to think of ways to incorporate large or 3-D mementos to your scrapbook. This is when it becomes important to be creative. Let’s say that you got a really special gift for your birthday. Let’s use the example of a bike. Obviously you cannot use that memento on your scrapbook page, but you can incorporate the wrapping paper used to wrap the bike, the front page of the bike’s instruction manual or a picture of the bike from a catalog. If you have some kind of memento that is flat but may not adhere to paper with simple tape, use clear adhesive. Things like award ribbons, certificates, school papers with a `A+’ mark, can all be incorporated in to a scrapbook and accompanied by a photo that may help to better tell the story of the event.
Take photos or use a piece of larger mementos
Many times there are very special things in our life that we want to be able to incorporate in our scrapbooks but the scale of the objects prohibits us from doing so. For example, your daughter’s first dance outfit may be very special to you or the first car you bought may hold sentimental value. Obviously both of these things will not fit in a memory book, however you can capture anything in a photo and incorporate that photo onto a special page. Another idea is to take only a piece of a larger object and scrapbook that piece instead. One example for this is that you can cut a small part of a special dance outfit out and adhere it to the page next to a picture of the outfit.
Other tips
It is hard to perfectly capture everything that is important to you in a scrapbook but if you use your imagination you can really do something special. Another idea to incorporate cards and mementos into your scrapbook is to video record when you receive these items and then use your computer to make a DVD that you can store in your scrapbook and look at from time to time.