Here are some fresh scrapbook ideas for your ABC album.When I first started scrapbooking, I wasn't really interested in doing an ABC album. I had several years of general family pictures that needed "saving", so I just dug in and got those in order. Then I completed 2 family albums and 1 vacation album, and I was looking to broaden my knowledge into new avenues.

This stage in my hobby happened to coincide with my 5-year-old son's learning of the alphabet. His preschool had been highlighting one letter a week, and he could now recognize his own name in print. So he started coming to me and asking "What's this letter for?" meaning "What letter does the word for this object start with?" What better way to show him than to create a book for him that illustrates words that he already understood? So began the process of creating a singularly personal book for my family.

In looking for items to go the each of the letter pages, I thought about our days, and what things are important to my kids, what things they come into contact with frequently. Since I was actually using this book as a teaching tool for my pre-kindergarten son, I wanted to include things that I knew he would recognize. This is what makes my book so personal. No one else on earth will have a picture on their "C" page for "Cheese Mia", a recipe my son created from his own imagination. Nor will they have the same combination of favorite TV shows, games, and books. My ABC book is be a perfect portrait of my kids as they are right now, right down to phrases they say frequently. Use your ABC book to portray the same importance, and place in your family history.

Things to consider when choosing letter subjects:

• Favorite TV shows and characters: I included stickers from Blue's Clues, coloring art for Bear in the Big Blue House and Sesame Street, paper-piecing for Pooh, and images from web pages for Scooby Doo and Pokémon.

• Habits, mannerisms, or phrases: I included a picture of my son with his stuffed bunny, punchart of a baby with a binky, and several quotes from my kids -- "U is for Uh-Oh!"

• Favorite toys: I went to E-Toys website and saved several images to my computer of my son's favorite toys, and also used pictures of my kids playing with favorite toys.

• Important People in your life: grandparents, godparents, family friends, school friends

• State where you live/have lived/where relatives live

• Favorite foods - I used pizza stickers, and small circle punches for M&Ms.

• Favorite books - I scanned an illustration from The Wizard of Oz for "O".

• Favorite computer games - I went to the manufacturer's website and saved an image to my computer.

• Halloween costumes - "T is for Tigger" in my case!

If you can't find a picture for something you think should be included, have your child draw a picture of it for you! I gave my son small pieces of acid-free paper cut to the size I wanted to include on my page. Then he used my scrapbooking colored pencils to draw what I needed. It's a great reminder of his drawing ability at this age, and he feels really proud of contributing to the book. He drew me a rainbow, a treasure chest with an "X" on it, and colored in several clipart pieces I had chosen. I feel like we made this book together.

Talk to your child(ren) about what they think should be included - I don't think I would have thought of "P is for Pokémon," but he did! And he chose which Pokémon went on the page (because there are over 150 of the little buggers!)

Finally, numbers. "T is for two."

I used a Creative Memories 8x10 red Kids' book. This size is just perfect for a smaller book like this, and it's a size the kids can easily handle. Plus, you don't have to drive yourself nuts trying to fill a 12x12 page for "X"!

My album came in a box (a wonderful friend mailed it to me), so that was my starting point in collecting my goodies. My back was out as I started on this project, so I couldn't just sit down and start scrapping. In hindsight, however, this proved to be a boon. I was forced to simply collect things - stickers, photos, clipart, punchart - for weeks, without scrapping a thing. But this forced me to be able to make sure that I had a full array of items for each letter. I was surprised at how often during any given day that I would think, "Oh, 'K is for kisses'" when I kissed my daughter's cheek, or whatever letter popped into my head as I began this project.

Had my back been healthy, I probably would have started scrapping straight out of the shoot, and missed a lot of things. As it was, I collected each letter "goodie" in a separate sandwich baggie for each letter. I stacked the baggies in alphabetical order in the album box. That way whenever I ran across a picture I needed, or my son drew me a picture, I could just slide it into the corresponding baggie. It worked wonderfully.

I also did a lot of research on the Internet, looking for different scrapbook ideas, styles and formats of ABC albums, as well as pictures to go on my pages. I used the Internet to find pictures from TV shows, videos, toys, a paperdoll, and clipart and coloring pages. See my links for sites I found helpful in my planning process.

I decided to give my ABC album a look of continuity by making the top of each page look the same. I used a 1" by 7" strip of acid-free paper, trimmed with ripple-edge decorative scissors. Then I placed the letter at the left corner of that strip. I formatted each letter's page this way, from A to Z, before putting any pictures (etc) on, so they would all have the same amount of border space, and just look the same. Then I went back laid out my page with the photos, et al. I labeled each item with very simple lettering, and double-underlined the first letter in each word, like this: Superman.

I learned a lot about my children. I learned what is important to them, and to our family. I learned to step back and let my son make decisions and color choices that I may not have made, so he would be included in this project. I learned to take my time, setting items aside for weeks, and waiting till a certain picture was developed, before actually putting the album together so I could have letters that fully represented my children.

I learned that the best way to prepare to put together an ABC scrapbook is to put everything in baggies as a collection point, one for each letter, and keep those baggies in a box. I learned how to do paper-piecing and punchart for things I couldn't find pictures of, as well as requesting artwork from my son.

And I learned just how fast my kids are growing up, from looking at all the older pictures of them I included in my book. That’s what will make this book so special in 5, 10, 15 years from now - how distinctly this book captures my kids are they are at just this time in their lives, with a few glimpses at how they got here. Consider these scrapbook ideas.

At least once a week, I go to scrapbook and share some scrapbook ideas with my friends . Sometimes we are scrapping at my home, but often I am at their homes, which means that I must tote my scrapbook supplies around. I have been constantly re-examining the methods that I use to bring my supplies to these scrapbooking get-togethers, but I am fairly content with what I am currently doing, so I thought that I would share my method with all of my readers.

When I first starting scrapbooking at places other than my own home, I tried to assemble all the items I needed for a particular layout -- the paper, stickers, photos, etc -- and place these items in a page protector so that all I would have to do later is assemble everything. Well, I didn't stick with it very long. I found that I was much happier when I had just about all my of tools with me, and I only brought the photos I was currently working on.

My current method may seem odd to some scrappers, but for me it works and I am assuming it would work for some of you too. The first thing you will need to know about is how I organize the individual supplies I own. I have taken a plastic shoebox and in one half of it, I have a square shaped plastic container with a hinged lid.

In this square container, I keep my punches, and anything else that is very small in size. In the other half of this plastic shoebox, I keep all of my scissors. In a shallow container, I keep my pens, pencils and markers. One idea I heard of, but have not tried, is to keep your markers in a recycled baby wipes travel container. At one time, I also kept my smaller scrapbook tools in fishing tacke box, which allowed me to create sections that would fit everything.

The biggest problem I had was sorting my pattern paper that I had purchased. Orginally, I had it organized in file folders, but I didn't find this to be very convenient. What I have done now, is I have categorized all of my paper into sections such as baby, kids, Christmas and winter, and so on. Then I have taken each section and placed it in a side-loading page protector and using a label, I write what the particular protector holds (for example: "Baby").

I then take all of these filled page protectors and I place them all in one large three-ring binder. In this binder, I also have a page protector with die-cuts and also a section with stickers. I have found this new method much easier to use and bring with me.

Someday, I intend to purchase a nice scrapbooking tote, but for now, I have found something that will get everything from here to there, without costing me too much. First, I take a large, rectangle sized duffel bag. In this duffel bag, I have placed an empty copy paper box (minus the lid). I use the copy paper box for stability within the duffel bag. Within this box, I organize the following: magazines or books with ideas, my plastic shoebox container, my pen container, my paper binder, and the current album I am working on.

Outside of the copy box, I occasionally tuck extra items that I decide to take with me. I have found this to work very well, especially because it has handles and even a shoulder strap, and it cost me nothing to put together.

Last month my family took a camping trip to Death Valley, CA. We had a great time, and I was sure to bring my camera and take lots of photos. Another thing I did was I collected different memorabilia from Death Valley - a map, my receipt, a few brochures, a small local newspaper - just to name a few. With every picture I took and every piece of memorabilia I saved, I was already mentally preparing my scrapbook pages!

When we returned home, I sat looking at the various keepsakes that I had brought back home. This was probably the most memorabilia that I had ever collected from a single outing, and I was excited! I just couldn't wait to get my photographs developed and put all of the great stuff on the pages of my scrapbook. But at the same time, I began to realized that I have some memorabilia that I have not done anything with. As a matter of fact, these "piles" are not even located in the same areas of my home - some is in boxes in the garage, while others are filed away. They are just waiting for me to do something with them.

So I have decided that I will be spending this week organizing all these wonderful keepsakes. I have already started with my method of organization for these special items, and I would like to share them with you.

First, think of every place in your home that you might have different memorabilia "stashed". Go to all of these areas and collect everything. Put everything on a table (or even a floor), so that you are ready for the next step.

Not sure what is considered memorabilia? Well, it is anything you consider a treasure. It is very personal, what one person would save, another person may not even look twice at.

Now think about your albums. Do you have one for each child? If so, you may want to keep a file folder or box for each child. Do you have memorabilia that dates back over a few years? Divide each child's folder or box with years so that you can easily find what you are looking for.

Do you have a family album or one devoted to trips? I would recommend sorting the memorabilia by the occasion. For example, all the special keepsakes from our Death Valley trip should be put in a file called, Death Valley. That way I can easily find the Death Valley items when I am ready to work on my scrapbook pages.

I would recommend not filing your memorabilia with your photographs. Nearby is fine, but to avoid any damage to your photos, I would not place them directly together (like in the same file folder).

I hope my scrapbook ideas will help you to organize your scrapbooking.

Use this four-part formula to analyze layouts and create a lot of new scrapbook ideas.

It’s time to scrap now. You stare at a pile of photos on your scrapbook table. You’re thinking you will never again have a creative thought, so you pull out the latest issue of your favorite scrapbook magazine and begin the hunt for ideas. On one page you see a great layout, but the colors aren’t quite what you’re looking for. Then you see a layout with a technique you love, but the stores are closed and you’re missing the necessary supplies. And none of the layouts is about in-line skating at the park – the subject of the photos sitting in front of you.

What’s a scrapbooker to do? Not to worry. You can gain inspiration from any layout no matter the color, style, or subject. Simply examine a page’s four core elements: theme, photography, design, and technique to see what makes a page work. Then it’s a snap to use the parts you like to inspire your next masterpiece.


1. Themed scrapbook ideas.

The theme of a layout includes the overall subject of the layout as well as specifics related to the journaling and title. Look at how the following features work together to establish a theme.

a) Six essentials. Better known as the who, what, where, when, why, and how, these elements document the theme of the layout. The people, activity, place, time, motivation, and activity depicted in the layout and described in the journaling can inspire ideas for your own pages. Perhaps your family has a similar tradition or participates in a similar activity.

b) Title. Whether a clever play on words or a perfect quotation, the title succinctly presents the topic of the layout to the viewer. Try experimenting with descriptive words. For example, the title “Our Home” takes on new meaning when a descriptive word is added to form “Our Country Home.” Pay special attention to the way layouts incorporate a long title or how they create impact with a one-word title.

c) Communication Style . When you read journaling, observe how the writer conveys her message. Is the journaling written in the first person (I), second person (you), or third person (he or she)? What seems most comfortable to you? Is the journaling written in past tense, or does it project into the future? Do the words make you pause and reflect, or do they make you laugh?

2. Scrapbook photo ideas.

Photographs are the basis of any scrapbook page. They illustrate the theme, and their mood and style should spark the design.

a) Subject. The photos in a layout may remind you of similar photos you’ve taken but have yet to scrap. Or perhaps the action depicted is similar to something a member of your family does and now you’re inspired to capture it for the first time on film.

b) Technical Aspects. Look for photos that interest you from a technical standpoint. Perhaps the angle of the subject in the photograph, the setting, or even the lighting captures your attention. You might even try your own photo shoot to practice skills.

c) Quantity. One photo makes an impression; multiple photos tell a story. Study how designers combine more than one photo to convey their message. Watch for layouts that pull together photographs that reveal little in isolation but tell a compelling story when combined. And remember that multiple photos on a layout need not be from the same event or photo session.

3. Scrapbook design ideas.

The design of a layout encompasses the overall look of the page. The components of a design include the color palette, typography, image size and shape, and placement of elements on the page.

a) Color Palette. Because humans respond so strongly to color, a great palette may be just the thing to inspire your creativity. Examine layouts for pleasing color combinations. Note how designers use colors found in their photographs to devise a color scheme that compliments the images.

b) Typography. The look of the letters you choose for your titles and journaling is key to creating the mood and expressive quality of your page. When you find yourself admiring a title, consider how the font and materials contribute to the effect. How does the choice of font fit the subject? Is it casual or formal, subtle or in-your-face? What emotion does the font evoke?

c) Image size and shape. Note the size and shape of the photographs. Did the designer crop the photo in an unusual way? How does the crop concentrate the eye on the focal point of the photo? If a large photo in a layout inspired you but it’s too late to run to the photo lab, try scanning, enlarging, and printing your photo on textured card stock for a different look. If a layout groups several small photos, you can substitute a larger photograph in their place. Conversely, try replacing one large photo with a grouping of several smaller photos.

d) Placement. How do the photographs relate to journaling blocks and embellishments? Does the title wrap around an element or is it layered onto the layout in a creative way? Remember that embellishments are flexible. You can mimic placement on the layout even if you switch soccer balls to flowers. Or you can increase or decrease the number of embellishments to suit your taste.

4. Scrapbook technique ideas.

Scrapbookers use a wide variety of techniques – and materials – to create their art. The challenge is to take a technique or material and bring it into your layout in a unique way.

a) Scrapbook supplies. Take special note of layouts using products you already have to jump-start your creativity. Or perhaps there’s a product you’re eager to try. Mark layouts that use that product so you can refer to them when you have the supply in hand.

b) Substitutions. If you like a certain patterned paper or embellishment on a layout but don’t have an exact match, dig through your stash. Look for a similar pattern or color family and substitute. If a layout uses jute or string but you don’t have any, try raffia or fibers. Employ torn paper for a fabric’s frayed edge. Substitute clip art for rubber-stamped images and vice versa. If you like the look of ink along the edges of a layout but don’t own any ink pads, use chalk.

c) Alterations. You like the way a certain product was used on a layout, but the color isn’t right. Alter the look of premade cutouts, die cuts, borders, and photo mats by sanding, chalking, inking, tearing or heat-embossing them. Change the color of metal embellishments by inking them with a solvent ink. Paint embellishments and then sand them for a textured look. An extra touch here and there can make a layout your own.

d) Clever fakes. If you’re uncomfortable using bulky elements in your scrapbook, you can still gather ideas from layouts peppered with brads, eyelets, buttons, and other embellishments. Use a hole punch or group of punches to punch circles from metallic and colored papers to create the look of brads and eyelets. Use circle, rectangle, and square punches to create fake metal-rim tags from metallic card stock, tying a string through the tag for an authentic touch. Create a button using a combination of circle and hole punches. To give it added depth and dimension, glaze the top with dimensional glue.

Using the principles outlined here, you can find inspiration to create scrapbook ideas in every layout. It may be a small touch, such as a folded corner on a photo mat, or something big, such as a background design. Any spark that feeds the flame of creativity is worth pursuing.

Here are some scrapbook ideas for beginners. Do you look at boxes and bags and drawers of photos and wondered where to start and if it is really worth all the effort that it would take? Have you hesitated to get that roll of film developed because you know that the photos will be added to those in the drawer from last Thanksgiving, last Christmas, etc.?

Well, don't throw up your hands in despair, it is easier than you think. If you are not in the mood (or don't have the time) to organize, sort, etc., start today. Start with Thanksgiving Day and work your way backward. If you use a loose-leaf, 3 ring binder with page protectors, you can change the order of your photos at any time.

Do your autumn photos, your summer photos, your back to school photos, and your vacation photos, your office photos or school photos. Start with the ones that are the freshest on your mind and work your way back. Keep it simple and don't get carried away with fancy layouts. You can always add to them later if you find appropriate stickers, etc.

You can even change your whole layout if you don't get carried away with cropping. Don't worry if you can't find commercially printed background papers appropriate to the subject you are doing- just make your own.

If it's a choir concert, scan or photocopy a piece of sheet music, the program, etc. If it's your daughter's dance recital, you can even place her ballet slippers on the scanner or copier and copy them (or take a photo of the slippers and scan it or have it enlarged for a background).

There are many programs with wonderful clipart that you can use to make your own background papers in much the same way as the folks who love to do rubber-stamping. Choose an object that you like and then cut and paste it at intervals on the page.

There are also great background pages and borders in many of the computer programs . Before you know it, you will be a fanatic just like the rest of us! You will see everyday occurrences as pages in life's scrapbook, waiting for you to record!

Today we have various ways to record and preserve family history. Today, we have photo printers, die cuts, acid free paper, gel pens, and fancy albums, but we are still recording the same events. From recording everyday life at home, work or play to engagements. Weddings and holidays, a first tooth, or first steps to even potty training, these are memories that are treasured and linger in our hearts, minds and albums forever.

An album doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate. It doesn’t have to have the most stickers or the latest die-cuts. It does need to be a work of art. It needs to reflect who you are and record your life for those who will enjoy it in years to come.

Some people have cropped valuable vintage photos, or one of a kind wedding proofs only to regret it later. Stop and think before you crop any photo. And never crop any for which you don't have the negative. If you feel an uncontrollable urge to crop a vintage photo, use your scanner and computer to make a copy. You will be thanked for generations to come!

Scrapbooking is an art form. Don't be afraid to treat it as such! With all the idea books and magazines that are available, it may be tempting to simply copy what others have done. This can be great and yield beautiful results. However, we each need to develop our own personal style. If your inner artist says 'yuck' to something, don't do it! If you see an idea or technique that takes your breath away, then use it.

We don't have to succumb to all of the newest trends, nor do we have to limit ourselves to the things we are already doing. Allow your personality to shine through; your scrapbooks are a unique expression of who you are. Your family will appreciate all the work you have put into them, and will love seeing what you thought looked good.

So next time you sit down to crop, close your eyes and think for just a moment about what work of art you want to create today. Then do it! Take the time to journal to your children and grandchildren. Leave with them the knowledge of knowing you. Some of the things you might include would be:

1. What the happiest times in your life were and why.
2. Your religious beliefs.
3. People that made a true impression in your life and why.
4. What was the saddest event in your life and how you felt.
5. Your virtues, beliefs and moral beliefs you would want to instill in future generations.
6. Your favorite place to vacation and memories of it.
7. The way you like to "de-stress"

Continue on with this line of thought and tell a true story of you to future generations. I hope these simple scrapbook ideas for beginners will help you to start.