Learn Paper Scrapbooking

So, you are interested in Scrapbooking…

You want to make those creative and thoughtful pages yourself. But you don’t know how?  Sound familiar?  Are you curious if it will be a big investment of time or money…let alone creative brain power?

Perhaps you have recently stumbled upon a scrapbooking store? Seen a scrapbook album someone created?  Or simply had a conversation with a friend about their passion for scrapbooking?

Are you kind of curious if there is an easy step by step list of how to get started scrapbooking?

If you said yes to any of the above – you have come to a great place for answers.  Scrapbooking Directions is dedicated to not only teaching people just like you how to scrapbook – but we are also growing our resources, products and services to support you as well.

So where do you begin?

Well if Paper Scrapbooking is your first choice, here are a few great tips for you…each paper scrapbook album or page starts with:

1. A great album
2. Of standard size (ie: 4×4, 3×6, 6×6, 8×8 or 12×12 inches)
3. A theme (baby scrapbook, kids scrapbook, romantic scrapbook etc).
4. Acid Free, Archival Papers and Supplies
5. Your choice of photo’s
6. A great story to tell about each photo
7. A few layout ideas to work with
8. A basic understanding of how to work with your page elements (titles, photos, mats, borders, white space, journaling etc.)
9. A ton of fun visuals (ie: ribbons, buttons, brads, eyeletts, stickers, rub-ons etc) to accent and embellish with
10. And a little bit of imagination!

Once you have all of this available – you can get started!

Here are 4 super basic free page layouts intended for scrapbooking beginners. These are as elementary as it gets.  But you will be amazed at how easy it will be even with these basic layouts to create a unique page over and over and over again.

You simply need a touch of guidance and an imagination. Why not start with these as your “guide”.

Just click on the image to get a larger, printable version.  (It’s large enough to print on one paper – but not too large to take forever to load online.

Here’s how to use them…

The larger squares on the first two will be the home for your standard 4×6 photo.  The others will be great for you 3×5’s (as long as your background / mounting paper is 12 x 12 in size – which is standard).

You don’t need to worry about cropping the photos just yet.  That will come later.  You simply need to place them on the page for now.

As long as you learn to START with a layout, your scrapbook pages will form much easier over time.

The thin strips on the first two will be the home of a page title (if the images stay as they are) OR they can be the resting place for a strip of ribbon, a fun and fringed patterned paper….or anything that you can dream up.  (Perhaps a line for a whole row of different colored patterned paper.  Who knows; its up to you to decide – just have fun with it).

When you are ready to get more creative with these scrapbook layouts…

You can start placing paper pieces (of solid & patterned scrapbook scraps) behind the photos. They can be used as mats (placed square around all edges of the photos OR as image blocks (placed off to the left in the top left corner of the photos Like in this BEAUTY scrapbook page), or in the right hand bottom corner. ).  They can also mat the background of your title.

Then you can add fun and excitement to the page and play with embellishments.  Such as paper or silk flowers, scrapbook stickers, buttons or brads.  They can be grouped with your paper pieces, off to the opposite edges of your photos or even in the corners of your scrapbook page.  (They can end up wherever YOU feel they look the best).

And this is just the beginning.  It’s simply a teaser for you.  As a beginner to scrapbooking you need to start somewhere.  Somewhere simple.  You need a way to get started with scrapbooking without going overboard and overwhelming yourself.

That is unless you plan on going FULL OUT on adopting this hobby.

Scrapbooking is addictive.  You can get addicted to scrapbooking like you might a great TV show or book.  Once you are caught…you don’t normally turn back.  (It’s way too fun and therapeutic to turn away, not to mention so valuable to your loved ones).  You will see.

…When you do decide that scrapbooking is the hobby for you…

We offer a wide variety of educational books on how to scrapbook that you might wish to consider learning from…

Click here to learn more about our Scrapbooking Beginners Products
and take advantage of special bonuses we’ve put together just for you!