Typically scrapbooking is a hobby whereby memories, photos and memorabilia are preserved in an album or book. Scrapbooking as a hobby has boomed in popularity over recent years, people love the happy mix of crafting and nostalgia, the finished item being something to treasure for years to come.

Most of us have a random old box of photos, concert tickets, cinema stubs or holiday souvenirs that we can’t bear to part with! Scrapbooking allows you to not only enjoy the memories you have made but is also a fun way of organising and reliving them.

Scrapbooking is not just for the arty and creative types either, anyone can get involved including children. Scrapbooking is much more than just sticking things in a book, it’s about chronicling memories in your life so that in years to come you can look back and remember not just the moment, but the detail in the moment; and enjoy reliving every second!

You may now be muttering about time, how are you ever going to squeeze this into your already packed-out life? The beauty of this hobby is that you can pick it up and put it back down whenever you like, so it fits in with you.

So you fancy giving scrapbooking a whirl, but not sure where to start? It’s best to choose between a story and a theme.

A story could be your holiday last year, your sister’s graduation or 30th Birthday. A theme could be a lot more generic such as your favourite sport, poems or quotes. You can literally scrapbook anything that you want to. Recipes that you have tried and loved, health and fitness articles that you follow or your own ‘bucket list’ of everything you want to do, touch and taste!

Still not printed your holiday snaps from last year? Why not organise them into a scrapbook along with the plane ticket, maps, cocktail umbrella and pretty shell you brought back with you?

Those with young children will know how many snaps you end up taking of your little ones, only for those special images to sit un-loved on your phone or hard drive. Why not start scrapbooking their best pics into an album along with anything else you may have squirrelled away; the lock of hair from their first haircut, first-hand print and all the works of art brought home from school. The old photo is another great idea as well. Get up in the loft for old family pics or ask relatives to root some out and get them displayed in a scrapbook – each with a little annotation about the photo….

Weddings are another amazing scrapbook topic, both before and after the event. Create a scrapbook of all of your plans and ideas, an analogue version of your Pinterest boards, and then another after your wedding.

Over time, certain details of special occasions can be forgotten such as the table decorations you chose, the menu of your wedding breakfast or even the exact material and colour of your dress. Scrapbooking allows you to capture every detail, no matter how small, so that nothing is forgotten.

#1 Weddings

#2 Holidays

#3 Childhood Memories

#4 Favourite Recipes

#5 Hobbies

Here’s what you will need….

#1 Card, Coloured and Patterned Paper

#2 Scissors and Trimmers

#3 Washi Tape

#4 Pens, Markers and Fine liners

#5 Glue and Adhesives

#6 Stickers and Embellishments

#7 Scrapbooking Album

#8 Ruler

#9 Scrapbook Supplies Storage

Above you will find all of the essentials that you need to scrapbook with including your album, so once you have chosen a topic it’s time to get started.

Think of each page in your scrapbook as having a story to tell, taking you on a journey from the beginning of your album to the very last page.

The first page in your album will be single so think of this as your introduction to the rest of the book, keeping in mind you will have double-page spreads to fill throughout. Think about how many photos and pictures you want to use on each page as well as leaving space to journal next to each picture. You may want to write titles for each page, a top tip is to write everything on a separate piece of paper so that if you make a mistake it’s not the end of the world!

Lay out your page before you start glueing to ensure everything fits into place and that you like the way it looks. Experiment with different layouts using coloured and patterned papers as backgrounds and frames for whatever you are sticking in.

Once you have your elements glued in place it’s time to embellish the page. Use patterned tapes, stickers and stamps, not only to support the theme of your page but to also guide the eye to the parts that you want to stand out the most!

Finally don’t forget to keep all of your scrapbooking albums and supplies safe – preferably in a plastic box away from damp and chewing critters!