In the time of ‘selfies’ and status updates, here’s an old, but exciting way to preserve your memories and ideas — scrap booking!
Let’s start at the beginning:
What is a scrapbook?
It could be a few sheets of paper roughly bound together or a book where you can record anything from your family’s history, vacations and trips to the local museum to just everyday observations. A scrapbook is visual — it is a record of an event, place, idea or experience using photos, stickers, memorabilia like tickets and so on. This is what makes it different from a diary which is also personal but mostly written. A scrapbook is essentially meant to be shown to your friends and family.
How to go about it
First, let’s brainstorm for some ideas — a theme for your scrapbook. Been on a trip recently or visited a local tourist spot? You can create a scrapbook to record the experience. Now gather the travel tickets, entry passes, postcards, brochures, maps and lots of photos — anything relating to the trip that can go into the scrapbook!
Are you a nature-lover? Then how about keeping a record of the different types of plants in your garden, or in your neighbourhood? In this case, you can begin by collecting specimen like leaves, seeds, flowers and so on.
Or simply keep a track of the different activities you have done this summer — trying out a new recipe, attending a summer camp, visiting an animal shelter, watching a movie or trying out new art and craft projects. Think of things you can collect that will help describe the experience — certificates, a clipping, movie ticket, bills, badges…
What will I need?
Scrapbooks are available in most shops, but it’s more fun when you can make your own scrapbook. Round up some sheets of papers (preferably, plain and colourful), punch holes in them (ask an adult for help), and sew them together using ribbons or twine — your scrapbook is ready!
Besides, you will need the usual colour pens, scissors and glue. To spruce up the page you can use post-it notes, stickers, page borders, photo corners, glitter and other decorative items.
Now, what do I do?
Organise the pages of your scrapbook day-wise, or category-wise (like flowering plants, fruit plants, etc) or place-wise (to cover the various places you visited during your trip).
Decide what you want to put on each page and how. Use your imagination when arranging elements on the page. If you are using a picture, you can draw speech bubbles to explain them. If you have visited a place, mark it on a map with an arrow, and stick it on the page, along with the entry ticket.
For those collecting plant specimens, you can do it the usual way of organising one next to the other and with fact boxes below or draw an outline of a huge tree and stick the different specimen of leaves. With the help of arrows or post-its write down what you learnt about each of them.
There are several free-to-download templates available online that you can ask an adult to print it out for you, or simply browse for ideas.
Decorate with hand-drawn designs, stickers, glitter and colourful buttons to make your scrapbook look attractive.
