Idea #1 – Have Fun with Glitter – Get out the glitter and have some fun. Pencil the title onto your scrapbook page. Then, use glue to outline the title (a glue pen works best). Sprinkle glitter over the title written in glue. Allow glitter to dry and then shake off the excess glitter.

Idea #2 – Use a Holiday Card – Do you still have Christmas cards or other holiday cards around? If so, pull out one of your favorites. Then, cop the design that is on the card and turn it into a layout for your scrapbook.

Idea #3 – Try Doodling – To add something simple and unique to your scrapbooking pages, take several pens in different colors and doodle on the page. If you don’t want to doodle, use the different colored pens to do your journaling on the page by hand.

Idea #4 – Let Songs Inspire You – Do you have a favorite song? If so, take the title of your favorite song and use it as the title and theme of your scrapbook layout. If you can’t think of a favorite song, turn on the radio or your iPod and use the name of the first song that you hear.

Idea #5 – Use the Alphabet – Have some fun and do a scrapbook layout that has a word beginning with each letter of the alphabet. It will take some work, but it will definitely get your brain going.

Idea #6 – Change Up the Photos – Instead of using color photos all the time, do a layout that incorporates black and white or sepia photos. Use papers that complement the color of the photos you decide on.

Idea #7 – Get Patriotic – Start a scrapbooking layout that is all about your country. Use your country’s flag to inspire the layout.

Idea #8 – Explore the Rainbow – You probably only use a few colors on your layouts. For something new and different, have fun with the rainbow. Use rainbow colors on the scrapbooking layout to make something that is extremely colorful. Colors are sure to help get those creative juices flowing for you.

Since so many flower products are available for scrapbooking, it’s easy to see why they are used in many layouts. Not only can they be used on feminine pages, but they look great on masculine pages too. By adding some flowers to your pages, you add interest and texture without upstaging your photos. If you really enjoy flower embellishments, you’ll find that they can be used in many innovative and creative ways. Here are some great ideas for incorporating flowers into your layouts that you may not have thought about trying.

One fun ways you can add flowers to your scrapbooking is to use some circle punches to make your own cool flowers. Put a button in the very center and then use five or seven small circles to make the petals of the flower. Another exciting way to use flowers is to take plain fabric flowers and use acrylic paint or ink to stamp patterns on them. This will give them a unique appearance that will really stand out on your page.

If you want to make the photos on your page stand out, considering using flowers as a border. The flowers can be arranged all around the photo as a border, which will really set the photo off. However, if you choose this route, only add the border to one of the photos on the page to avoid making the page look too busy.

Journaling is an important part of scrapbooking and you can make your journaling stand out with flowers as well. Take some small flowers and then use them to create small bullet points for the journaling you want to add to the page.

If you want to use the same type of flower on the specific layout you’re working on, you can find a way to keep the flowers the same without making them look boring. You can add eyelets, gems, mini beads, buttons, ribbon, or brads to the middle of the flowers to make them just a bit different from each other.

Do you like using chipboard flowers? If so, there are quite a few fun things you can do with them on your scrapbooking pages. One fun idea is to quill on top of the chipboard flower for a unique look. You can also use tiny mini beads to cover the chipboard flowers, offering a 3D look that really adds to your page.

Beautiful designs can be created with the scraps you have left from other scrapbook papers. One way to use the scraps is to make a page topper by matting letters with different sizes and shaped squares together. This allows you to magnify the letters on your layout.

Another great idea is to make your own backgrounds or borders. Take the scraps and use them together to create borders and backgrounds that are completely unique. Decorative page accents can be made with the scraps too. Use some punches on the scraps to make photo corners, serendipity squares, collages, confetti, and more.

You don’t have to throw away all the paper that you have left over. Use these tips or brainstorm some of your own ideas for using up those paper scraps. You’ll add something unique to your scrapbooks and you’ll make scrapbooking cheaper as well.

The Benefits

First, let’s look at the benefits of using chalking as one of your scrapbooking techniques. One of the main benefits is that it allows you to add shading, aging, and soft color to borders, embellishments, lettering, and even backgrounds. You’ll also find that chalk is inexpensive, it can be used in many ways, and it is easy to learn to use it too. Many different colors are available and erasers can be purchased, making it a forgiving option.

The Potential Problems

Of course, while chalking comes with some great benefits, a couple of potential problems should be considered too. The main problem with chalk occurs when a spill happens on your floors. Chalk spilling on carpet or even tile can leave you with some stains. Once chalk is broken from a spill, it can be tough to use it too. If you’re going to use chalk, make sure you place it in an area to avoid spills and make sure you protect working surfaces as well as your clothing.

Buying Chalks

When you’re ready to give this scrapbooking technique a try, you’ll need to purchase some chalks of your own. You’ll have a couple of options. You can purchase individual chalks or you can buy chalks that come in a larger multipack. Both options have pros and cons. Individual chalks allow you to easily get only the colors you need and dust won’t be as big of a problem. However, multiple containers can take quite a bit of space. If you go with multipacks, all the chalks go in one container and they are easy to transport. However, dropping the container can damage all your chalk.

Chalking Techniques

So, you may be wondering how to use this scrapbooking technique. You’ll find several different chalking techniques that work well with scrapbook layouts. One option is to chalk a large area. This may include adding some shading to your background papers. Layer chalks to provide shading that has no lines. Chalking torn edges is another great technique to use that will make your paper edges look great. No matter what technique you use, setting the chalk is important. Start by using your finger to rub chalk into the paper. Use a paper towel to wipe dust away by placing the piece chalk side down on a paper towel. This will help you avoid smudging or smearing the piece. Any color you don’t want can easily be erased with a special chalk eraser.

These layouts allow you to create spreads that are several pages long. It’s a great scrapbooking idea to try when you are trying to show a set of pictures or a photo series. When doing panoramic layouts, using 4×6 pictures is a great choice. It’s even a good idea to use our own custom paper piecings for the best results. You can go all out with these large layouts, which allow you to create something extra special in your scrapbook.

The good news is that a few things can be done to help you overcome creative block. One great way to get out of this block is to start visiting scrapbooking sites on the web. Spend some time looking at the layouts of others or search through some of the blogs written by experts. You’ll literally find thousands of websites and blogs that deal with scrapbooks, so it’s easy to find some inspiration.

Once you get a bit of inspiration by checking out online resources, just get started on a new layout. Even if you don’t have any ideas right away, getting started can get the creative juices flowing in your brain, helping you to get back on track.

One good scrapbooking idea is to create a scrapbook about your life. You can include things about the past, present and your future. Of course, this type of a scrapbook is going to take some work and will always be in progress. Most people start out doing a scrapbook about themselves and then realize how much fun it really is to scrapbook all the exciting things that have happened in their lives.

Why not get out those childhood pictures and start on a journey through your own life. You can record your history, starting at the very beginning. It’s a fun challenge and will help you create a scrapbook that you’ll definitely cherish for the rest of your life. Start adding to the scrapbook on a weekly basis and you’ll definitely have a good start on the book without having to do a huge amount of work on it at one time.

When you decide to start scrapbooking your life, it’s easy to wonder where to begin. What parts of your life should you add to the book? To help you out, here are some great page ideas that you may want to considering adding to the scrapbook all about your own life.

- Your Birth – It’s a good idea to start out with the day you were born. Add pictures of yourself as a baby and maybe a picture of your mother while she was still pregnant with you.

- Place of Birth – Even if you don’t remember the place where you were born very well, why not do a page on this place, even if you scrapbook the way it looks today.

- Your Parents – Since your parents are such an important part of your life, consider devoting a layout to both your mother and your father.

- Siblings – Did you have any siblings? If so, create a page or two that includes your siblings. Try to use pictures or your siblings or add in pictures of you with them.

- Other Family – Maybe you were close to your grandparents, an aunt, or your cousins. Add in some pages that include the rest of your family.

- School Friends – This can take up several pages. You may want a page for toddler friends, a page for grade school friends, a page for high school friends, and maybe a page for friends you made in college.

These are only a few of the great pages you can create when you start a scrapbook about your life. Some other scrapbooking page ideas to use include the following:

- Childhood toys

- Your pets

- Teachers you remember

- The first car you drove

- Past boyfriends

- Your engagement and wedding

- Music favorites

- Movies you love

- And many more…

Tip #1 – Get Some Help

To get great photos of your kids for scrapbooking projects, start out by getting some help. It’s impossible to get all those kids to sit still on your own. If your oldest child is old enough, have them help you out by keeping the younger kids in place. If your kids are all too young, enlist the help of a friend or a family member. A little help will go a long way towards getting the great pictures you want.

Tip #2 – Go for Natural Shots

While you may be posing the photos, make them look as natural as possible. Don’t make the kids get in uncomfortable positions or hold smiles for hours. Natural photos will look the best in your scrapbooks anyway, so look for shots with your kids acting natural.

Tip #3 – Use Good Timing

Using good timing is important too. You probably shouldn’t wait until right before a meal or before nap time if your kids are fussy. You want the kids to look happy and relaxed in the photos for your scrapbook so try taking pictures after nap time or after they have eaten and are happy. You’ll get the best shots that way.

Tip #4 – Check Your Shots

Digital cameras are your best friend if you’re trying to take pictures for scrapbooking projects. Kids don’t set still, they make faces, and they often blink. The good news is that you can instantly see what is wrong in your photo with a digital camera. Check your pictures as you snap them to make sure they come out the way you want them. You may even want to shoot with a three shot burst, which may help you catch some great shots.

Tip #5 – Bribe Away

Last, don’t be afraid to bribe. Offer an incentive to your kids to get them all to sit still while you try to catch a few great shots for your scrapbooking projects. A movie or another great treat is often good enough to make them all sit still, at least for a few moments, so get those pictures done fast.

If you are going to start scrapbooking with the kids, make sure you have plenty of supplies. You can work on one big scrapbook together or you can buy smaller scrapbooks for them to work on themselves. Pass on all your knowledge to your kids and you are sure to have a wonderful time together.

One way to do this is with some white or ivory cardstock and colored chalk. Use chalk in the color of your choice to chalk the cardstock, creating the paper you need. Another option is to use your rubber stamps on cardstock to create beautiful patterns that make beautiful background papers. For a vintage look, dip paper in tea and dry for an old, antique look that will make a great background.