So, you've read Part 1 and Part 2. Now you want to know how in the world to put together a scrapbook.
If you have never scrapbooked before, this will be (maybe) easy.
If you're a perfectionist, it will be more difficult.
If you're a seasoned scrapbooker, this will be harder still. You are used to spending a lot of time on layouts and making things perfect. Well, not the way I teach scrapbooking. You will need to let go of your perfectionism and trust the process.
To everyone, please do not make this difficult for yourself. Follow my directions and get SOMETHING MEMORABLE on each page.
To succeed in this process of creating a scrapbook, you need just a few things. You can purchase all of these items (aside from photos and memorabilia) at Joann's, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Walmart and other retail stores.
1. An empty scrapbook (I like 12 inch by 12 inch albums) with photo safe, clear page protectors
2. Colorful (patterned or just plain colored) archival papers, the size to fill the scrapbook
3. Printed photos of your child from birth to now
4. Any other add-on items (memorabilia) you may have regarding your child: awards, certificates, samples of their artwork or trophies (if it can't fit in a scrapbook, take a photo and make a colored copy of the photo), maps of where they were born, lived, and attended school or church, photos of their special toys, ticket stubs, performance programs etc.
5. Small pieces of archival paper upon which to write (the size of HALF of an index card)
6. Two archival markers
7. Scissors
8. Archival photo adhesive (glue runner or tape)
This process can feel overwhelming, so begin by gathering each item until you have all 8 categories collected in one room. I would set aside a guest room for this process, so you can leave your scrapbook in process and close the door when you need to take a break, go to work, go to sleep, or to get back to the rest of your family.
Start by going through all the photos, and deciding which ones you would like to incorporate into the album. You don't have to include them all, just a sampling of your favorites. Stick with this formula: three 4 inch by 6 inch photos per page, maximum. If you have 20 pages, then 20 times 3 is 60. That should give you an idea of how many photos to keep.
If you want to include memorabilia, cut down on the number of photos you will include in the album. Or if you want to include more photos than 60 AND you have lots of memorabilia, you can go purchase an additional set of scrapbook page protectors at the store. But try to keep this project small-ish. It's big enough as it is and it can grow out of control. Release your need to have everything perfect.
Organize all the photos into chronological order, from birth to now. I'll wait while you do it....
(Two years later...ok maybe just a week or so...)
Welcome back!
Now, I want you to organize all the memorabilia in chronological order. That should take a shorter time. Maybe an hour or two.
You might cry while you're organizing these items. That's ok. Allow yourself to feel whatever emotions surface. You are not just making a scrapbook; you are also processing the emotions surrounding parenting a tough kid, the emotions within the grieving process, and emotions underneath the trauma you may have experienced as a parent. Take as many breaks as you need. See your therapist for support as needed.
Please do NOT put in photos of awful times. If you have few photos of certain years or eras, then go print some cute little poem off the internet and use that for one page, or copy your child's favorite meal on a recipe card and use that. You have had enough of the bad times. You will be processing many of those already. Let this book be about the good that is within your child, their childhood, and you as a parent. Celebrate those good things.
If you lack sufficient photos of YOU with your child, you can remedy this as you're making the album. Take selfies of you and your child having fun together, even in the car on your way to having fun! Get those photos printed and make several two-page spreads of them! (Keep reading, I'll explain a two-page spread.)
Once all the items are in chronological order, collect two matching pages of colored/printed paper, and make a stack of them according to how many scrapbook pages there are.
Select one special paper for the first page, and one special paper for the last page. These pages will stand alone. (Open up the cover of the scrapbook and see: the first page is just ONE page. The last page is just ONE page.)
All the other pages inside the scrapbook will be two-page spreads (two pages right next to each other that lay flat so you can see them both at the same time) and you want each two-page spread to have matching colored/patterned paper. It adds order and symmetry to the album.
Now that you have papers paired, begin matching photos to pages, and lay out the photos right on top of the scrapbook papers. When you find an arrangement that you like, use the adhesive and stick the photos/memorabilia down. Don't obsess, just stick 'em on there!
This will take awhile.
You can either write on the half-size index card type papers now, or later. Whatever you do, you do NOT need to write a novel. Write the approximate date or age, the people with your child, and a quick memory. Seriously, this will take 30 seconds per card. No more than two cards per page. You are saving memories, processing your child's childhood, and creating a keepsake gift all at once. You are not writing a 500 page novel. This is a scrapbook. It doesn't need to be perfect. Just get the stuff on the pages.
Your handwriting is special: it belongs to your child's parent (that's you). Messy or not, use your own handwriting. It makes each page more personal.
Stick the index-size papers on the pages; some may cover parts of the photos. That's great. It looks artsy.
Keep going until you have enough pages to fill your scrapbook.
Now, if you want a title, write your child's name in your own handwriting BIG on a full-size index-ish card, and stick it on that first page.
Place each page in chronological order in the page protectors.
Be prepared for what you might experience when you place that last page in the plastic sleeve and close the album.
Breathe.
