Scrapbooking is an increasingly popular way to preserve photos and paper memorabilia, and document personal and family history. The hobby is a creative exercise that combines storytelling and design with decorative embellishments.
The hobby’s origin dates back to 15th and 16th century collections of ephemera, including handwritten recipes, greeting cards, ticket stubs, playbills and other paper memorabilia. The modern form of the hobby began in the 1980s when a woman from Elk Ridge, Utah, named Marielen W. Christensen started a scrapbook project to preserve her family’s memories. She is credited with developing a how-to booklet, “Keeping Memories Alive,” and opening the first-ever scrapbook store.
Today, scrappers use a wide variety of materials and tools to create their pages. The most basic materials include paper or cardstock, adhesives, cutting tools such as large and small straight edge pairs of scissors and decorative scissors, pens, and embellishments such as stickers and ephemera. Digital paper and scrapbooking software are also available, and offer users a greater variety of colors, patterns and shapes to choose from.
Mementos such as tickets, boarding passes and postcards are often included in a scrapbook. Memento holders such as pockets, envelopes and tabs can be used to add texture, dimension and interest to a page. The process of preserving these mementos is often enhanced by journaling or writing a story on the page. Journaling is often handwritten, but can be printed or typed.
While many scrappers create their albums at home, they can find social interaction and support through groups, online forums and events. These gatherings range from quiet basement sessions to raucous crafting parties where everyone helps each other tell their stories. The scrapbooking community is remarkably supportive, and often shares unique ideas for improving the craft.
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