Tips For Beginners

1. Make it personal: Include journaling on your layouts to tell about the photographs and help you remember what was going on during that time period. It helps make your piece unique.
2. A quote says it all: Adding the perfect scrapbooking quote to your page can capture the moment and help set the theme. Include your child’s first words, funny saying or simply include quotes from family members. Looking for a place to start? Visit HSN’s phrase gallery.
3. Add dimension: Use various die cuts on your scrapbook layouts to add dimension to your pages. Some creative ways to use die cuts include:
   1. Shadowing letters by using one color of paper for the letter and another accent color in the background to create a shadow.
   2. Layering different parts of the die cut image, such as flowers or layering clothes on top of a person.
   3. Decorating and coloring die cuts with markers, chalks and glitter can add pizzazz to your shapes.
4. Don’t stop with pictures: Pictures are only the beginning when it comes to scrapbooking. Broaden your horizons by scrapbooking favorite family recipes and passing them along to a daughter when she goes off to college, or consider scrapbooking your child’s first drawing or poem. It will be keepsake they will also cherish.
5. Save your junk mail: Scrapbooking adhesives can get mess and spreading liquid adhesive evenly over a large area can be complicated. An easy way to simply this is to use the plastic credit cards you get in the mail with credit card offers. The stiff, even edge will help you spread the glue evenly and scrape off any excess.
6. Keep your scraps for scrappin’: Don’t throw out your paper scraps. You can use them to cut out shapes with hole punches, use them in die cutting machines to make shapes, or trim them with decorative scissors to make innovative borders, paper weaves or striping.
7. Picture-perfect letters: Lining up your letters straight is always a challenge. A simple way to get picture-perfect letters every time is to line up your letter or alphabet stickers on a piece of wax paper using a ruler. The letters won’t stick to the wax paper so you can then carefully peel them off while adhering the letters in a straight line to your title bar or scrapbook paper.
8. Tell a story: Scrapbook pages should tell a story. To ensure your page tells the right story, follow these 3 steps:
   1. Photograph size: Enlarge the key photograph so that it becomes the focal point of the layout. Images that are too small may get lost on the page.
   2. Matting color: Select colors that complement your photo so your focus remains on it. Experiment by varying the widths of the mat, leaving an uneven mat for journaling, or using patterned paper to enhance the general theme of your layout.
   3. Accenting: Adding embellishments to your layout is a smart way to instantly convey the theme or message of a layout. Make sure that the enhancements don’t overshadow the focal point—remember that your photos, recipes or image should be the most important part of the layout.

Most importantly, have fun! Scrapbooking is great way to share your memories with friends, families and other crafters.