Exciting Scrapbooking Page Layouts

The most exciting scrapbooking page layouts are those that take into consideration the five senses: touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell. Obviously, you will not add “scratch-n-sniff” cards to your pages, or include candy hearts to be licked. Scrapbooking page layout, though, should offer photos and shapes that appeal to as many senses as possible.

* A photo or representation of food appeals to taste.
* A raised frame or embellishment appeals to touch.
* Clever journaling in your own “voice” appeals to sound.
* Smell is satisfied by representations of fragrant things.
* Sight, of course, is easily satisfied.

Scrapbooking page layouts are bits of memory, and memory likes to involve every sense. Your pages should be, in that regard, “sensual”. Your album should be a “feast for the senses”.

1 Story Per Page

Each page of your scrapbook should tell a story, and the scrapbooking page layout should stick to that story. Avoid confusing the viewer by mixing bits of more than one story on a page. Plan a theme for your page, and then apply your scrapbooking page layout to the theme.

1 Layout Per Page

Each scrapbooking page layout, while sticking to the story of that page, should be different from other pages. Scrapbooks of yesteryear did not do this. Each page had the same off-white or black background. Photos were attached with the same black or white corners. The objects differed from one page to the next, but the scrapbooking page layout never varied.

Offering more than one layout in an album is exciting to your senses. If you are doing an album of your family’s first years, your scrapbooking page layouts might include these and more:

* Nostalgic page with wedding photos
* Beach page with honeymoon photos
* Nursery page for each child with baby photos
* Hangin’ out “clothesline” page with friends’ photos
* Birthday cake page with Grandmother’s photos
* Wildlife page with camping photos
* Music note page with piano lesson photos

Organize your story

Scrapbooking page layouts should be done around an organized story. Start at the beginning, and progress in logical order. Add journaling, but feel free to omit it when the photo says it all. Your one-year old daughter covered in birthday cake frosting may say all that needs to be said about the occasion.

Consider 2-Page Spreads

Except for first and last pages, your scrapbooking page layouts should cover 2-page spreads. Tie together the elements of each page as though it is one large page opened out. If you want a large picture centered on 1 of the 2 pages, add several smaller photos on the second page for balance. If you picture the bride and groom alone on the left, picture smaller wedding photos on the right.

Alternate Emotions

Most successful speakers know the value of alternating emotions during a speech. The same technique works well with scrapbooking page layouts. Follow teary-eyed goodbyes with your dog’s goofy gallery.

Have Fun

It’s your story, and you’re telling it. Make the telling enjoyable to you, and to those who will see your scrapbook. Make it exciting. Infuse it with fun. Use scrapbooking page layouts to help you do a good job.