Skip to main content
  • Edit Card

Scrapping My Life - Why I Scrapbook

I Don’t Scrapbook for Myself

In my opinion, I have no great legacy to leave.  But at the same time, future generations may want to learn about their family who came before them.  And that is why I scrapbook.

Memories are not only for us.  They are for those who come after us.  Do you remember looking through old photo albums with your grandparents or parents and watching them struggle with who some of the people were?  Photo albums may tell a story, but a scrapbook tells the whole story as it happened:  who was there, what the occasion was, and who said what. 

Looking through a scrapbook will tell people who we were, what activities we enjoyed, and who we were with during our most precious moments.

What happens to pictures now?

We live in a digital world, and many people keep their pictures safely on the hard drive.  But, what happens if the computer crashes and the photos are not backed up?  They may be lost forever.  I know I have lost some pictures over the years and have kicked myself for it.  Even now, I know I need to print my images so that I will be able to get them into scrapbooks.

I Love Memories

I love looking through old pictures and remembering those who used to be a part of my life and love the fact that many people are still in it.  I live for remembering good times and knowing that I have time to make many more memories.  Some memories will be with family and some with friends, and they all deserve to be preserved.

My Kids

I love to preserve memories for my children.  They have excellent memories for things they enjoy but eventually, some memories fade.  When my daughter looks through some of the books I have made for her, she gets nostalgic and likes to remember what it was like when she was little.

We have been blessed to take some trips that I have started scrapbooking so that she will always have those memories, and she will be able to share her first trip to Disneyland with her kids.  She will be able to tell them about the friends she made in Costa Rica.  She will show off her medals and certificates from sports and activities.

My son is only five right now, but in scrapbook life, he has not been born.  I really need to catch up on the preservation of memories.  Despite being only five, he remembers things from the past couple of years.  I want to preserve those memories so he will never lose them.

Why Not a Photo Album?

Photo albums are pictures, whereas scrapbooks are stories.  They include elements to make the images stand out, and they are decorative. Still, an essential part is the journaling.  Therein lies the story.  Some people find journaling hard as they remember exactly where, when, and why the photo was taken.  But one day, we won't be around to tell the story.  And perhaps our great-grandchildren or our great-great-grandchildren will want to know.  Can you imagine if we had scrapbooks from when our ancestors homesteaded?  Oh, the stories they would tell.

So Much Stuff

I am a paper scrapbooker myself.  I like to place the elements.  I like to touch and feel what I create.  However, if you have yet to start scrapbooking or you want to get away from the bins of ribbons and paper flowers, digital scrapbooking is also an option.  Of course, you will want to print the books that you create.  There is no harm to keeping digital copies, but, in my opinion, you want a hard copy as well.

The Gift of Memories

You would be surprised at the number of people who will cherish a scrapbook as a gift.  For one thing, some know the hours that go into the project.  I made mini toilet paper roll scrapbooks for friends one year after having attended an event together.  My husband wondered why he did not get one.  They seemed small and simple, and yet a lot of work and love went into them.  And now those friends have the memories of the year we all went to FolkFest and had such a great time together.

Scrapbooking may be considered a craft, it may be regarded as an art, but above all, it is regarded as a necessity for me.

In the Future…..

Will anyone else ever look at the memories I am preserving?  I know my kids will, and that is enough for me.  I can almost guarantee they will share the books with their kids as well.  Will it stop there, or will it carry on?  My legacy may not be terribly exciting to some, but it is enough for my family and me.

Add comment