In my last post I shared my master plan for creating an unconventional family scrapbook. Obviously, if you are not Japanese and you don’t plan to marry someone of Japanese descent, then you probably won’t take much away from the layout ideas I recommended yesterday.
Today I figured I’d stick with page design ideas for more conventional family scrapbooks. At some point, most scrapbookers consider compiling a memory book filled with information about their families. Features could include items, from family photos and important documents to heirlooms and other treasured keepsakes, that have been passed down through the generations.
While family scrapbooks are amazing resources to have once they are constructed, the process of putting them together is not without a few challenges. For example, in many cases you will have to do quite a bit of homework. This may include asking your relatives to contribute their own images, memorabilia and stories. If you don’t have family members that save photos and documents, then you will need to visit your local library or city hall to make copies of marriage licenses, birth certificates and/or immigrations records. The information you obtain from these resources will go a long way to help you organize your scrapbook.
Another option is to interview older relatives. Many senior members of clans are more than happy to share colorful stories that can be added to journaling blocks or written up as narratives and framed on a page. Be sure to query your subjects about notable births, weddings, deaths, adoptions and family traditions. If your great-grandma has a funny story to share, but can’t remember all of the details, then just pick out the best quotes and use them as photo captions.
Once you have the essentials in terms of family history, then you can move on to selecting an album. Personally, I love the Family Heritage Scrapbook album, which comes in rainbow of colors, and is imprinted with titles such as “Family”, “Generations”, “Heritage” and “Ancestry”. The album contains ten 12×12-inch top loading protector pages and the entire book is lignen and acid free.
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