Eight reasons you’ll love making a scrapbook

One of the real joys of a scrapbook is that it tells a story, created by you, on a precious, personal level. You can include photos, drawings, notes and mementoes, and embellish everything beautifully with stickers, ribbons, tags, glitter – you name it, you can use it. Embodied in every page is a celebration of life, moments captured that are unique to you – so it’s a hugely rewarding and pleasurable experience. This is the perfect way to express yourself with your own style, to your own taste – there really aren’t any rules! Make your scrapbook as simple and organised or as elaborate and artistic as you like – just set yourself free with your memories and indulge! One word of warning, though: it can be addictive…

Sometimes, photos need words to go with them. You’ll know this if you’ve ever been presented with a pile of unlabelled photographs from a relative: those faded photos of someone who might be your granny (or maybe it’s your uncle Stan?)… those cute baby photos that remain unclaimed – is it your husband or one of his six siblings? Creating scrapbooks with your photos and written memories means future generations won’t be left clueless when they gaze at those precious pictures. Years from now, when your children’s children are viewing the albums you created, they’ll get a real glimpse of how life was for you and your family.

When you find life is getting on top of you, making a scrapbook can be a perfect de-stresser. Gathering favourite photos and mementoes is a wonderful hobby to indulge in when you need to chill; lose yourself in your scrapbook and you’ll find your cares start to melt away. You can do it anytime, any place, anywhere… while listening to music, chatting to your mates, in front of the telly with a glass of wine, by yourself or with your kids. Cherish these moments and the world will seem a better place!

Scrapbooking challenges you to try new things and think outside the box, as well as allowing you to discover a personal style, whether you’re evoking a certain feeling or mood through colours or materials, or arranging items in a way that tells a story. And there’s no shortage of new mediums to play with. The scrapbooking aisles of many of our Jessops stores are filled with new things to try and play with, and then there’s all the other stuff you can use: yarn, watercolour paints, whatever you like! The best bit? You’re creating something beautiful and useful at the same time.

You know that old phone sitting in a drawer that has a shedload of photos on it that you keep meaning to back up and print? Is that a good home for your treasured memories? Of course it isn’t! Those photos deserve to be seen in the real world. In a photo scrapbook. One that sits on your shelf for your kids and grandkids to look at one day. Scrapbooking makes a home for your memories, allows you to add other keepsakes to enhance those special moments, and motivates you to get organised – and it never becomes a chore.

Taking the time to place photos and keepsakes in an album is a genuine way to display your affection for someone and make them feel valued. Loads of studies have shown how important photos are for children – it’s now known that displaying photographs of them at home will help improve and support their self-esteem – and scrapbooking is a beautiful and unique way of telling your children’s life stories. Create scrapbooks for them as they grow and you can guarantee they’ll become their most treasured possessions.

There’s no doubt about it: scrapbooking can make you feel more positive and thankful. Whether you’re looking back on last year, or memories from 20 years ago, your scrapbook will remind you of the best bits of your life so far. Weddings, babies, new jobs, graduations, parties – these are all seasons in your life that you can document. Taking the time to scrapbook can help you reflect on your happy memories, and be really thankful for them for years to come.

Scrapbooking is a brilliant pastime for children – it can allow them to explore new feelings and new experiences. Whether your child is struggling with confidence issues or has been on an exciting adventure, scrapbooking is the perfect project to help them gain self-assurance. From arranging photos and keepsakes in an unusual way to picking beautiful colours, sticking items down neatly or simply telling a story, creating a scrapbook is something children will enjoy as much as their parents!