Scrapbooking has gone beyond “a craze” – it has become a hobby, passion or career for some! Scrapbooking is more personal than creating a simple photo album, because the creator can add labels and journaling, stickers and embellishments, pretty backgrounds, stencils and stamps, cut-outs, and anything imaginable to make their page unique and memorable. Use the following tips for creating a stand-out page for a new baby – the baby shower, the day she was born, or perhaps the first arrival at home.
Background for Baby’s Scrapbook Page
Use a pink or blue background, or a page with “baby colors” such as pink, baby blue, minty green, lavender, and light yellow. Or, recycle a gift bag from the baby shower that is large enough to make a 12” x 12” page, which has a cute baby design such as ducks or B-A-B-Y lettering.
Title for Baby’s Scrapbook Page
Ideas for the title:
- With neat handwriting, write the baby’s first and middle name across the top, or on a “title plaque” – made out of a contrasting color scrap of paper.
- Cut out the words from a cute baby shower gift bag, such as “Welcome Baby” or “Congratulations!” and paste across the top or bottom.
- Type the baby’s name on a word processor and make it a cool font and color. Make the font large enough to be a bold statement on the scrapbook page.
Pictures for Baby’s Scrapbook Page
Print digital pictures from a home computer on high-quality photo paper – a pack of this paper can be found at any office supply store, and it will say “Photo Paper.” Choose any type of photo paper, and when printing, be sure to set the printer settings so that the printer will recognize the type of paper used and also be sure to set it to “color.” Otherwise, the photos might print in black and white!
Also, for exceptionally beautiful or well-captured photos, it might be worthwhile to have them printed at a photo shop, such as a pharmacy with one-hour photo services. These photos will last a very long time, and are sturdy enough to hold up to cropping and pasting in scrapbook pages. Plus, they look great!
Keepsakes for Baby’s Scrapbook Page
If they haven’t already made it into the Baby Book that many new parents receive at their baby showers, it would be a good idea to put in one of the bracelets worn by the baby in the hospital. The bracelet will say the baby’s last name and time of birth. Plus, it will be so special for the child to be able to see a material item from the day she was born.
Other good ideas for the page are a tag from a favorite item of clothing or toy that was received from a special family member, or some documentation from the hospital visit, or a copy of the inked footprints right after baby was born.
Embellishments for Baby’s Scrapbook Page
Decorate the edges or in between photos with small pieces of ribbon tied in bows. Find a sticker set at a craft store with all sorts of new-baby things – booties, a pacifier, a rattle, a onesie, etc. and intersperse them throughout the page. Or, cut out these things out of scrap paper and use a permanent marker to add buttons and stripes.
The sky is the limit with scrapbook pages – which is why they become so much more personal and enjoyable to create than photo albums.
Check out how to scrapbook for a family vacation, and scrapbooking for baby's first year.
Wendy Picard - Wendy holds a degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and is enthusiastic about the biological sciences. She is currently in school to ...
