By Audrey Okaneko
Scrapbooks are not meant for just photos. I had one when I was in elementary school. Of course, back then I used paper that is now yellow, and I used glue. However, what's important is that I remember the contents of that scrapbook.
I kept movie ticket stubs, concert ticket stubs, love letters from boys I liked, a test with an A+ on it, and many other items.
Today, we can still preserve memories by adding "extras" to our scrapbooks. I always recommend making copies of everything. Unless the original paper is acid-free, it will yellow and crumble with time. So do include the original in your scrapbook, but also keep a copy.
What types of "extras" are fun to put into scrapbooks?
- Report cards
- Essays from school
- Party invitations
- Maps of cities you've visited
- College brochures
- Greeting cards
- Post cards
- Decorative napkins
- Place cards from table settings
- Pressed flowers
- Receipts from a favorite restaurant
- Play and concert programs
- Sporting event tickets and programs
- Magazine and newspaper articles
- Old driver's licenses
- CD covers
These items can be added to individual pages, or they can be left intact and put into a sheet protector alongside photos of the events they represent. There is no limit to the items you can put into your scrapbook. Extra items can help tell the overall story.
Audrey Okaneko has been scrapbooking for several years. She may be contacted at www.scrapbookingmadesimple.com. For more information about the books in the accompanying photograph (hand-made by Lisa Norris of
