How to organize your scrapbooks

by | Scrapbook Storage and Organization | 11 comments

When I first started scrapping, I put together an album based on the past year’s photos. I got myself a lovely post-bound and it was done. However, now that I’m scrapping more based on new purchases, CT requirements and challenge ideas, the chronologicity is pretty much shot. I end up starting with a kit and then find a photo to coordinate with the theme. I have a lot of lovely layouts, but little sense. This made me wonder how best to organize printed digital scrapbook pages.

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In this post, I’ll share a couple of methods that might work for you!

  • Chronological in page protectors: If you’re mostly scrapping this year, then an “in date order” method might work great for you. Use page protectors to add flexibility for inserting pages in between.
  • Chronological in photo books: Some prefer to print their layouts in hard-bound books, usually based on a specific time period or even a single event. This offers a permanence that can be desirable.
  • By “when-scrapped”:  This is a chronological method based solely on when you scrapped the page. This is an excellent approach for seeing how your skills evolve over time.
  • Category-style: Instead of worrying solely about “this happened before that”, sort your layouts based on themes. Birthdays, Christmas, Vacations, Daily Life etc. are some good categories that might work. Choose separate albums or add tabbed sections to a single album.
  • Stage-of-life semi-chronological: Construct albums around “School Days” or “College Years” or “Our Courtship”. Don’t worry so much about specific date-by-date order, instead focus on telling the story of that special time.

Are there other methods? How do you organize your layouts once they are in hard copy? I’d love to hear detailed descriptions of your scheme!

Did you find this post helpful?

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11 Comments

  1. gabs

    I prefer to it by years. everything I scrapped in one year goes in one box

    Reply
  2. Amber

    Lovely, bright kit! Thank you for the wonderful add-on!

    Reply
  3. Carole N.

    Thanks for the lovely extra Add-on by Sara.

    I am still trying to decide what order to use for the scrapbooks for our grands. One time I like one way and the next time I am thinking something completely different. At the moment I am printing them and putting them in page protectors and will organize before I give them as graduation gifts. I really love the printed books that are so popular now, too.
    Thanks again.
    Hugs!

    Reply
  4. Ramona

    I am looking for suggestions on how to organize my books. We have three children ages 18, 10 and 2 ! I am debating if I should just make one set of scrapbooks for myself or do I make a set for each child? Some things such as family vacations would then have to be scrapped four times, once for my set and once for each child. Will I drive myself bonkers trying to keep up with this?

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      I think part of this answer depends on whether you’re scrapping digital or paper. If you’re doing digital, you can easily print out multiple copies of a LO to insert in a child’s book – and I know many people who do this.

      If you’re scrapping in paper, then I would suggest creating just one original LO for yourself and then make sure you keep a scanned or photographed digital copy of each. If you like, you can print up annual books for each child, but in this age of more digital = less clutter I think your kids will appreciate just having the digital copies to do with as they see fit.

      I do think that scrapping the same story four times will make you bonkers – life is too short for that!

      Reply
      • Dorota

        I struggle with this too – with 3 kids, don’t want to make 4 copies of everything. Maybe it’s best to scrapbook just for yourself, and they can “fight”over it when you’re gone. Meantime it’ll be a great reason for your grandkids to go over to your house to see pics of their parents as kids. And when we’re gone, if we’ve made 30 albums they can take 10 each and rotate every few years. Unless it’s digital, it’s too time consuming to do multiples. But hand made items will hold more sentimental value after you’re gone. No one will care if it’s not perfect. They’ll cherish that their great grandma took the time to document family history.

        Reply
  5. Carmelle Landreville

    I put all the layouts I made in scrapbooks but they are not in order presently
    When I will give them I will place them in each child album.

    I did this because I gave some scrapbooking workshop and the people like
    to have examples.

    Reply
  6. Carmelle Landreville

    I do the layouts Chronological in page protectors; based on a specific time period or even a single event like birthdays, school event, sport activities, Christmas might be a P. Life pages, babies layouts, etc.

    Reply
  7. Michele

    I digitally scrap two different ways — one chronological album and one specialty album by theme (sports, performance, vacation, etc.) The specialty album is refreshing because it has a beginning and an END — the chronological albums never end — they just keep going on and on. When I need the satisfaction of finishing something, I switch to a specialty album. When I paper scrapped for my two boys I never ordered double prints because I took so many pictures I had enough for two albums. Using slightly different pictures on almost duplicate pages somewhat relieved the boredom of identical pages.

    Reply
  8. Inexpensive Vacation Package

    Might have it well designed so you feel a sense of class, dissimilar quite a few
    strip clubs which seem like you are in somebody’s creepy basement.

    Reply

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