by Shannon Chicoine

Created on: April 30, 2008

Scrapbooking is a wonderful way to guard and catalog your wonderful memories. Acid and lignin free pages protect your photos and tiny keepsakes far better than a regular photo album. What better gift to give than a scrapbook of memories from special times that will outlast most other gifts and serve as a link to the past for generations to come? Scrapbooks make wonderful wedding, anniversary, and birthday gifts, as well as any other occasion you can think of.

Weddings are a time of great emotion and reflection of the past. If you're the bride a great way to form a bond with your new in-laws is to provide them with a scrapbook of your courtship. Placing photos of your first date, special moments, pictures of your rings, and hand written passages of how your new husband proposed, will tug at any mother's heart. If you happen to be the new mother-in-law a chronicle of your son or daughter's life before marriage can offer your new family member a unique view of their new spouse. Think of how much children and grandchildren will enjoy looking through wedding photo journals with hand written details of the big day.

A bridal or baby shower album is another great gift idea and provides a great way to share your time at the shower. Provide all the card stock, tools, stickers, and other materials including the photo album to your shower guests. Allow each guest to make a scrapbook page to be placed in the album with photos to be added later. Each page should contain a poem or well wishes from the creator of the page along with their signature. Remember to leave space in the album for invitations, special records, and other memorabilia. A sample wedding invitation, a baby's hospital bracelet, or small bags of rice are some of the small mementos that you may want to include.

A milestone anniversary is a fabulous time to present a scrapbook as a gift. Compile photos and memorabilia starting with the couple's courtship and follow their lives through the years while telling their story. Pay special attention to the special moments in their lives such as the honeymoon, the purchase of their first house, and birth of their children. Choose the scrapbook and materials that best match your couple. For example if it is their twenty-fifth anniversary you'll want to use a silver album or an album with horses on it if the couple happens to own a horse ranch. Get creative and think of what style of album accurately suits their taste and the occasion.

Most of the time the last thing on a young adult's mind as they leave for college is receiving a sentimental gift from mom. However once they get to campus it may comfort them to look through the pages at the photos and reminders of their childhood. Seeing that their best report cards, winning ribbons, and other school memorabilia was treasured will fill their hearts in a time they may be feeling quite alone. Try finding an album with their graduating year in high school or their school colors. Adding pictures of friends and special occasions such as prom will add a personal touch.

There are many special occasions and holidays where a scrapbook would be a perfect gift. Deciding what to place into the album and what type of album to purchase is the most difficult part. This is one gift you will not only enjoy giving, but you'll take pleasure in the time spent making the album.

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