by Linda White

Created on: May 02, 2008   Last Updated: January 05, 2011

The absolute joy of scrap booking is that it is the story of your life and you get to tell it in your way. You can create from scratch a special collection of your thoughts and the memories of your life, to share with generations to come.. Here are some ideas for projects to consider. Get your creative juices flowing.

1. Take time to scrap with your kids. Spend time with your children going over pictures and memories. Use things like their report cards and examples of their writing each year. Fill in the names of their teachers, their school, their friends. Create a page a year for each of their school years. If they belong to teams or activities make sure that there are pictures of their activities. Scrapping with your kids is an excellent way to bond with them. You are also helping to boost their confidence and esteem.

2. Take time to scrap with your parents. Time goes so very fast. Spend time going through pictures. Offer to help them create the story of their lives while they are here to share them. I have been taking some of my Dad's pictures and been putting them together for him. It has been some of the most precious time that we have spent together. Those books that I have helped create are sitting on his coffee table. You parents will love spending time telling the stories. And those memories will be a legacy that will be precious to you when they are gone.

3.. Scrap your pets. In our lifetimes we have very special family members. My adult children still remember cats that we have had and really enjoy looking back at the pictures of them. Taking pictures of your animals are so rewarding. The pages that we have created of our best always bring a smile or two.

4. Document where you have lived. The houses or places where you have lived are an important part of your life, so make sure to include them too. I have been remodeling my house and doing some major projects, so I have included the story of how it happened and it has been great fun. You can also scrap your gardens. Tell of the story of the houses or places you lived. It makes for great memories.

5. Do make grandchildren scrapbooks. One of my biggest joys is making all 5 of my grandchildren their own scrapbooks. It's one of the first things they want to see when they visit. As they grow I add pictures and all kinds of captions to them. It is a perfect way for us to spend special time together. When they are married, I will give each one of them their own book. Because I want to keep memories of them with me, I make double copies of the pictures.

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