by Laura Leigh Fields

Created on: August 12, 2008

Newspapers serve the public in many important ways. The articles within provide us with information, entertainment, announcements, honors, and other great outlets. We may be intrigued, excited, curious, or just find these things extremely appealing.

There are many times that something we see in the newspaper is as important to us as the air we breathe. In these cases, we want to clip the article out and keep it forever. In theory, this is a great idea but then we end up sticking them in an old album or box somewhere and the rest is history.

Normal wear and tear will take effect after the while and the clipping is soon damaged. The ends curl up and begin to shred. The color fades to a dingy yellow. If the article has been creased, the words will begin to fade or tear in this area. Before we know it, we are left with a wad of paper that we no longer recognize and barely remember.

With today's technology, losing valuable clippings is merely a thing of the past. There are many great and creative ways to salvage those special keepsakes. They don't cost a fortune and they are so simple you will wish those functions were available long before now.

First and foremost, scan the document to your computer. Save it in your documents or another important place. Keeping it on your computer ensures that you will have it for a long time. Plus, you will be able to do lots of fun things with it once you have it stored there.

If it is a particularly special clipping, you can share it with your friends and family members just by inserting it into an email. If more people have copies of it, you may be able to get it back in the future if you need to. You can also use your clipping as a background on your desktop or add it to your web page, blog, and any other appropriate spot your frequent on the web.

If you are able to save items to disc, you definitely should do this. Once you have it on a disc that will give you a back-up plan for recovering it later on. Label the disc with the date of the article and a description for future reference. Put it in a case and store it where you know it will be safe until you need it again.

Another foolproof way to ensure that your clipping is preserved is to print off more copies. You can print out as many or as few copies as you desire. If you have a program that allows you to alter the size and shape of your documents, use it to make bookmarks, book covers, and other fun things with your clipping.

Once you have extra copies printed out, avoid sticking them in magnetic albums this is never good on keepsakes. Instead, opt for placing them in individual page protectors or Ziploc bags. You may even want to consider having them laminated so that you know time won't be able to take as much toll on them. Store them in a cool dry place where you know they will be safe.

If you prefer to display your clipping, try placing it in a nice frame. Use construction paper as a background so that it stands out and catches others' attention better. If you worry about the glass sticking to the paper, try stretching plastic wrap around it to and smoothing out the wrinkles and edges. The wrap will act as a mode of protection for the special clipping.

Once you have several back-up plans to keep your clipping as fresh and preserved, as it was the day you got it, repeat the process for other important documents. Follow these suggestions or create ideas of your own. Either way, there are plenty of resources out there to care for your clippings. If you don't do anything and your documents get ruined, the fault will be your own.

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