Have you ever tried creating simple scrapbooks? Most scrapbookers have, although they are often unsure about the differences between a simple scrapbook and what should be considered as a "normal" one. So how can you tell which is which, and what are the ingredients that make it a "simple" in the first place?
When you want to create simple scrapbooks, the first thing you should do is to ignore the habit of designing them according to chronological events, like what you would usually do with your projects. Simple scrapbooking themes are not dependent on the common subjects like weddings, birthdays, Christmas, or heritage and family traditions. You will be creating something that doesn't take a lot of time doing, small in scope, and not overly complicated. In short, it is different from what you would expect in a traditional scrapbook album.
This can be readily defined as a project that focuses more on the simple things in your life. It does not need a worldly subject like your family tree, your hopes and dreams, etc. Instead, creating this kind of scrapbook is more like preserving a few details in your life that is not normally seen or noticed by others. It is about highlighting the tiny but significant moments that surround the bigger picture. For example, you might create a traditional scrapbook about your daughter's wedding, but you can also create simple scrapbooks about the menu, the dances at the reception, or even about the wedding preparations.
All you need to think about when planning this scrapbook are these factors: freedom, format, finished, and fast. I will provide a more detailed explanation below for these concepts.
Freedom, as it relates to simple scrapbooking, is the liberty of being able to simplify an event and reduce it to its most basic form, then translate that to the scrapbook. It is also the freedom to capture other aspects of an important event or moment in your life, as opposed to the main subject or topic that is usually preserved on regular scrapbooks.
Format means that the uniqueness of a simple scrapbook's layout and design will stand out from the rest of the regular scrapbook albums, primarily because of the way that the contents are laid out and presented. You will be able to recognize the work as a scrapbook, but it will still have a uniqueness that makes it different from the rest.
Another defining feature of a simple scrapbook is that it is easier to finish once started. Think about all the scrapbook albums that you or your friends have started, then think about how many of those albums have actually been finished as of this moment. Simple scrapbooking means that you are creating something simple, small, and manageable that it can be finished much more easily and quickly than regular albums.
This is because a simple scrapbook is not dependent on chronological events alone, thus it doesn't need to be filled up once in a while when new events happen in your life. A chronological scrapbook takes a lot of time to create, and some may take years to finish. A simple scrapbook, however, can be finished once you started it. As a matter of fact, once you have gathered all the contents needed and you have an idea how to lay them all out, you're halfway done already.
Aside from being an accomplished artist and art/design teacher, Kimmo Hakonen is also the author of "Scrap Ideas". You can read more about Kimmo and the "Scrap Ideas" e-book here: scrapbooking ideas
Get a free course in scrapbooking that is loaded with information about simple and advanced scrapbooks, themes and other ideas from pro scrapbookers, as well as lots of other highly useful tips and techniques. Please go here simple scrapbooks
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