Scrapbooking Ideas Now

Because there are so many Web-savvy scrapbook supply designers today, the Internet is full of free scrapbooking supplies that can be downloaded for no charge. That means all you need to know is how to do a Web search and download files and you can find all the graphics you need to create professional-looking scrapbooks. That caused popular artist Mary Englebreit to remark recently that the Internet is so overflowing with terrific free scrapbook supplies, it can provide almost any type of images you might need. And she’s an authority on good images; products featuring her designs sell like hotcakes!

The following are some samples of the types of free scrapbooking graphics I’ve found on the Web:

Vintage

There seems to be an increase in the number of people looking for antique scrapbook images. That could be because antique art is so timeless and creates such beautiful results. Antique greeting cards make great vintage scrapbook embellishments, as do clip art images from years gone by. And when you can find digital scrapbooking papers made from compilations of vintage images, you’ll have the best of both worlds. Vintage designs also cover a wide variety of subjects, including images as diverse as vintage travel art, sailing ships, vintage flowers, magician posters and Victorian fashion illustrations. So whatever subject you’re trying to cover in your scrapbook, you can probably find antique art to match.

Holidays

Holidays are great subjects for scrapbooks, since those are the times we gather with friends and family to create special memories. And it’s not just the “showier” holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day and Halloween that inspire scrapbooks; it’s the minor holidays too. You can find lots of patriotic scrapbooking papers and embellishments online for holidays such as Veterans Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Flag Day. There are also images suitable for Earth Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and just about any other holiday you can think of; even the silly or off-beat ones.

Butterflies and Flowers

I’ve definitely noticed that scrapbookers love flowers, and who can blame them? They’re appropriate for almost any occasion. Butterflies attract a large audience too, because they represent summertime, freedom, happiness and other cheerful things. Flowers and butterflies are also diverse, because you can find them in both illustration and photographic form, and in modern and vintage forms. There are even butterfly scrapbook papers that have coordinating modern and vintage designs available in the same collections.

Wedding Images

Weddings and scrapbooks were naturally made to go together, because couples usually have at least one photo wedding album. But a wedding scrapbook can preserve your memories in an even more creative way. There is a surprisingly good selection of wedding scrapbook images on the Internet that will allow you to create a lasting memento for little or no cost. And if you can’t find any specifically for weddings, flower scrapbook images will often do just as well.

Babies

As is the case with wedding ceremonies, the birth and growth years of a little one often generate a lot of pictures. And, of course, scrapbookers love to use those photos to create family heirlooms. Fortunately, you can find a huge selection of scrapbooking images for babies. If you’re not up on baby images, however, you might be surprised to learn that the colors are less traditional than they used to be. Burnt orange, chocolate brown and red are all the rage, as well as a few specific shades of green. Of course, you can still find lots of blue and pink, but these days there are many bold color choices too.

So the next time you go looking for scrapbooking graphics, check out what’s available on the Internet. You might find some amazing free things.

Many parents are finding today that putting together scrapbooks is a great hobby that the entire family can enjoy, including young and old. But as with any other activity, it’s important to remember that scrapbooking for kids is not like scrapbooking for adults. You mght have to make some adjustments in how you scrapbook to accomodate the abilities and attention span of children or they may get bored just like they would with any other craft or hobby. So how can you approach scrapbooking for kids so they will love it as much as you do? Here are a few quick tips to consider.

Getting them involved and letting them make their own choices is imperative in scrapbooking for kids. Have the kids choose their own photo or other main subject that you will be using, and have them pick the theme and colors of the layout as well. You might think that bold colors or soft pastels would be the best choice on a particular page layout, but this activity isn’t about the final product, it is about allowing your children to express their own creativity. Give them as many options and choices as you can and you’ll see that they’re more involved and will enjoy scrapbooking projects with kids more often, as opposed to just telling them what you’ll be doing or working on. Their scrapbook techniques may get better over time but be patient with them and encourage their own creativity.

Another good thing to remember about scrapbooking for kids is that you want to keep things simple and basic. You might be experienced using a variety of designs and elements on your scrapbooking page layouts, but think of how coloring books for children are designed. Coloring book drawings stick to very basic, simple shapes, designs and colors. You don’t want your pages complex when you are considering scrapbooking for children. You will want to stay with basic shapes like diamonds, hearts, squares, circles and triangles, and basic designs like flowers, suns, stars and boats, for example. You can use stencils or templates or maybe just have them draw things freehand, but be sure to avoid being too critical of their work.

Scrapbooking is an enjoyable craft for everyone. It’s creative, affordable and a great rainy day activity! But when you’re enjoying  diy com scrapbooking with kids it’s good to allow them take the lead in their page layouts and really express themselves so they enjoy it as much as you do!