Good Projects

It is the end of the summer; a time when things begin to shift into a mode of work; whether in school or on the home front. But, before you completely scrap the memories of summer, do just that, “scrap” all of your favorite images of summer into a scrapbook as a nice project for you and your family.

Okay, I have a confession to make. I have boxes of photographs that I need to take the time to organize and put into scrapbooks and now is as good a time as any to take on that task. Writing this article reminds me of how important it is to preserve those special memories, as they come. So to keep myself honest, I am going to do this along with you, my readers.

A few good places to find all kinds of scrapbooks at a good price include stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Target. I have also seen some interesting designs at Ikea, although, I need to do a fact check on that one as I have not a chance to visit since late spring.

If you need to print off those images you may want to invest in a small photo printer as it will more than likely be cheaper than having the prints done for you over time. This of course depends on the number of images you have that need to be printed. In any event, having a printer will allow you to be prepared for the future so there can’t be anything bad about that.

To get your project underway here are a few good things to remember:

  1. Choose a time when the family can collectively set aside about 2 hours of time to devote entirely to this project. You will need to keep in mind that it will take at least three 2-hour gatherings in order to complete your project.
  2. Turn off the television and use this as an opportunity to share your latest finds of good music. This will help parents to get up to date on what’s hot in the world of “hip” new artists in the world of your young people too.
  3. Decide how you would like to organize your photographs. Will you tell a story with your photographs or will you organize them according to family members; in other words in their own personal scrapbook?
  4. Be creative. There are a number of websites that you can visit in order to get ideas on how to organize your photos.
  5. Consider all options. If you find it more interesting to use photo storage boxes rather than photo albums, by all means, give it a shot.
  6. Look into using technology to store your photos. This is an exciting way to store your memories and the nice thing about using things like computer discs or virtual storage is you are able to share your memories with other family members. This is especially nice if you have grandparents or others who live far away. This also makes for a great gift.
  7. Allow everyone to share in the decision. Keep in mind that these are family memories therefore, allow the entire family the opportunity to share.
  8. Be sure to label your album with a date and reference if storing a physical album, and place in a bookshelf for easy access.
  9. Organize a family night out at Paper Source or check other local craft stores to learn scrapbooking techniques.
  10. Have Fun!