For those that missed the first Scrapbook Saturday, I have started this series to motivate myself to get caught up on all of my scrapbooking. Please tell me that I am not alone in this! It can be quite the daunting task to start scrapbooking if it has been awhile since you last did a page or printed any pictures out. So, here is what I do when I am feeling overwhelmed by all my pictures.
All you need is a regular photo album {I always use the photo albums that have both vertical and horizontal photos}. There are similar pocket pages put out by scrapbook companies but it ends up being much more expensive and you still have to buy an album to go with them.
All you need to do is cut a 4X6 piece of patterned paper, add an embellishment or two, and add your journalling. It is a great way to use up left over scraps, still allows you to be a little creative, and cuts down a whole lot of time!
Scrapbooking to me is all about the journalling. Pictures take on a whole new meaning when they have your thoughts and feelings to go along with them. My kids love looking through their scrapbooks and talking about their memories too!
April says
I used to do this all the time (now I do shutterfly)-it’s so great because it’s a time saver, but you can still get a little creativity in! Great post!
Emily says
Where do you print your pictures from?
irbuanosraL says
So..where do you buy the scrapbooks that you use? I like the pages, they look sharp and cute!!
Jill Anderson says
That is a Great idea. It’s seems like it would save a lot of time compared to the traditional way of scrapbooking. I have a TON of scrapbooking to do. How did you come up with the idea?
Leasa says
This idea is great. I am sooooo far behind on my scrapbooks and this seems like a much easier way to go. I am definitely going to use this idea. Where did you find your photo album with horizontal and vertical slots on the same page?
Jenn says
Emily – I tried to contact you but your email is sent to No Reply. I generally get my scrapbook pictures through http://www.scrapbookpictures.com You can re-size to pretty much any size you want, add borders, etc. If I am just printing regular 4×6 I will often get them at Costco. Happy scrapping! 🙂
Songul says
This is a great idea but done recall seeing photo albums with vertical & horizontal pockets.
I’m ONLY 7 years behind, that’s not that bad is it?
Jenn says
Hi Songul – You email is set to No Reply so hopefully you get this. The photo album pages are called 5 up and are available in a number if different brands including albums and pocket refills that can go in 3 hole binders. Umbra has a few different albums that they sell. If you are in Canada, I just actually picked up 2 albums today from Home Sense. The albums have 50 pages each (500 pictures) and were $20. And don’t worry about being behind – you have to start somewhere! Any memories that you can get down are better than none!
Lyndee @ A Recovering Craft Hoarder says
I love these types of scrapbooks (not that I have one). I’m trying to take a picture a day this summer and do something like this with it. Thanks for the inspirations!
Colleen says
I’m so behind!!!I have two great books for my daughter – traditional books and want to get my son’s done. It’s the starting that just gets me in a tizzy! Gotta start somewhere though, right?
Snichols says
Your layouts are great!
Ty and Whitty says
I am in love with this idea. I am so overwhelmed by all the pages i would have to do so I am sooooo doing this thank you so much for the idea. Where did you get the albums that have both vertical and horizontal slots? I need some so I can get started as well. Come and say hi and enter my Jamberry nail giveaway!
A mommy’s life…with a touch of YELLOW
tyandwhitneyulrich.blogspot.com
Deb says
Jenn, Thank you thank you thank you! What a fabulous idea! I’m so many years behind for so many children…and this is just perfect for catching up. Thank you!
Kimberlee says
Those are great tips! Thanks for this post. Visiting from Show and Tell Wednesday.
~Kimberlee
{Accuquilt Giveaway}
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
great pages! I scrap, too…I’m getting a bit more behind than I normally am…aaack! I intend to work on it this weekend; I just got an order of photos.
Kaysi says
These are adorable, love them all!
Kaysi
http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
Chef in Training says
Great srapbook pages! You did a fabulous job! I love scrapbooking! I am your newest follower and would love it if you would come check out my blog and follow me too! Thanks!
-Nikki
http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/
The One Stop Baby Shop says
Hi! I’m visiting you from Little Lucy Lu, I saw your link up there! Great job! I’m new to blogging! I would love it if you came to visit:
http://onestopbabygifts.blogspot.com
Cheers!
Lilli
Jennie says
FANTASTIC idea! Thank you so much for this!
-Jennie
Lowri says
This is a quick and easy way to scrapbook – I love it!
Lowri
Megan says
I saw your post on another blog and thought I’d comment. I started doing this type of scrapbooking while pregnant, over 2 years ago! I had to be checked weekly while pregnant for a few months due to a previous surgery and the upside was a lots of extra photos of my baby girl! So I realized, very quickly, that I needed to do something with them! I found the 12 by 12 photo albums from Target to work wonderfully and would buy them by the truckload if they weren’t so expensive! I put in her photos and used the verticals (seeing as all ultrasounds were horizontal) for scrapbooking. When we didn’t know if she was a girl, we’d fill it up with things for both sex, possible names, etc. and then when we found out she was a girl, it quickly became full of pink and purple and girl stuff! I still do it now, but need to continue! I have a ton of scrapbooking stuff but never do the full size pages due to time and a good place (office is in progress!). Thanks for sharing, I thought I was the only one out there after I described to a friend who had NO idea what I was talking about!
LaVonne @ Long Wait says
What a great idea! I have never thought of that. I like it. Thanks for sharing!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
LaVonne @ Long Wait For Isabella
Grammy Goodwill says
Thanks for the great idea. My “babies” are about to turn 33 and 30, so I have a lot of catching up to do.
Michelle says
SO pretty! I need to get scrappin’! I am visiting from Tatertots and Jello and I would LOVE if you would link this up to my Delicately Constructed Fridays Linky Party!!
Thanks so much!
Have a great weekend!
Michelle
http://www.delicateconstruction.blogspot.com
Heather @ Catfish Kisses says
This is GREAT!! I don’t know if I’ve seen the books with horizontal & vertical before, but I’m sure gonna look now! Just like everyone else, I am soo behind!!
Blessings,
Heather
KAT says
Cool! I NEED to get back into my scrapbooking
KAT
Mel says
I have wanted, for years, to do an “easy” album for my MIL with all the pics of my hubby & his brothers, but have never had the extra money to buy one of the expensive albums. I cant believe I never thought to just buy a regular album & pages! geez! I love your journal boxes too! thank you so much for the inspiration! I just might have tovstart a Scrapbook Sunday on my blog 😉
http://www.livelaughlove-mel.blogspot.com
Laura says
I use the 3-ring binder type albums with protector (photo pocket) inserts for various picture sizes to hold photos, postcards, memorbilia, etc. But I like to insert some “real” scrapbook pages among the pictures; so I make them in 8×10 size and put them in 8×10 protector inserts. Combining the traditional photo album and scrapbook album style really saves a lot of time and still gives you the opportunity to get creative!
Anonymous says
Stumbled upon your post. I’m off to find some 5 up albums. I have been doing PL but have LOTS more photos in boxes to “scrap”…..love this.
Heidi @ Blue Eyed Blessings says
In love with this idea!! I love to scrapbook, but I am overwhelmed at the moment with how far I am behind. I take a lot of pictures, so this will be a great way to get them all in one page with some journaling. We just went to Southern California for Disneyland and other attractions, so this will be a perfect (and quick) way to document our trip. Thanks for sharing!
Lynette @ My Craft Discovery says
I love this idea. I am NOT into scrap booking at all, but I have tons of pictures from when I was young. I am having my first baby in April, and I was thinking to do simple photo albums, but I love how you made the cards for journaling as well. I am definitely pinning this one. Thanks for the great idea!
Jaimee says
This is SUCH a great idea!!! I have three kids and had intended to do first year albums for all of them…plus school albums and birthday albums…but once the babies came, my scrapbook time flew to the wayside. I still haven’t managed to get back to it. THIS method I could totally do! Faster, less overwhelming, but still chocked full of personality and memories. LOVE. IT! I shared this on my crafty facebook page : )
Jaimee @ craft-interrupted.blogspot.com
Max Macbeth says
Love the simplicity and sleek cleanliness of the layouts. The pictures really take on a different light when there are stories or commentaries to go with them via the journaling. It also makes the scrapbook feel more personal, and therefore more endearing. Great job with these!
Sheliah says
I am a grandmother of 3 grandsons and another baby on the way (don’t know sex yet)! I am SOOOSOOOSOSOOOO far behind…. I made their dads books years back from birth to 21 years of age….took a very long time to do, but it was well worth it. I have thousands of photos of these precious boys and I’m sure I’ll have that many of the one on its way. This is an absolutely great idea for getting books put together for these children of all the love and happiness they bring to our lives. Thank you so much!
betsey martinson says
I love the albums youre using! I’m in the U.S- is there somewhere online I can purchase these?
Thank you!!
-Betsey
Jenn Lifford says
I actually picked up a couple at Target at one point so you could try there. You could also try HomeGoods and maybe even Walmart. There is also now the Project Life line {that you can buy from Michaels} that has similar pocket cards for three ring binders.
Jennifer says
Where do you find the albums with vertical and horizontal picture pockets?
Jenn Lifford says
Home Sense {or Home Goods if you are in the States} often has these types of albums. Project Life {which is available at Michaels or online} also has various styles of photo inserts that you can use in a 3 ring binder and there are sizes available with the 4×6 vertical and horizontal pictures. There are a lot of other fun products associated with that line too!
Suzanne says
I am 20 years behind and am going to go with this WONDERFUL idea. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I just took a week off from work to go through all the pictures to organize them by year, so am ready to start this project (once I get a zillion albums).
Could you share, however, how you created the 4×6 cards that you have done your journaling on? Is the computer generated, or stickers and hand writing? I’d love to know exactly how you create them (if computerized, did you use a special program, special fonts, etc?). I’d love to get through these 20 years as quickly as possible.
Thanks again for sharing!
Jenn Lifford says
I have a TON of old scrapbooking materials so I just used my paper cutter to cut a bunch of 12×12 papers into 4×6 cards. For the cards themselves, I mostly just handwrote them {as I think it is nice to still see real printing these days!} but you could always type it out too and just format it to the 4×6 size. Titles were mostly done with stickers but some were just hand drawn out. Just an embellishment or two per page can really add that little extra touch too – Michaels has tons of cute stuff to choose from if you don’t have anything on hand. There used to be a ton of scrapbooking stores around with all of that too but I know that most of them have shut down in our area. Happy scrapbooking – I’m sure it will be well worth it when you are done! 🙂
Suzanne says
I’m browsing around online and can’t find the albums/pages that are in your posting. Would you have a minute to post a link (or two) for those of us that would like to get somethings very similar to what you have?
Thanks for pondering!
Jenn Lifford says
Hi Suzanne,
This is quite an old post so, unfortunately, I don’t have any online links. I picked up quite a few of my albums at HomeSense {HomeGoods if you are in the States} as well as from our local scrapbook store {I believe the line is Memory Makers}. If you haven’t checked out Project Life {that I know is at Michaels}, be sure to do that as they have a variety of the pocket pages as well as a ton of pre-made journaling cards and embellishments. They also have an app so you can do it digitally if that is more your style. Hope that helps!
Emily says
This is the perfect simple method I have been looking for. Where did you get these scrapbooks?
Thanks!
Jenn Lifford says
I bought mine several years ago but I still find them occasionally at Home Sense {Home Goods if you are in the states}. Project Life also has a variety of different sized pocket pages that are available at Michaels or online. We used to have so many scrapbooking stores around here that carried them but almost all of them have shut down.
Suzanne says
Just to chime in, because I asked the same question a couple weeks ago and Jenn shared the same info. with me. I went to my local Michael’s store and found exactly what Jenn shared. The were regular $28/each, but it was buy one get one free, so I grabbed 8 of them.
Jenn Lifford says
Glad you found them!
Beth Gray says
Here is an album like the one shown–not sure if it is the same one, but it looks nice and it does not have the memo area. I think I’ll try this one. Would love an update on how this is going for everyone!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DHERKMW/
Jenn Lifford says
Thanks for that! I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit but am hoping to do a weekend soon to get caught up!
Mag says
I know this is a very old post but THANK YOU. I have twin 14 month olds and an almost 4 year old daughter…. I am not even 6 months into my daughters album sadly (but I overdid it by doing over 100 pages….1st child…ambition mommy…. ) Now I’m 3 children behind and just ordered a whopping amount of photos. Using similar album pages from Michaels to get me caught up and not waste precious picture or omit them from albums… I was feeling guilty that it wasn’t really scrapbooking anymore. Thanks for reminding me there are so many ways to do it…. all with the intention of great memory keeping. This is a great suggestion!
Jenn Lifford says
Yes! This was a lifesaver for me. The time to do a scrapbook page was getting crazy! In the end, it’s all about the stories and the photos. 🙂
Gisela says
Thus us exactly what I had in mind. So glad I can actually see it done. Thank you for sharing. And NO, you are not alone, I too have lots of pictures to out in albums. This should speed the process and I’ll be able to use what I have. Thanks again.
Jenn Lifford says
Good luck getting things going! I hope this helps!
LeAnne says
Where do you get the scrapbooks with both vertical and horizontal photo pockets?
LeAnne says
Oh, I see the conversation now and the suggestion of Home Goods and Michaels. Thanks for the post, I really like the idea of using a photo pocket or two for journaling.