Scrapbook Faster

Learn how to scrapbook faster so you no longer have to feel that mommy guilt or overwhelming feeling that you are not finding time to organize all your photos and memories. If you are like me, there is a box full of photos, souvenirs, cards, etc in a closet or your craft office. You look at it from a distance every now and then and think, when will I ever get these put in a scrapbook. When will I ever have time to have me time and do some things I want to do? I hear you.

1. Use Preprinted Templates

With so many websites out there now, there are plenty of places to find preprinted templates that you like. Just Google your scrapbook theme you are looking for plus preprinted templates. You can also find preprinted templates at your local craft stores. Some templates will have spots on the page for journaling, making comments or inserting your photos. You can also get a scrapbook album kit, which may come with embellishments to put on your pages easily too.

2. Digital Templates

With more and more people using the computer, the digital templates seem to be a great way to scrapbook faster. Some places online have free templates and others you have to pay for.

3. Prepare your Photos

When you drive far away to go on vacations, it is a great time to scrapbook. Last year when we went to Florida with my in-laws, I had everything read to go. It saved me so much time grabbing my files, already organized, and then putting the scrapbook pages together in our fun car ride. I had a separate file folder for each major thing that past year. You can get an expandable folder or use several different shoe boxes sorting your photos throughout the year. For example, have one box per child for that school year, a Christmas file, Birthdays folder, etc. Then, I just grabbed each small box or file and worked on each scrapbook for each box. I did not have to take the time sorting a big pile of photos collected throughout the year. Finally I put 4-6 photos per page on the predone backgrounds I purchased, and added a few words and dates. Done.

4. Don’t Aim for Perfection

Do not worry about each page looking like a great piece of art. You are not working on selling this art, but instead you are working on making sure you have something for your child to feel special about in the future. Yes, you want your pages to still look nice, but work on simplifying what you do on each page to save time. Use predone stickers and do not mat your photos. Use few, if any embellishments and layer several predone scrapbook paper background to give depth and design.

5. Use a Decorative DIY Time Capsule

For the person who really feels like they have no time at all, we want to suggest you use a time capsule to save everything that does not fit in a scrapbook. For example, where do you keep baby’s first shoes, first outfit, a souvenir from your honeymoon, shot glass from your 21st Birthday, etc. As you have special milestone moments come in you or your child’s life, just drop them in the time capsule for that year. Then seal up that time capsule at the end of that year, wait another 20 to 30 years and re-open the time capsule. Check out these cool, decorative Baby, Wedding, or DIY Time Capsules here.

Make sure whatever you do, you do not work so fast that you do not enjoy it. Make sure you set 15 minutes aside every day to sort your photos. You will thank yourself at the end of the year or whenever you have free time to make a memorable scrapbook page. For other great, helpful ideas check out this page.

What is one tip you can offer to others about how to save time and scrapbook faster? Comment below and let us know.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Marcie