Scrapbook Journaling

Scrapbook journaling is just as important as the photos and embellishments you add to your pages. It helps to tell the story and makes a scrapbook more than just a photo album.

Your journaling can be as simple as significant words, laid on the page, that describe the person or event shown in the photograph. Sometimes scrapbook titles tell the whole story, very simply, and there is no need for extra journaling.

It is also possible to create a whole page with ONLY journaling and no photos!

Most often, the words will tell a story about the people and events featured in the photos.

My handwriting isn't neat enough!

Many people are worried about their handwriting.

Hey, this is your personal scrapbook, you don't have to be an expert at calligraphy to write in it! If you are worried about messing up, why not write your journaling on a separate piece of paper before you attach it to your layout.

If you really don't like your handwriting, there are alternative methods of adding text and stories to your scrapbook pages. You can of course use your computer and print out the journaling ready to attach. You can also use rubber stamps, rub ons, peel offs, metal and die cut letters to your layouts.

I like to include my own handwriting somewhere in my albums for future generations to read. Imagine if you had a note that your great grandmother had written telling you who the people were in that old faded photo, and what they were doing at the time it was taken? Wouldn't that be precious? You can leave a lasting record for your future family to enjoy in this way.

If you are lucky enough to have a letter from a relative that has passed away, or perhaps a copy of one of their favourite recipes written in their own hand you can include it in your scrapbook. One way would be to scan or photocopy the document so you can keep the original safe. Or you could use the letter itself, tucking it into a pocket on your page so that it is not permanently attached or damaged in any way.

WHAT can I write?

One of the best tips I can give you, is to include information that it isn't possible to deduce from the photographs themselves. Scrapbook journaling can add that extra interest if you mention the feelings that the photo gives you. Tell the viewer what was so special about the picture, or pictures, that meant they just had to be included in your album!

To help you get started, you will find a whole section of journaling prompts on the site. Ideas and suggestions that might just get you thinking, remembering, and then recording, those precious stories in your own albums.

Scrapbook Journaling prompts

For your family pages you can either become a detective and do some family tree research, or you can use our family scrapbook layouts page to give you some ideas.

Or maybe you are thinking about creating a scrapbook for a parents anniversary gift and want to tell their love story within its pages? The scrapbook journaling for this album may take time to put together, especially if you don't want to give the game away before its finished! Just asking questions on a casual basis is more likely to get them to open up and recall stories from their past, than trying to conduct a formal interview.

If you are a parent yourself, you might be looking for baby scrapbooking ideas so that you can tell their baby story through your journaling and photos. Our prompts will remind you of what you could include and help you to produce an album that will be treasured for many years to come.

As your children grow into toddlers you will want to record their activities and special events in your scrapbooks. Those funny things they say can be used as ready made journaling here! For example when he was just 4 years old my son said something and I asked if he was being sarcastic. He replied "I haven't yet mastered the art of sarcasm!" That was a big surprise coming from someone so young.

Don't forget to include pages in your albums that feature the grandparents and grandchildren together. Here you could journal about what each person in the picture might be thinking.