People have been making scrapbooks in some form or fashion for centuries. Scrapbooking as it is currently known is a relatively new hobby that has taken this country by storm. Scrapbooks have gone way beyond the basic pictures taped on a page with a few paragraphs of commentary to become a whole new art form. An entire industry has emerged in the past decade selling products and tips for scrapbookers. There are entire magazines dedicated to the hobby of scrapbooking. Avid scrapbookers can even attend conferences to swap ideas with other scrappers from all over the country.

The purpose of this article is to give some helpful tips and encouragement for latecomers to scrapbooking to know how to get started creating scrapbooks. Dont let your inexperience keep you from enjoying this exciting pastime.

Get Organized
First of all, you need to get together all your pictures and anything else you plan to include in your scrapbook. If you dont already have some scrapbooking supplies, make a visit to your local scrapbook or craft store to buy some paper and other supplies. Dont be overwhelmed by all the options available at those stores. You really dont need one of everythingjust buy a few things to get started for now. You can go back and get more supplies later on.

Start Small
Dont expect to create scrapbook pages for your entire life the first night you start. It took you all those years to live your lifeit will certainly take a while to document all of it in a scrapbook. Choose some pictures from a meaningful event and start working on a page for that event. Once you finish that, you can move on to another event, then another, and another

Keep it Simple
Dont expect the first scrapbook page you create to make the cover of Creating Keepsakes. The important thing is that youre getting started and organizing your memories into a beautiful family heirloom. Dont fuss about getting too creative or adding every possible embellishment on your first page. Focus on presenting the pictures and adding commentary that will get the story across the way you want it to. The layout details matter a lot less than the pictures and words you use to tell a story.

Ask For Help
Scrapbookers love to share their ideas with other scrapbookers. Part of the fun of scrapbooking is sharing time with friends as you create these pages. Find a friend whos into scrapbooking and ask to see some of their scrapbooks. They will love you for asking and youll be able to get some great ideas for layouts and page designs that you can use in your own scrapbooks. You can even show your friend the pictures you want to use and get input on how they would design the page. If theyve been scrapping for a while, chances are they will have some great suggestions and can give some good direction on how to design your pages.

Just Do It
No matter how good your intentions, those scrapbook pages wont create themselves. Even if you only have 30 minutes or an hour, sit down and start putting together that first page. Once you get started, youll have a hard time setting down the scissors and glue, but the first page is always the hardest, so get it over with today. Get started in the exciting world of scrapbooking!