Scrapbooking Outside the Book

By Christina VanGinkel

With so many items in our lives just waiting for personalization and embellishment, scrapbooking outside of the book is not all that novel of an idea, yet for some people it is a difficult concept to take hold of. However, for those willing to recognize it as a valid hobby in itself, it can be one of the most enjoyable you will ever participate in. What exactly is scrapbooking outside of the book you might be asking? First, let me say that it is not just the act of altering an object. It is when you complete a layout on said object.

This is the perfect hobby for both old and new to the hobby of scrapbooking and I have found it to be most useful for showing off to reluctant friends and family members what it is you are doing with all of those snapshots and embellishments. For example, if you have an in-law or even a spouse who scoffs at the time you spend arranging your photos, keepsakes, and embellishments inside the pages of your latest scrapbook. They always have ready the comment that who is going to take the time to look through the books to make it worth your while to have spent all that time doing so, then scrapping outside the book might be the perfect way to show them just how serious you are about the hobby.

Start with a layout in mind. Maybe your child won an award, your dog came home from the groomer looking not perfectly groomed, or you and your spouse took a long anticipated vacation. My point being that the layout can be anything you would normally scrap. Once you have decided on the layout, consider what item you could embellish that would suit the layout. Some friends of mine will argue that you should choose the item you want to embellish, and then choose the layout, and that is fine too. Whichever order works for you. Remember that is the greatest thing about scrapbooking in general, that there are no hard and fast rules and that if you find a better or more convenient way to do a task, then go for it!

Some items you could scrap on could include:

Clock face
Wall photo
Ornament
Box of various sizes and uses

A clock face is my favorite. It is a good surface to create a layout on, and is a visual surface once it is complete. You can use a blank clock face and kit, made, and sold for personalization, or pick up any inexpensive clock that you can easily get at the face of. The first clock I scrapped I actually picked up at our local Goodwill store. I simply undid the screws holding the clear cover in place over the face of the clock, and left the hands intact. I was careful not to disturb the hands too much as I applied my layout to the face, and the clock is still hanging in my bedroom several years later.

A layout placed into a frame to hang on a wall is not all that novel of an idea by itself, but if you also continue the layout to incorporate the frame too, you can really end up with some stunning results, and the layout can then be front and center when visitors stop by. This is a great way to show others what you can do with your photographs and a few simple embellishments. The difference between a snapshot in a frame and a couple of snapshots incorporated into a layout and frame is a world of difference.

Scrapping onto ornaments can also be an ideal way to share your talents and snapshots with family members. What grandparent would not love to receive to an ornament to hang on the Christmas tree that is a whole layout in miniature? I know I love the one my daughter made of my grandson last year. She used a graphics program on the computer and shrunk eight pictures down into a strip, which forms the center of the ornament. She also used paper, and along with some journaling, created a one of a kind ornament that I will treasure forever.

Scrapbook supplies are too awesome to use just in a scrapbook. Scrap outside of the book today and make some memories to share!