May is National Scrapbooking Month!

By Christina VanGinkel

With scrapbooking as popular an activity as it is, it is no surprise that a whole month (May 2006) has been delegated as National Scrapbooking Month. With a complete month devoted to the activity and the promotion of it, the first weekend has also been devoted to the hobby.

What can you do to make this as momentous an occasion as it is worthy of? How about taking a small amount of time this weekend to introduce a friend or acquaintance to this multi-faceted hobby. You could host a scrapbooking event with your favorite distributor, or make it a very informal event by just having a small gathering to just get together and scrap. Either way, provide a few snacks and beverages, and ask everyone to bring along a project they are working on, or even a finished one to share with the group.

If there is a kids group or teen center in your locale, you could approach the director with the suggestion of an afternoon of scrapbooking to introduce the hobby to the younger generation. You could provide the supplies necessary to have everyone make his or her own layout, or better yet, his or her own album. This does not have to cost a lot, if you use paper bags and scraps to get everyone going on their own album that they make from scratch. That is one of my favorite things about scrapbooking. It does not have to be an expensive craft at all. While it is easy to spend large amounts of money participating in it, someone on a budget can make just as interesting and beautiful layouts and albums as someone with no limits.

You could also inquire at an area school. If a class is too big to get supplies for everyone, maybe you could just go in with some of your own tools and projects to give a demonstration. Kids love to see what the adults in their lives are doing, and teachers are often very open to hobbies such as scrapbooking being shared. It gives kids a look at a hobby they might otherwise not know much about, and it is something any age can participate in, from the very youngest to the old.

Senior centers are also a great place to share this hobby. Call the activity director to inquire if you could come in and help a few residents create albums. Pre-assemble a few paper bag albums, or pick up a few albums from the dollar store if you have one nearby. Gather up some paper, embellishments, tools, and adhesives that you feel will be easy for them to use. Bring along a digital camera with printer and snap a few pictures of each resident as they work on decorating the albums, then provide them with their own pictures and another of their fellow residents to start their book. This way they can show their friends and family how they created their books.

With Mother's Day the second weekend in May, you could spend the first weekend putting together a thank you album for your Mother. By combining the two holidays, you will be spending the time making your gift in a way that you love, and what mother would not appreciate a scrapbook as a gift, especially on a subject that she loves? I can hardly think of a better gift to mark such a momentous day. Create her a scrapbook about her grandkids, her favorite pet, or even herself. Any of these are sure to bring a smile. Plan to take her to lunch and give her the gift after the meal. I promise it will be a big hit! If you have wanted to introduce your mom to scrapbooking, instead of giving her a finished album, give a gift of scrapbook supplies, plus a pack of coupons to turn in, each good for an hour of your time to help her learn the ins and outs of this fun filled hobby.

Be sure to check local sores and online ones this month for special deals in recognition of the holiday. Sharing the hobby of scrapbooking is by far one of the most fun elements of this hobby to begin with. Crops, scrapbook weekends, or an afternoon with friends and supplies are all good ways to enjoy scrapbooking no matter the day or the month. Celebrate national Scrapbooking Month in May!