Fresh Starts & Memory Keeping with Altenew Releases

Happy New Year, crafty friends!

As we welcome 2026, it feels like the perfect moment to bring fresh energy into our memory keeping ― both in the products we reach for and in the formats we choose. Altenew’s recent collections continue to make storytelling feel beautifully modern and heartfelt, giving us endless ways to capture family moments, everyday snapshots, and all those little in–between details that make life sweet. This year, I’m especially excited to keep working with smaller formats while also stretching into a new album size that opens up even more room for stories.

—2026 will be a year of gently stretching beyond the familiar 6x6 format and telling stories on a slightly larger canvas while still keeping that soft, detailed look that defined 2025.

In 2025, 6×6-inch layouts became my go-to size for capturing everyday moments in a focused, manageable format. One of my favorites from the September 2025 Instagram Hop features playful die-cut pears alongside simple blossoms and a crisp black sentiment strip reading “You make the world a better place.” This design blends fresh greens and yellows on a lightly textured white background for an airy, childlike feel. This design captures the heart of last year’s style for me: soft color palettes, thoughtful layering, and just enough detail to support the story without crowding it.

—In 2025, most projects were created as 6x6 inch layouts, which quickly became my favorite size for capturing everyday moments without feeling overwhelmed by a big page. This smaller format encouraged tight, intentional design: one focal photo, layered florals, and a few well-chosen details were usually all it took to finish a page. 

For 2026, I’m continuing to create 6×6 layouts but also introducing a new format into my memory-keeping routine: a 9×9¼-inch album with 7×8½-inch page protectors that also turn it into a pocket-style project. This slightly taller size is perfect for mixing full-page layouts with pockets that can hold extra photos, journaling cards, tickets, or other little keepsakes that don’t always fit on a single spread. It feels like the best of both worlds ― spacious enough for longer stories, but still compact and approachable.

Having both 6x6 layouts and a 9×9¼-inch album featuring 7x8½-inch layouts with included pocket-style page protectors will make it easier to choose the right format for each story: short, visual vignettes can fill 6x6 layouts, while multi-photo stories and keepsakes can expand into the 7x8½-inch layouts. The plan is to use favorite 6x6 designs as sketches that can be stretched, flipped, or repeated inside the larger album so the whole project feels cohesive even as the sizes change.

To ease into larger formats, favorite 6×6-inch designs have been adapted into 7×8½-inch layouts. This pear-themed page features pears and florals cascading vertically down the left side, with a central photo of my daughters and the sentiment balancing the right. Using familiar designs as sketches for the larger format keeps the album cohesive and makes the transition feel fun rather than intimidating.

Benefits of Resizing

Using 6×6 ideas as flexible blueprints maintains album unity in a 9×9¼-inch binder with 7×8½-inch pages. The shift feels fun and low-pressure, allowing more space for details without overwhelming the story. 

Key Design Changes

The original compact 6×6 sketch expands into a taller column of yellow-green pears with Stellar Sequins - Twinkling Pink along the left edge, accented by soft pink blossoms and green leaves from the Creative Cuts: Fresh Pears Layering Die Set. Lace and a subtle woven sweater embossed image add texture around the white-framed photo, while washi tape with yellow brush stroke patterns ground the base. The sequins catch the light, mimicking dew on the pears for a fresh, juicy look. Embossing the sweater texture on the photo mat ties into the kids’ outfits, creating subtle storytelling. 

To add more depth and interest to the pears and blossoms, I used the Petal Shaper Tool Set for realistic shaping and dimension. This keeps the playful, childlike vibe cohesive across album sizes.

What excites me most about Altenew’s memory-keeping releases these past years is how adaptable they are to different formats and storytelling styles. The same dies, embossing folders, and shimmer mediums look just as beautiful on a small 6×6 page as they do in a taller 7×8½-inch page, letting your supplies stretch further while keeping albums visually unified. A single floral cluster or die-cut title can move from one size to another and still feel fresh simply by changing the composition.

As this new year begins, it feels like the perfect time to tell your stories a little differently: by combining compact layouts with a more spacious album, by adding texture with intention, and by letting each page reflect the way your memories truly feel. Whether you’re scrapbooking a quick everyday snapshot or documenting a chapter you never want to forget, Altenew’s products are here to help you craft those moments with beauty and heart.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope this inspires you to try a new format, revisit a favorite design, or start creating 7×8½-inch pages of your own. If you create something inspired by this post, don’t forget to tag @altenewllc ― I’d love to see your take!

Happy crafting and happy memory keeping,

Reiko

Enjoy FREE U.S. shipping on orders over $49 (no code needed) or $15 OFF International shipping on orders over $139 with code NYTREAT at checkout from January 6, 2026 at 12:01 AM EDT until January 8, 2026. Shop here: https://altenew.com/collections/all-altenew-products

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