How to Tell a Story Through Our Reflection Scrapbook Collection

Do you love hearing stories? What about telling them? Did you know you could tell your own stories through your crafts?

Even in the past, our ancestors swapped stories to share experiences, convey emotions, and impart wisdom to the next generation. Truly, storytelling is a timeless and beloved art form that people have used to connect with one another. We immortalize memories, express our creativity, and reflect on personal journeys – all things that crafters have in abundance.

In this blog post, we’ll teach you how to tell a story of your own through scrapbooking, one of our favorite crafting techniques. Also, we’ll introduce you to our Reflection Scrapbook Collection to help you create totally rad entries!

The Essence of a Scrapbook

A scrapbook is not your typical photo album. It's a carefully curated collection of images, mementos, and personal reflections that come together to tell a story. 

It can be about anything – a significant event, a life-changing journey, or even just the seemingly mundane periods in your life. Scrapbooks give you a chance to relive and get in touch with your experiences and emotions.

What Is the Main Purpose of a Scrapbook?

For crafters new and old alike, a scrapbook can serve multiple purposes:

1. A way to preserve memories: Mementos, written entries, and even simple embellishments in your scrapbook can help keep cherished memories alive. Relive the fuzzy feelings of your first love letter, the first time you saw snow, or the first day you went on a trip with friends or family.
2. An outlet for self-expression: Your thoughts, feelings, and personal growth can go here, too, with the powers of creativity and storytelling.
3. A sharing method: Let other people you care about know your experiences. You can make your friends and family privy to your thoughts about a certain topic, or leave a legacy for future generations.

Getting Started

Now that we understand the benefits and purposes of a scrapbook, it’s time to get started:

1. Select Your Theme

Before you start putting your reflection scrapbook together, you may decide first on a theme or story you want to tell. It can be anything:

• Family vacations
• A personal journey of self-discovery
• Milestones and life achievements
• A celebration of a loved one's life 

Having a theme can help guide your creative process. But if you don’t have one, then no worries: you can go with your gut and create your scrapbook page-by-page!

2. Gather Your Reflection Scrapbooking Supplies

Here’s a list of basic scrapbooking supplies and materials we recommend: 

• A blank scrapbook or journal
• Patterned paper
• A selection of photos
• Mementos (tickets, postcards, letters, etc.)
• Scissors and dies 
• Adhesives (glue, tape, or photo corners)
• Pens, markers, and colored pencils
• Stamps and ink pads
• Decorative elements (stickers, washi tapes, etc.)

But, if you’d like to add that extra oomph to your scrapbooking project, check out our Reflection Scrapbook Collection below:

Reflection Collection Alphabet Puffy Sticker 

These two 6” x 12” sticker sheets of puffy letters, numbers, and symbols will allow you to inject creativity into your scrapbook entries and messages.

Reflection Collection Die Cuts 

The bright and vibrant colors in this die-cut set will take you back to all those happy moments captured at home or abroad! This includes 20 pieces of 8.5” x 3.5” watercolor cityscape postcards and 34 cardstock and acetate die cuts.

Reflection Collection Epoxy Buttons & Wood Veneer Bundle 

This bundle includes 20 epoxy buttons with adhesive backing and 12 origami wood veneer shapes – perfect for bedazzling your scrapbook pages with cute designs and sweet messages! 

Reflection Collection Mini Stamp 

Document your unforgettable trips and memories through this 2" x 3" clear stamp set with 7 individual sentiment stamps made from high-quality photopolymer!

Gold & Silver Glitter Tape 

Let your reflection scrapbook sparkle in silver and gold! This set of glitter tapes is perfect for scrapbook layouts. They’re great for cards and journals, too!

Check out these other scrapbooking materials from the Altenew store HERE.

Telling Your Story

The next step is to plan out a story from the materials you gathered. Look at the following aspects of your scrapbook project:

• Choose Your Narrative 

A good story often has a beginning, middle, and end. But for scrapbooks, you can go with what your heart wants. Create a scrapbook with a narrative arc from start to finish, or go page-by-page and tell individual stories in each of them. Whatever floats your boat – as long as you’re having fun. 

• Emotions and Reflections

Sad movies make people cry and comedies make them laugh. Following that line of thinking, the most powerful reflection scrapbooks are those that convey genuine emotions and reflections. This vulnerability is what will make your story relatable and compelling.

• Share Your Journey

If your reflection scrapbook is meant to be shared with others, consider how you want to engage your audience and readers. What message or lessons do you want to convey through your narrative? Be thoughtful about the impact you want your story to have.

5-Step Guide to Crafting Your Reflection Scrapbook

Here’s a 5-step guide you can easily follow:

Step 1: Organize Your Content.

First, sort through your photos and mementos and select the ones that best represent your chosen theme. You can organize them chronologically, or arrange them in a way that makes sense for your narrative.

Step 2: Carefully Design and Layout Each Page.

Don’t rush the process – design each page with care. Consider the placement of your images, mementos, and text. Create a visual flow that guides the reader through your story. Pro-tip: don’t hesitate to experiment with different layouts. Sometimes, it takes a couple of tries until you find one that feels right, and that’s fine.

Step 3: Add Captions and Annotations.

Captions and annotations play a crucial role in storytelling. Write down your thoughts, emotions, and reflections associated with each image or memento. Pro-tip number 2: Be honest and open. This is what will make your scrapbook truly reflective.

Step 4: Decorate and Embellish

Use decorative elements like stickers, washi tape, and colorful markers to add a personal touch to your pages. Enhance the visual appeal of your scrapbook with elements that complement your theme. On that note, you can check out our Reflection Scrapbook embellishment supplies HERE.

Step 5: Incorporate Journaling

We can’t forget the power of journaling. We suggest adding a section where you write your thoughts, memories, and lessons you learned during the experience you're documenting. This will provide depth and authenticity to your scrapbook.

Start Telling Your Story Today

One of the most rewarding aspects of creating a reflection scrapbook is sharing it with friends and family. You can also share your scrapbook with a broader audience. You never know who might be inspired by your story and encouraged to create their own reflection scrapbook, as well. Social media and online platforms provide great opportunities for sharing your work with a wider community.

Whether you're an avid scrapbooker or a newcomer to the craft, the power of storytelling through reflection scrapbooks rewards not only you but your readers and audiences, too.