Family Scrapbook Layout Ideas

5 Inspiring Ideas To Help You Create

Beautiful Family Scrapbook Layouts To Cherish Forever!

Looking for some unique family scrapbook layouts and ideas ?  Check these out!  Gather your photos and your scrapbooking supplies and get ready to create an album that will be treasured by your family for several generations.

Create a page or spread for each parent

When designing your album, include a family scrapbook layout of your siblings and parents, along with your spouse’s siblings and parents.  A lot of times when you start a family of your own, some family members will have passed away without your kids having the opportunity to know them.  These layouts will be a great way to let your kids know about Grandpa John or Aunt Liz

For a special layout, use a 5×7 photo of you in the middle of the page.  It can be a picture of you as a child, a teen, or adult.

Mat the photo in a neutral color.  Along the right side write your full name and on the left side the age you were in the photo.  Use smaller photos of your siblings and parents, mat in a similar style and write the names and ages.  Include stickers that say “brother”, “sister”, “mom”, “dad”, etc.
If you were an only child, you might want to include your grandparents. Embellish the page with a quote about families.

Purposely pose for photos 

While visiting some friends recently, I was inspired by three framed photos nicely arranged on their dining room wall.  In the first photo, the three siblings were under the age of 10.  They were sitting on the front porch steps in a cute pose.  In the next photo, they were all teens, and they used the same pose.  In the last photo they were young adults and once again used the same pose.  It was charming!
If you have little children you can do the same thing.  You don’t have to let years go by in between photos.  You could even take four seasonal photos in one year, change the decorations, but have the kids keep the same pose.  You could use this technique to make several special family scrapbook layouts!  Just add a catchy title and make cute frames.

Make a family collage

For each family member, create a page that is all about that person.  Include two to four photos showing one of the many roles that the person has—athlete, scout, singer, sister, son, comedian, etc.  Using different color fonts, type all the various roles the person has and randomly add them to the page.  If your kids are old enough, ask them to help identify the roles that they have. Then you could create an entire album of these family scrapbook layouts!
Embellish each page with stickers, confetti and other items that reflect that person.  Somewhere on the page include the person’s name with die-cut letters.  When you’re through these layouts will add a very special tough to your album!

Design monthly pages
A fresh idea for a family album is to create an album that focuses on one month at a time.
For the first page of each month use a 9 or 12 block grid.  Spell the abbreviation of the month diagonally (one letter per block).  Fill in the other blocks with family photos from activities that took place that month.  Leave one block open for journaling.  You can add additional pages and design them how you choose.

Create fun holiday family scrapbook layouts

Growing up, most of our family Christmas photos were taken in front of the fireplace.  Although we get amused at looking at the hair styles and clothing, the pictures were rather boring.  When you put together your holiday family layout, think about using individual photos rather than a group photo.  Here is a Xmas idea:

Christmas ornaments.  Using a round template, crop a photo of each family member.  If possible, use photos that provide a close-up of the head and shoulders.  Use red Christmas scrapbook paper as the background of the page.  On the left side of the page glue half of a green Christmas tree (branches should face the middle of the page).  Adhere your photos to the tree.  Add a border to each photo with thin red cord.  Add a little loop at the top.  Now your photos look like ornaments!  Add cute white buttons to the tree as an added accent.  On the top right corner of the page add two diagonal ribbons to the page.  Add your title to the lower right side.

Ideas For Family Scrapbook Layouts Are Endless! 

The key is to have fun with your layouts and choose photos that reflect your family’s personality and highlights the special moments you enjoy together.  As you take photos, look for photo opportunities that will make for fun and memorable family scrapbook layouts!

Taking Better Photos

When putting together a scrapbook layout, the quality of your photos will have a huge impact on the overall feel of the layout. 

There’s nothing worse than enjoying a special event , such as a trip to the zoo or attending your niece’s wedding, only to later discover that your photos are too blurry or too dark.

Thankfully with digital cameras, you can check your photos right away and might be able to snap a few new ones if you’re not happy with the photos you just took.

To ensure that your photos have a chance of turning out well, here are ten secrets to taking better photos.

1. Choose your focal point.

As you take photos, think about what you really want to emphasize.  Many times we think we need to take a full body shot of someone and we miss out on opportunities for some really interesting photos.

For example, let’s say your child is taking her first steps.  Sure you want a photo or two of someone holding out their hands to help keep the child stable, but you might also consider taking a close up of your child’s feet.  Does she walk with her toes curled?  Does he turn his feet out?  These will be fun photos to include in your layout.

A focal point doesn’t always have to mean keeping a person as the center of a photo.  If the photo background contains a neat stone wall, an interesting tree or a waterfall, then make those your focal points and have the person off to the side.

2.  Pay attention to the sun.

Too many photos turn out disappointing if the person is squinting from the sunlight.  When possible, you want good lighting behind the person.  You need to be careful though that you don’t cause shadows if you’re standing with the light behind you.

Depending on the type of mood you want to create, experiment taking photos that will cast a shadow or filter light on your subject.

3.  Change your camera angle.

Naturally, we tend to take photos at eye level.  Yet for a different effect, try taking some photos by angling the camera down towards someone or upwards toward your subject.  This idea works well if you want a photo of your sleeping baby or your son sitting in the apple tree reading a book.  The more you practice with different angles, the more you’ll discover unique photo possibilities.

4.   Capture the emotion.

We already know that a picture can speak a thousand words.  Depending on what type of emotion you want to capture, you might ask the person to look directly into the camera or to ignore the camera.

Let’s say your son just popped the question to his girlfriend.  This would be a good “into the camera” shot.  You’ll be able to capture his joy, anxiety and relief all in one shot.  If your toddler is having a bad day and the ice cream from his ice cream cone falls to the ground, sneak a photo of his quivering lip or sadness.  By not asking him to look directly into the camera, his disappointment will come across as real and raw.

5.  Use continuous shooting.

When photographing a person or animal who tends to move around a lot, continuous shooting can be a lot of fun.  You take a series of shots and afterwards choose four to six of those shots and use them in a layout in “filmstrip” style.  Place the shots side-by-side and it will give your layout an animation feel.

6.  Incorporate reflections.

Some of the most interesting photos include reflections, whether it be a person’s face reflected in a mirror, a lonely puppy reflected in a window, or the hands of a newly engaged couple reflected in a stream of water.  Look for opportunities to capture reflections.

7.  Photograph natural moments.

There are going to be times when you’ll want staged photos where everyone is nicely grouped together and smiling.  However, taking photos of natural moments can be very powerful.

Imagine a photo of a little boy giggling as his puppy licks his hand, or a child beaming when her kite stays in the sky for more than just a few seconds.  By taking photos of real life happenings, you’ll be able to get some great shots that are filled with all sorts of emotions.

8.  Opt for black and white photos.

Black and white photos are timeless.  As you think back on some of your favorite family photos, chances are some of your favorites are black and white ones.  These photos remove the distraction of color and texture and lets you focus on what is actually happening in the photo.

9.  Crop your photos.

By using a digital camera, you can always crop a photo later on.  If you’re taking a photo of your daughter doing a cartwheel in the front lawn, but discover that a person is just beginning to walk into the picture, you can easily crop that person out.  Depending on the quality of a photo, you can crop to get a close-up of just the subject’s hands, face, etc.

10.  Practice, practice, practice.

Lastly, one of the super nice things about digital cameras is that you can see results instantly and you’re not paying for wasted photos.  You can delete the pictures that didn’t turn out well and hold onto the ones that you might want to use later for your scrapbook layouts.  Practice taking different angle shots, using props and capturing everyday moments.  Get in the habit of taking your camera with you and just have fun taking a variety of photos.

7 ways to use Sandpaper

Thought these tips is a good idea to share as I have personally use one of these sandpaper techniques on my scrapbook layout. Some of these tips might be a good idea for your greeting cards (for those people who are stampers).

Adding texture to your scrapbook layouts can give your layouts a very different appeal.  One way of adding texture is with the use of sandpaper!  Whether you’re using sandpaper to change the texture of other materials, or you’re adding sandpaper directly to your layout, the possibilities are endless.

Here are a few fun techniques to try with your layouts!

# 1 – Vintage appearance.

Use a grey, dark green or brown card stock for the background of your layout.   Frame your photos with embossed paper.  Lightly sand the embossed paper with a light-grit sandpaper.  By sanding the paper, it will give the frames a vintage look.

# 2 – Stamp on sandpaper.

Instead of using a stamp on regular paper or card stock, try stamping on sandpaper!  Choose a fine grit sandpaper, cut a piece that is a little bigger than the stamp, and then stamp it.
Adhere the sandpaper to your layout and trace the edge of the sandpaper with a dark marker.  Permanent markers can be used to color in the stamped image.

# 3 – Create a denim look.

Making a layout for a teenager?  Create a denim background.  Begin with two-tone blue card stock.  Using the dark blue side, rub the sandpaper onto the card stock in a circular motion until it has a denim appearance.  Now you’re ready to add photos, journaling and a few embellishments.

# 4 – Aged lettering.

If you’re going to use colored die-cut letters, you can age the letters with the use of an emery board.  Using the emery board at a slant, rub along the outer edge of each letter until the edges turn white.  Aged lettering is the perfect accent for layouts of family reunions, genealogy or childhood memories.

# 5 – Weathered look for journaling.

Cut a piece of card stock into a rectangular shape to be used as the background for your journaling section.  Use  a light-grit sandpaper to add texture to the card stock.  Use different motions as you rub the paper, to create an interesting weathered look.  Card stock usually has a white inner, so as you rub sandpaper on it, some of the white will appear.  Glue a piece of paper onto the card stock, leaving a quarter inch border.

# 6 – Reduce shininess.

Sometimes adding stickers to a layout is a distraction.  The layout might have a vintage look, but once you put a couple of shiny stickers on the layout, it just doesn’t look right.  Lightly rub the stickers with a piece of sandpaper to give them a worn look.

# 7 – Distress your photos.

It’s not always necessary to frame your photos for a layout.  Try distressing your photos by sanding the edges.  It will create an interesting border.
Sandpaper is a great tool to keep with your scrapbook supplies and tools.  It will come in handy for a lot of your layouts.  Store sandpaper and emery boards in a ziplock bag to avoid accidentally scratching items that you don’t want to scratch.

So there you have it!  Seven ways of scrapbooking with sandpaper

Needlework projects

For a long time I have done some knitting and crochet but in general only simple things.  It was my Nanna whom taught me to knit the basics.  When I was in high school studying Home Economics, that is when I taught abit more then the basics to knit and crochet.  In high school I knitted a straight forward pattern of a blue vest and a granny square cushion cover in multiple colours.  I don't know what happened to vest but I think my mother still has the cushion cover in the linen cupboard.

At present time I am crocheting granny squares to join up to make a blanket from using old scrap wool.  At start I thought I was going to make a small blanket for the cats to sleep on but turns out there was more squares made to fit a single bed.  Currently I am half way through the project now.  Most of the time I have been crocheting at night while watching my reality shows. 

This morning I came across this pattern I would simply love to try out but the problem is I have trouble understanding the instructions.  It's too coded for me!!  I learn better when someone shows me on how to do it.   

Crocheted Cuddy Kittens  

Note.. Example made using the pink and rose instead of the baby blue and true blue.

      

This Pretty Pattern looks just like rows of kittens.
It's easy and quick to make.

Size 38” by 44' before fringing
Materials: knitting weight worsted yarn:
16 oz White
12 oz Baby Blue
8 oz True Blue
Size H aluminum crochet hook (or size required for gauge)
Gauge
5 Shells = 7"
Gauge Note: Each shell = (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc).
Instructions
With Baby Blue, ch 139 loosely.

Row 1 (right side): Dc in 4th ch from hook. Dc in next ch sk 2 chs, work beg shell over next 2 chs as follows: 2 Dc in next ch, ch 1, 2 Dc in next ch (beg shell made). * Sk 3 chs, work beg shell over next 2 chs (as before); rep from * to last 5 chs; sk 2 chs, Dc in each of last 3 chs = 26 shells.

Row 2: Ch 3, turn; Dc in each of next 2 Dc, * work (2 Dc, ch 1, 2 Dc) in ch-1 sp of next shell (shell made); rep from * to last 2 Dc, dc in each of last 2 dc; dc in top of ch-3, changing to White.  (TO Change colors: Work dc until 2 lps rem on hook, finish off color being used, leave approx 4" end for weaving in now or later.  With new color (leave approx 4" end) YO and draw through 2 lps on hook = color changed.)

Row 3: With white, ch 3, turn; dc in each of next 2 dc, work puff st (abbreviated PS) in sp before first shell in 2nd Row below as follows; Work (YO and insert hook in space before first shell in 2nd Row below (1. Hook yarn and draw up a long loop to height of working Row) 4 times. (9 loops now on hook. 2. YO and draw through first 8 loops on hook then YO and draw through rem 2 loops on hook = PS made. *  Work a shell in ch-1 sp of each shell  (in working Row), Work PS in next SP between Shells in 2nd Row below; rep
from  *  to last shell; work a shell in ch-1 sp of last shell, work PS in sp after last shell in 2nd Row below; dc in each of last 2dc (in working Row), dc in top of ch-3 = 27 PS.

Row 4: Ch 3, turn; dc in each of next 2 dc, * sk PS, work shell in
Ch-1 sp of next shell; rep from * to last PS; sk last PS, dc in each of last 2 dc, dc in top of ch-3 = 26 shells.

Row 5: Rep Row 2, changing to True Blue in last dc.

Rows 6 and 7: With True blue, rep rows 3 and 4.

ROW 8: With True Blue, rep Row 2, changing to white in last dc.

ROM 9 and 10: With white, rep Rows 3 and 4.

Row 11: With White, rep Row2, changing to Baby Blue in last dc.

Rows 12 and 13: With Baby Blue rep Rows 3 and 4.

Row 14: With Baby Blue, rep Row 2, changing to white in last dc.

Rep Rows 3 through 14, 4 times more; then rep rows 3 through 13 once more. (You should now have 2 rows of Baby Blue at top edge)
Finish off and weave in all ends.

FRINGE Both short edges.  Cut 12' strands of Baby Blue. (Or color of your choice)  Use 2 strands for each knot.  Tie one knot in every Other st across edge.

      

Use of Colors

Limit yourself to 3 colors per layout!

Do you think much about your color choices when putting together a scrapbook layout?  How you use color can actually make a big difference in the overall appeal of your layout.  Depending on what type of effect you want to create, you might stick with one color, or use two or three colors.

Here are the best secrets of working with color to make sure your layouts are truly eye-catching!

# 1 – Use different shades of one color.

For some layouts, such as a layout containing photos of a baby boy, using one color can make a strong statement.  If the background is a light blue, then use a dark blue for photo mats and journaling blocks.  Create a title out of different shades and patterns of blue.  By sticking with one color, your photos and embellishments will pop. Here are some color ideas for layouts to consider:

• Off-white – bridal layout
• Pink – baby girl layout
• Green – past generation layout
• Brown – outdoors layout
• Burgundy – Valentine’s layout

# 2 – Use a trace of one color.

If the photos you’re using for a layout contain a lot of colors, then consider using a neutral background, such as beige or pale yellow.  Create photo mats using one color that you really want to help draw attention to in your photos.  For example, if you’re putting together a layout of the bride and bridesmaids, use the same accent color that is being used for the wedding.  Another example, you have an adorable photo of your little girl wearing a shirt that has a bright yellow duck on the front.  To draw attention to the duck’s cute orange beak, use orange as your matting.

If you have a computer photo program that allows you to change the colors of your digital photos, it’s fun to turn your photos into black and white ones, and only coloring one object.  Imagine a black and white photo of your son heading up the stairs with his teddy bear, and the only thing in color is the brown bear.  Use a shade of brown for the photo mat and you’ll have a stunning photo!

# 3 – Be selective with backgrounds.

Walk down most any scrapbooking supply aisle and you’ll discover lots and lots of different themed paper.  Although a lot of these papers are beautiful, it’s not necessary to always have a themed background for your layouts.  Use themed paper when you’re only going to include one or two photos in your layout.
Experiment with different backgrounds to go with the photos that you want to use for a layout.  Lay your photos on one background, if it doesn’t appeal to you, try a different background.  You’re bound to find a background that really ties in well with your photos.

# 4 – Limit your color use to three colors.

It’s easy to become overzealous when scrapbooking.  After all, you have so many colors, patterns and textures to choose from.  However, to use color to enhance your layouts, stick with no more than three colors for backgrounds, photo mats, etc.

Let’s say you’ve chosen a green background that has a pre-printed border consisting of light green, taupe and blue.  Use blue stock paper to create photos with a thin border of taupe.  Add a green bow or sequin to one or two corners.  Use of the three colors for your journaling.

# 5 – Utilize contrasting colors.

Have you ever looked at a scrapbook layout and the entire thing just looked dark?  It’s important to have some kind of contrast if your photos are dark and your background is dark.  An easy fix is to use white or a bright color for photo mats.  The same holds true if your photos are light.  You can still use a light background, but use dark photo mats.

# 6 – Create mood with color.

Different colors evoke different moods.  If you’re creating a layout with romantic photos, then red, burgundy or off-white are often associated with romance.  To give a layout a “warm” feel, use orange, yellow, taupe or peach.  To show energy, use brights such as red, lime green or hot yellow.  For a “cool” effect, consider purple, lavender, blue or dark green.

# 7 – Think complementary.

At Christmas time, we often use complementary colors—red and green.  Yet there are other opposite colors that can be paired together that will help you create a striking layout.  Try using yellow and purple, or orange and blue.  You can either use a neutral background and use the complementary colors for photo mats, the title, and journaling blocks, or use one of the colors for the background and the other one to highlight photos and journaling blocks.

# 8 – Choose your favorite color.

Naturally, you’re drawn to certain colors.  There’s a good chance that you can use a shade of your favorite color for most any layout.  Even if your favorite color is pink, which typically is considered a feminine color, a dark burgundy can be used for a layout of your son riding his skateboard.  Pair up the burgundy with a color from the photos.

Just remember…

The most important thing to remember when selecting colors for your layout is to choose colors that will help your photos pop.  You may need to experiment with a few choices, but you’ll discover the right combination that will turn an ordinary layout into a stunning one.