How to Make a Scrapbook Page

Sort Your Photos

To start your page, select several photos of one theme. In this sample, there are four photos from a fall trip to an apple orchard. These photos are used to create a single, 12-inch by 12-inch scrapbook page. If you're considering creating a two-page spread, choose several more pictures to fill both pages. 

Choose a Focal Point Photo

1. Select one photo to be the main picture on your layout. The easiest way to create a balanced, pleasing scrapbook page layout is to have a single focal point. Here, the strongest of the four images is the focal point of the page.
2. Next, crop or reprint the other photos in a smaller size so that the focal point photo is the largest one on the page.

Choose Paper and Embellishments

Select colors of solid and patterned papers that accentuate the photos. The selection for this page includes hunter green, navy, red, and white card stock, with a pair of blue-green patterned papers as accents.

Create a Background

To begin putting together the scrapbook page, you need a canvas. You can use a solid sheet of 12-inch by 12 inch scrapbook paper as your background on which you put your images. Or, you can create a 12-inch by 12-inch background with patterned paper and card stock.

1. Here, the background is made beginning with a 12-inch wide by 4-inch tall strip of solid green card stock.
2. The green card stock is topped off with a 2-inch tall strip of patterned paper.
3. Two more strips are added to the bottom of the green strip until the paper is 12 inches wide by 12 inches tall to fit onto the scrapbook page.

Double-Mat the Focal Point Photo

A double mat gives extra emphasis to the focal point on the page.

1. First, the photo is placed on a mat of white card stock.
2. Next, a slightly larger frame of red card stock is added underneath the white card stock.
3. Once the focal point photo is matted, it's placed on the large field of green card stock in the middle of the page.

Group Mat the Supporting Photos

A great time-saving technique in scrapbooking is to mat several photos all on one piece of card stock. Here, all three of the supporting photos are placed on a mat of a single strip of white card stock.

Add Photos

Experiment with your layout without adhesive. Dry-fitting the parts of your layout before adhering them to the layout is a great way to test the placement of the pieces to make sure you like how they will look on the page.

Add Journaling

The photos on your page will lose their meaning over the years without supporting copy.

1. Here the journaling is printed on a sheet of white card stock.
2. The card stock is then trimmed to fit on a strip of navy card stock.
3. The text is then placed next to the focal point photo.

Add Simple Embellishments

This particular scrapbook layout does not need many embellishments. A simple nature-themed sticker added to the top of the page is all that is needed to complete the scrapbook page.

Add the Scrapbook Page to Your Album

The completed scrapbook page is a simple and quick way to create a layout that uses four photos. It tells the story of the pictures in a clean and classic way that you will always be proud to display in your albums.