A photo album just for baby is the perfect way to organize and show off all of those snapshots and mementoes from baby’s first year. But don’t just stuff those pictures into any old album---if you take a little time and creativity, you can make a beautiful baby book that your family will treasure for years to come.
Materials
First, you will need a photo album, blank book, or scrapbook, as well as scissors, craft/paper glue or glue sticks, markers, pens, construction paper, and, of course, pictures of baby. In addition, browse the scrapbooking section of your local craft/hobby store for collage papers, pre-cut shapes, stickers, specialty scissors (like wavy or pinked), hole punchers, novelty miniatures, lace, trim, and ribbons.
Portrait
To show off baby’s first studio portrait, create a picture frame on the page. Select one background paper, two different coordinating papers, and one style of lace or ribbon. Overlap the coordinating papers and the lace to create a layered frame around the portrait. Use the leftover paper from the frame to cut out baby blocks---enough blocks to spell out baby’s name. Arrange these beneath the portrait, and write baby’s name in the blocks.
Welcome Home
If you have a perfect picture of baby’s arrival home, create a special page to remember this moment. Cut out a large house from construction or collage papers. Add details to make the house resemble your own home (like a lawn, fence, plants, or windows). Cut a slit in the center of the house and fold out to form two flaps. Attach the picture behind this “doorway” so that the house opens to show the picture of baby with family. Use stencils to cut out letters “Welcome Home!” or use pre-cut letters and arrange at the top of the page.
Baby’s First Holidays
Not only are holidays great photo opportunities with baby, they also provide ready-made themes! Craft stores carry a wide variety of holiday stickers, cut outs, collage papers, and small items made especially for scrapbooking. For the winter holidays, wrapping paper makes a great background, and holiday ribbons and bows are beautiful flourishes.
Seasonal
What’s cuter for a Spring layout than a field of flowers with a picture of baby in the center of each flower? Begin with a background of blue sky (or perhaps a collage paper with a cloud pattern). Next, cut a wide strip of green paper for the grass. Fringe the top of the strip, and curl each fringe piece. Then, cut out three or four large flowers and stems and leaves for each flower. Arrange the flowers on the page---you’ll get the most use out of the page if you plan for some flowers to be taller than others. Attach the flowers, stems, leaves, and grass. Finally, trim pictures of baby to fit in the centers of the flowers and glue in place.
You can reuse this basic idea for each of the seasons---maybe a pumpkin patch for Fall, a sky of snowflakes for Winter, or a multi-scoop ice cream cone for Summer.
Vacation
To record baby’s first family vacation, arrange pictures of baby with mementoes of the trip. If you went to the beach, include sea shells, sand, or miniature beach toys. If it was a long road trip, cut out a road and car from construction paper and layer with pictures from the trip. For a first plane trip, use cloud paper and airplane stickers. Include postcards from places visited and pictures of scenic sites.
Bed, Bath, and Meals
Bedtime, bathtime, and mealtime provide plenty of opportunities for adorable baby pictures. You probably have plenty of snapshots of baby sleeping peacefully, covered in bubbles in the tub, and smeared with mashed potatoes. Group these photos by theme, and devote a page to each. For bath pictures, take the cutest shot of baby in the tub, then place that picture behind a large construction paper bathtub. Include “bubbles” and a cut-out of a rubber ducky. For bedtime, decorate the page with a moon and stars, and for the mealtime page, use construction paper to recreate baby’s favorite foods.
Baby’s First Words
Many packages of collage papers include sheets of printed type, old-fashioned writing, or typewriter keys. Use one of these sheets as a background, then glue a smaller sheet of plain paper over that one. On the plain paper, neatly write the heading “Baby’s First Words,” and then take note of the words as baby begins to talk.
And these layout ideas are just the beginning! Be inspired by these ideas, use your imagination, and create a lasting keepsake that you will be proud to show off to friends and family.
