No scrapbook is complete without journaling. Journaling is writing about the 5 W's...the who, what, when, where and why of the photographs.
We take great care in placing our photos in our scrapbooks to preserve the images. But what about the facts and events surrounding the photos? No scrapbook is complete without journaling. Journaling is writing about the 5 W's...the who, what, when, where and why of the photographs.
In the years to come, certain facts and events may fade from your memories. The cute things your kids said, the jokes that your Uncle Joe always told may one day be forgotten. Great scrapbooks are more than just photographs, they should also include plenty of journaling to record facts, events and special things about each family member.
Writing a quick story to add to Little Johnny's birthday pictures is much more interesting that just writing "Johnny's Birthday - September 1990." Think of the 5 W's listed above when journaling about your photos.
Who: Little Johnny and guests
What: Little Johnny's Birthday Party
When: September 8, 1990
Where: Lakes Park
Why: The same as the "what" in this instance.
Try writing this, "Little Johnny and his friends Jeremy and Ricky enjoyed eating cake and ice cream at Johnny's 6th Birthday Party! We all gathered at Lakes Park for a day of birthday fun." Doesn't that make the photos much more interesting than just saying, "Little Johnny's Birthday-September 1990?"
There are several ways to add to the journaling to make it more interesting and creative. Try using some of the writing templates on the market to neatly add words to your page. Templates come in a variety of shapes such as hearts, squares and circles. Simply place the template over the page and write in the spaces that are provided. When you remove the template, your words will look neat and add interest to your page. You can also try writing some simple facts around the edges of the photo's mat, essentially creating a frame with the journaling.
Another popular way to adorn your layouts with words, include adding quotes, poems or song lyrics to the page. If Grandpa has a saying he uses frequently and it fits the mood of the layout, add it to the page with Grandpa's photos. You will look back on it and years to come with fondness. Does a family member sing a certain song all the time? Include some of the lyrics on a page of their photos. Nursery rhymes are also good choices for children's layouts, as are rhymes from Dr. Suess.
There are many, many different ways to enhance your scrapbooks with journaling. At the very least you should include names and dates for every photo. Keep in mind that the more journaling you include, the more valuable the scrapbook will become to your family in the future years.
