This article discusses how to keep memories of your infant's first year fresh by making a baby memory book.
Your local craft store should have a large variety of scrapbooks available for you to choose from for the memory book. The best scrapbook for a baby memory book is the 12- inch by 12-inch size. This larger format gives you more room for action shots as well as memorabilia from your baby's first year. However, you can also use the smaller 8 ½-inch by 11-inch size scrapbooks.
Once you've decided on a scrapbook size, you will need to decide whether you want magnetic pages or pages that you will have to adhere to items with glue or another adhesive. Make sure any page type you decide to use is non-acidic. This helps keep your memories of that first year safe for years to come.
Next, take a walk through the scrapbook embellishment aisles. Pick some background papers in coordinating colors, and buy embellishments that will accent these papers nicely. Pick up all of the supplies that you will need at the same time. This will help ensure a unified look for the completed memory book. You may want to purchase embellishments like stickers, tags, and stick-on letters.
Finally, don't leave the store without deciding on an adhesive. A cold adhesive and laminating machine can really help you get a scrapbook together, but a glue stick will work just fine. You may want to purchase some dimensional adhesive dots so that you can add some height to a few of your memory book pages.
Once you have purchased all of your supplies, you are ready to begin your baby memory book. Collect any memorabilia and photos that you have accumulated so far, including items from your baby shower. The first page of your baby's memory album should be a title page, just like the first page in any book. Let people know the book is about your baby's first year. If you used birth announcements, this would be the perfect place to add one to the book. Add some art to the page by including a photo of your baby or using the cover of a pretty congratulations card someone gave you when your baby was born.
Next, let your baby know how excited everyone was to have him by devoting the next two pages to the baby shower. Pictures, comments from friends and family, and confetti made from bits of wrapping paper from the shower can really dress up the page, but don't forget to leave a personal note from the new mom about this event. If your baby memory book has a lot of pages, use the next two pages to create a miniature family tree for your baby. You may add fun anecdotes to these pages as well.
Now you can finally get to the fun part of the book. Use a non-toxic inkpad to stamp your baby's feet on a piece of paper. Cut the prints out with deckle scissors to make a pretty edging. Next, cut a lock of your baby's hair so that you will remember how that first hair looked and felt (new baby hair is different from the hair they have just a few months later). Type up or write a headline for the page about how special your new baby is, and then create two separate tags that say something similar to "˜from head' and "˜to toe' on them. These tags should be attached to the footprints and lock of your baby's hair. Add your baby's very first picture, the hospital identification bracelet, and a welcome baby card with pretty art to the page spread. Again, don't forget to journal the story of that special first day for your baby. If you don't like your handwriting, you can re-type the story on your computer and print it onto vellum or other fancy paper, but writing those memories really adds a special touch to the baby memory book.
Now that your book is started, don't forget to add photos and memorabilia as your baby coos, laughs, or sits up for the first time. You and your baby will enjoy looking back at this record of the first year as the two of you get older.
