Why do you scrapbook?

I like to scrapbook to show off my photos. However, sometimes I see pages that are so decorated that I have a hard time finding the photo. Other pages seem more like record-keeping than artistic. So I wonder how the rest of you look at your scrapbooking. I don't do a lot of decorating because I like the photos to be the main subject. But I don't do a lot of journaling, so I can't say that I do it for record-keeping either.

I like to record and document our trips - we travel a good bit and when my husband and I are too old to travel I want to be able have every memory captured in photos and the events journaled so I can remember what we had for special meals or what question we answered at trivia to win the game.

I also want to learn and remember the history of things we have seen so my scrapbooking is a collaboration of pictures, journaling what we did and thought and felt, the funny stories I want to remember 10 or 20 years from now and the history of what we experienced plus the memorabilia and ticket stubs and things from the places we enjoyed.

My scrapbooking is the romantic journey through life for my husband and me - it is our life together as we travel and share our life with our friends and family. I want to remember everything when we get old and go back and relive these days together.

I made a scrapbook when my husband and I were 19 and 20 (1969-1970) and it was lost then resurfaced in 2011 in his mother's things when she died.

It was totally meaningless. A lot of pictures of us - I don't know where we were, what we were doing, who the other people were. Oh how I wish I had taken the time to write out the stories behind them! Those stories are lost forever.

Recently my husband picked up a scrapbook from 4 or 5 years ago and went thought it making comments like, "I remember when we saw this but I forgot about this or that happening that day." and even a few, "I loved this place and completely forgot all about how you left your purse there and we had to drive back 50 miles to get it!"

There are some scrapbook artists here and their scrapbook pages are gorgeous. Sometimes I wish my pages were as beautiful as theirs but then I have to tell myself that we scrap for different reasons.

Mine is to tell the story and if it is a bit creative or artistic I'm happy, but that isn't what is more important to me.

My oldest son really wants my scrapbooks. I want my pictures and journaling to help my granddaughter and any future grandchildren or great children get to know us and about our lives together long after we are gone.

Mine is more the creative outlet. I don't have a lot ot journal about it's my grandkids mostly and occasional vacation.

So I try to go with a more artistic approach but not like some that totally cover everything till the picture is lost.

The short answer is a creative outlet.

But sometimes it's all about the photo. My husband is a pretty good photographer and he also got me a nice Nikon. So we sometimes have a fun vacation or dog photo or something fun to scrap.

I also am heavy into Family Genealogy research which is a lot of fun. As I am nearing retirement I am doing more and more of that. I've discovered vintage family photos and I love scraping those, sometimes doing the twice. Once as a strictly artistic one and once in a 8.5x12 version for my Ancestry books.

I also have made two 8x8 books for gifts. One for my brother which I add pages to, and one for my mother. My mom's was because she had dementia and I wanted to give her something pretty while she was in the nursing home so she would remember the people she loved.

So those are the LONG answers! LOL

There are so many reasons to scrap.

My first album I did was about my rose gardening. I am also working on a motorcycle book because we have a Harley. I also have started a book of our dogs.

Yes, I jump around a lot!

Creative outlet, therapy, challenges, with the photos as primary. Mostly. Occasionally I do an indulgent page full of flowers and butterflies, just for the fun and prettiness of it.

For me it's a creative outlet. I am a writer and like to tell a story and that spills over into my scrapbooking as well. My layouts are usually clean and simple but I love looking at the artistic ones as well.

For me, it about the pictures and the stories. I'm doing three heritage albums. At the moment since I got most of my grandmother's old family album and tons of pictures. I decided to keep most of these photos safe. And to remember the families of our past. I would do a heritage album. So future family members can see the photos and stories.
I'm mainly a simply scrapbooker, I like you want my photos to be the center of attentions. Not all the embellishment.

For fun, relaxation and creativity. I select random photos and make 'art' (and I use the word loosely!!) with them which I sometimes frame and put on the wall.

Years ago though, when I started I did do it chronologically but I lost the will to live doing it that way so I just let go of keeping up and recording everything and went with the flow instead

Totally for creative outlet and for relaxation and mental therapy.

I started off with different reasons (preservation and history keeping), but as technology has improved the past several years (and I haven't been able to "catch up", much less "keep up" with all our pics), I've decided the important thing about the pics and the future is to keep the digi files up to date so that each child can receive them and do with them what they will. I will play with whatever pics I want... when and how I want, since I no longer risk scrapping "the only copy!"

I don't feel that I have to have a "reason" for my hobby. No one asks a golfer WHY they golf and how their golfing is going to help future generations. Now that I think about it, though, I might want to set my scraproom up in a more scenic area...like a golf course!

The main reason I crop is to leave behind a legacy of stories about our family instead of boxes and boxes of photos that no one will understand. I lost many family members at a very early age, and I want to stay current with all my stuff. My little grandson is 5 and his books are current within one month. I am so happy about this! I am not bragging, just sharing my truth. All my books are within 90 days of being current. I am obsessed about it. The 2nd reason I crop is the creative outlet. It is therapy indeed. I am obsessed with all the beautiful paper and products. When I am scrapbooking, I am "in the moment" and very happy. I agree with Maria: I think the photo should be the star, but everyone has their own thing. And journaling is VERY important to me. That's where the story comes in. I would be lost without this hobby! Thanks for listening.

Therapy and creative outlet. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and scrapbooking helps me "get away" while I can relive the most wonderful moments of my life. It helps me to feel better about myself, especially when I make a gift for someone and can see how much they love it when I give it to them. I feel like after I've made something and show it to my husband, it makes him feel proud of me and what I've accomplished. I also love the shopping that goes along with it too!

Well, I do see one theme flowing through all your answers. It seems like we all feel that scrapbooking is therapeutic. I like reading all your answers.

Jenni, I actually WOULD ask a golfer why they golf. I love knowing why people do what they do. But I'm usually too shy to ask...lol

For me, it is first about the photo and the memories (journaling) I want to keep. I have pics of my kids and don't have dates or locations on them. I am trying to stay current with what I do scrap now and go back to old pics when I have time. I have only been scrapping for a few years but already family members have gone back and looked at them and said "oh, I had forgotten all about that." My pages are pretty simple although I do love 'trying to be creative.'

For me, it's both!
I am recording the stories of my son's life....I do pages of things he does, his personality, funny stories, things he says, his friends, his sports and hobbies etc....

I also do it to be creative. I love crafting and I really love paper crafting! I love the techniques, the designing, both paper and on the computer.....

for me it's my artistic outlet. it brings me joy to see something I've created come to life. keeps me out of trouble as well.

It is an excape for me & gets my mind off problems, issues & relaxes me as well. Several family members have attempted to scrapbook & it stresses them out & makes them feel overwhelmed. It does just the opposite for me & helps fill the hours that used to be spent on kids homework, baths etc. I miss my kids less when I create pages about them. I'd recommend it for any empty-nesters!

I want to remember all of life's little things. The cute things my kids said, the fun moments we had, the awful dining experience,trips, my sweet kitties that have passed on and their quirky habits. The small stuff...thats what I want to remember. I want my future generations to know ME, know about us rather than just flip thru photos in a album or shoebox. I love it for the creative release too of course

I didn't start scrapbooking until my child graduated from high school. Scrapbooking helped me work through my empty nest syndrome! It is my creative outlet and let's not forget the fun of buying all the supplies! I tend to make chronological scrapbooks but every now and then I just bust out and do a random page of a favorite picture or memory. It's fun to go rouge every now and then! I have found that my scrapbooking is more "embellished" now than when I first started. One of the things I like most about scrapbooking as a hobby is that there is no right or wrong way to scrapbook. It's very freeing. Please yourself and don't worry about what others might think!

I really enjoyed your post. I hope you keep sharing woth us!

Like a lot of people here, I use scrapbooking as therapy. It's also a way for me to design and be artistic, talents which otherwise would be completely unused. I was in design in college, but took an entirely different career path (database analysis and maintenance). So, this is my only outlet to make pretty/interesting/expres sive things.

Lastly, I have an intense desire to document our lives. I think I get that from my grandma, who wrote a little book about her life, and was a compulsive ephemera "saver", bless her wonderful soul. If she lived nowadays, she would be a scrapbooker for sure. I like to think I'm carrying on in her memory.

That's so touching. Actually gave me a little tear in my eye. I must be approaching a certain time of month - the smallest things are tugging at my heart strings!

Aww, thanks MrsR. My upcoming projects include a bofo massive set of albums based on my grandma's life, using her book, pics and all the flotsam she saved throughout her life. Like I said, massive. No one ever accused me of being unambitious.

I think I "scrapbook" for scrap shopping anymore... I do way more scrap shopping than scrapbooking! I have a really hard time finding things to scrapbook... there just isn't anything interesting in my life.

When I actually do scrapbook, I simply like making things that look good, and are more interesting to look at than a photo album. I'm not a storyteller, so I almost never journal and it feels very awkward to me when I do.

I scrap bc I want to remember every moment of my sons life... The things he said, did, wore...all of it. My grandma was the family photographer, and all the photos of our childhood were in her albums. When she died, my aunt took all the books, stole them really, and in effect stole all those memories. I have few photos of my years growing up, and want my son to see all of his childhood.

The other reasons I scrap are all for me...it's a creative outlet, it's relaxing, and I love to feel the paper...manipulating the textures and cutting, tearing, gluing, all fun!! Also, I love to shop!!

I started scrapbooking because when I lost my mother, I lost my childhood. She was the one that remembered all the nitty gritty since she stayed at home and basically raised all of her four children. I try to ask my father questions and he cannot really tell me because frankly, he was not emotionally there. I did not want this to ever happen to my daughter.

As time has gone on, I have noticed that it has changed for me. My daughter no longer really wants to have her photo taken. (she is a TWEEN-8th grade-Enough said there!) Scrapbooking has taken a bit of a turn.

I still like to scrap but it has become more of a creative outlet rather then a memory keeper. However, I look back at my earliest pages and am so happy that I did all the journaling that I did. I would never remember the events if I hadn't. So much goes on that it is not just little things you forget. I miss that. So now I am making an effort to keeping a record of events again. Even if Char won't let me take her photo, I will scrap a photo in the age range and include the story. I know she will appreciate it when she gets older, even if she doesn't now!!

My sons, now 21 and 26, are very happy that I scrapbooked their childhoods. They love to look back and laugh at their little boy antics and expressions.

I just made a book for my beautiful future DIL, of her from birth through high school; she has no one else to do for her. Her father passed away from cancer when she was 14, and her mother has been absent from her life since before that. It means the world to me that she trusted me with her precious pictures - all she has left, other than memories, of her father. I snuck out most of the pics of her father, and am going to scan them and make copies for a book about him. On her wedding day I'll give her that little book as a special gift, so her father can be there with her. If I didn't scrapbook, I wouldn't be able to do that; it's so important for her to remember she is still safe in her father's care and that he's there for her in spirit.

What other gift can someone give that can be more important?

Oh, Heidi, that is a beautiful gift for her...so sweet!!! I have a bestie, Stephanie, whose mom died when she was 16. She showed me an old photo of her once, and she looks so much like her mom. Whenever I snap a pic of Stephanie and her son, I see her mom, completely...so much so that I tear up...The journaling for these LOs always references how beautifully, achingly alike she and her mom are.

Exactly, Juansmom, it's wonderful that you can give tribute to your friend's mom that way.

i scrapbook for the memories and are vacation that way I can look back and see them. I don't really put to much on my layouts I write on them. I just like going back and remember the trip with the pictures in the layouts. I mostly do are trips and are dogs.

I started out just wanting to preserve and showcase my fathers childhood photos after he passed away about 10 years ago. My creative side just took over from there and I became interested in trying every technique I could. The photos are definitely the most important part of scrapbooking but the whole reason for scrapbooking and what keeps me coming back for more, is for the creative outlet.

To record memories. Playing with paper and other stuff is just a bonus.

RELAXATION.........and recording memories. I've been an avid crafter since age 20 (crochet, knit, cross stitch) added scrapbooking about 13 years ago and now is my favorite! I love how photos can be presented with such a creative flair and not just in an album. For me so relaxing I use it every night for at least a page or 2 to wind down before bed.

• *jesse* Said:

Sometimes I feel that way too. That's when I step away from it for a while and concentrate on other crafts. It refreshes me.

For me, it is all about the photos and the memories. I love the artistic LOs but frankly, I don't have time now with work, family, house, laundry, etc. Now when I retire, maybe I will try a more detailed LOS.

My family lost all memories when my GM died and I didn't want that to happen again in this generation. So that is my reason.

Good question!!!

I find it relaxing and takes my mind away from problems when I need a break. Scrapbooking kind of takes me away from reality because while I'm going through the papers and supplies, I don't think about anything else but scrapbooking. Plus, all the items are too pretty for me not to buy them and it'll be a waste not to use them after not buying them hehe.

I like to think that I am creating a legacy for my grandchildren. When I'm gone, they will have their gazillion albums and be able to look at them and see what Mimi was thinking that day.

For me....it's just a way to have more interesting photo albums.

I don't have kids so it's all for me. I am a trained photographer but I don't do it for a living but I like taking photos of my trips.

I like the social aspect cause I crop with friends a lot. I love playing with the pretty papers and tools.....just fun.

I do not create art. I am a simple scrapbooker but I do love it.

The first few years I scrapped I did more journaling and story telling with photos and my style was a little more simple. Now I love to decorate...I've recently gathered lots of supplies to try my hand at mixed media but so far have been too nervous to really get into it. Sometimes I'll still tell a story but mostly I'm in it for the creativity and the art.

It makes me feel creative. I actually enjoy the journaling aspect the most. Most of my layouts have journaling. Before I had kids I loved to scrap my travels.Now, I love scrapping our family photos and vacations.
I was a little depressed and I started back scrapping, and I feel so much better. It's my me time.

When I first saw scrapbooking I HATED IT! My thoughts were more along the lines of why would you waste time and money doing that (think primary colors, photos cut into geometric shapes, craft scissors).

Then as scrapbooking evolved overtime I started to have some interest in it. My aunt started scrapbooking first and she was very "better homes and gardens" style and in my personal opinion overly sentimental. I started scrapbooking so that I could infuse my style and design aesthetic to pages and family memories.

I can't say I always hit the mark and I will fall into the cliches that I try to avoid, but I wanted to preserve memories with my personal touch.