Your Family and Scrapbooking: Memories to Last for Generations

Here is a simple outline to follow when creating your family album:

• Use the first page as an introduction to the family. Write a poem, a bit of history about the family, or create a family tree.
• Use a two-page spread for each family member, or group, one to include photos and the other to include journaling. One of the most valuable additions to your scrapbooks is journaling. To put it simply, journaling is the "who, what, why, when and where" of your photos. List as much information about each family member as possible. If you don't have many personal facts about your relative, simply include their name, birth date, birthplace, and their spouse and children's names.

Here are some suggestions of categories to include in these profiles:

• Hobbies and interests
• Favorite songs/movies/actors
• Nicknames
• Schools attended
• Professions and careers
• Clubs, charities and organizations
• Places where they have lived or traveled

What other items should you include in your album? Think of things that you would like to see from your ancestors.
Here are a few ideas:

• Letters exchanged by family members
• Postcards
• Greeting cards
• Travel tickets
• Movie/concert/event tickets
• Newspaper clippings of marriages, births, deaths
• Wedding or graduation announcements
• Report cards
• Letters of achievement
• Anything that records a piece of history

Use the last page of your album to write a summary about your family. Or, if you didn't create a family tree on the front page, make one for the last page. Alternatively, you may want to include a 'Time Capsule' page reflecting what life was like in the year the family album was created, including newspaper or magazine clippings.

A family album will be a treasured item in your family for many years to come. A well-created album will ensure that your family's history will never be forgotten.