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Post by boymom5 on May 15, 2022 15:12:05 GMT
I had different plans many years ago when I first started having kids of how I'd pass scrapbooks along. My first two kids had enormous books covering their every moment of life whereas 3-5 had barely anything. I decided to convert those books into our family books and start over with each of my kids books, limiting it to 3-4 pages per year for them...realizing they aren't going to want to take 20 books along with them someday.
With that said, how would you approach this project, highlighting their lives during those years. I'm hoping to have my ODS's book ready for his graduation party later this summer. It seems like an overwhelming project as I have WAY TOO MANY pictures and narrowing them down, recording the sweet memories without going overboard.
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Ryann
Pearl Clutcher
Love is Inclusive
Posts: 2,629 
Location: PNW
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Post by Ryann on May 15, 2022 15:31:38 GMT
I had different plans many years ago when I first started having kids of how I'd pass scrapbooks along. My first two kids had enormous books covering their every moment of life whereas 3-5 had barely anything. I decided to convert those books into our family books and start over with each of my kids books, limiting it to 3-4 pages per year for them...realizing they aren't going to want to take 20 books along with them someday. With that said, how would you approach this project, highlighting their lives during those years. I'm hoping to have my ODS's book ready for his graduation party later this summer. It seems like an overwhelming project as I have WAY TOO MANY pictures and narrowing them down, recording the sweet memories without going overboard. I would probably use a combination of pocket scrapbooking layouts along with traditional layouts. A benefit of pocket scrapbooking is you can easily include interactive elements (like a simple flip) that gives you a little more room for the stories you want to include but might run out of room for on a traditional layout. I would also try to pre-plan the project, before making a single cut. At the very least I would decide which photos/stories are going into each page protector and literally put them together in the album so you can visualize the flow. That way when you’re ready to create, you can just create - the decisions of what to subject/photos to include on each spread has already been made. Good luck! |
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Post by grammadee on May 15, 2022 15:39:59 GMT
Start with the one you need right now. You can promise each of the others a grad scrapbook and work toward that goal. They will each feel special and eagerly await their own book.
My first scrapbooks were made for my four kids after they were adults. I made a list of topics that would go into all of them--family tree, family vacations, growth milestones, school (0ne LO for elementary, one for junior/high school, one for grad), etc. Then each had their own interests, so I planned extra hockey pages for one, music for another, and so on.
In some ways it was less stressful than an event themed book, because I could choose a pic or two that represented that interest or that general family tradition, and not worry about getting every one of them on the page. I would have been completely overwhelmed trying to get it all into the books, but if I closed my eyes and thought about my memories of the kids growing up, it seemed obvious what to highlight in their books.
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Post by sleepingbooty on May 15, 2022 16:33:59 GMT
Congratulations on tackling this project! I understand the deadline for your kiddo's graduation party is stressful. Breathe, it's going to be ok.  I'd definitely look at highlights first and foremost for each year/period of their life. Milestones, birthday parties, special events, etc. That should give you a good indication for the start. Then I'd weave in "smaller" events that underline something that was special to them albeit more ordinary to many. If you have photos that include places and people they loved like the grandparents' house/garden, friends they were close with for a significant part of their life, pets, playing special games/with their favourite toys, shared moments with their siblings, etc. I like those photos the best now that I'm an adult, more than the portraits and shots focused solely on me. They bring my childhood back to life at its fullest. I'd also consider recap list/pages/letters that evoke the kind of baby and child they were. Photos are one thing, words and recollections of a parent are another. It's always touching to hear a family member say what kind of person you were at a young age... Kudos to you for doing this! Don't feel guilty over the first kids having the most documented lives. That's totally normal. I think your younger ones will absolutely love their albums even if they're less thick. You don't need every memory and photo handed to you, you just need a guideline to your life. And one that comes made with love is always extra special no matter the the final result! |
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Post by Texas Scrap on May 15, 2022 17:00:13 GMT
You have gotten good advice already. For me, I do best with a loose formula to follow for each year and then flex where I might be missing a photo. I also agree that pocket pages will make this much more manageable. I would brainstorm what key things I’d want in each of the before school years and then adjust for school age years. I also find HS may look a bit different from elementary. I’ve also used Ali Edwards old digitals with school years on them, “first grade”, “senior year”, etc., but really any digitals would work to create continuity across years. I actually need to do something similar for my 2! Please share what you come up with  |
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scrappinwithoutpeas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,011
Location: Northern Virginia
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on May 15, 2022 23:25:01 GMT
A friend of mine does strict chronological scrapping but has 5 kids for whom she'd like to be able to have separate books someday. For now she keeps to her chronological scrapping and puts everything in one large family album per year. However, when she's scrapping an event that primarily involves 1 particular child (graduation, birthday, etc.), she makes sure to do a front and back LO set (i.e., one page front & back) as part of the section for that event. That way that one page can be removed from the album and given to that child for their own book later on if they choose. It may leave some "holes" down the road, but she generally does more than just the front & back set for whatever event so at least it's covered in the family album even if the additional pics of that child are moved later on. Does that make sense?
I don't scrapbook that way at all, but I've cropped with her often enough to know that it works for her so I just wanted to throw the idea out there in case it appeals to you. It could easily adapt to pocket-style pages too.
ETA: I realize this probably won't help to get the one you need ASAP completed before graduation, but it could be an idea to use for the others...
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Post by scrappyem on May 16, 2022 1:20:20 GMT
Such a great project! I think I might start by picking my favorite photos from each year and see if that helps narrow it down any, thinking about the number of pages you want to end up with at the end of the project. You could also think about the "top stories" you want to tell from each year or some combo of favorite stories and favorite photos. Love the list and/or top ten idea for things they enjoyed as kiddo. If they had favorite shows or toys and you are missing pictures, look online. I'm amazed how much I've found from my own childhood online that I'd completely forgotten about. As others have said, having a mix of pocket and full size layouts would help get in more photos and smaller stories. I think I'd also try and work from a kit/collection or a couple of kits/collections that coordinate so it would cut down on the time to create each layout. I'm a pretty slow scrapper so I'd have to set some limits it wouldn't get done on time.
If you end up with way too many photos, you could always do either a photo book for those "extra" photos, either a digital photo book or more of an old school photo album with pictures slipped into the pages you want him to have. That could be done later, post graduation. Good luck and keep us posted!
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allou
Shy Member
Posts: 34
Aug 3, 2019 6:16:02 GMT
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Post by allou on May 16, 2022 2:10:14 GMT
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Post by boymom5 on May 16, 2022 14:34:12 GMT
Thanks for the ideas! They are all helping me out this together in my head. Thankfully I do have until the end of the summer as he will be gone this summer for camp. But he’s my scrapbook loving kid and will love the surprise when he gets back. This is just 8th grade graduation, so that makes it somewhat tricky as I want to have a plan as he goes into hs. And then I have another just following with 8th grade again this year. I may just work in both this summer so I’m ahead of the game. The next three are more spread out so I have some time!
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,715
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on May 16, 2022 15:04:07 GMT
Thanks for the ideas! They are all helping me out this together in my head. Thankfully I do have until the end of the summer as he will be gone this summer for camp. But he’s my scrapbook loving kid and will love the surprise when he gets back. This is just 8th grade graduation, so that makes it somewhat tricky as I want to have a plan as he goes into hs. And then I have another just following with 8th grade again this year. I may just work in both this summer so I’m ahead of the game. The next three are more spread out so I have some time! Our kids are the same age. My DS is 8th and my DD is 7th this year. I've only finished 1.5 yrs of preschool for D's. Barely started dd's school album. And am on 2016 for our family album although I skipped several years, cuz toddlers. No idea what my end goal is going to be! |
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Post by refugeepea on May 16, 2022 23:27:41 GMT
I realized after the first two kids, it was too much to do individual and school albums. I'm a slow scrapper. Once they turned five and were past a lot of "firsts" everything else goes in the family album. When I die they can tear albums apart or throw them away.
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Post by Linda on May 17, 2022 14:59:29 GMT
I realized after the first two kids, it was too much to do individual and school albums. I'm a slow scrapper. Once they turned five and were past a lot of "firsts" everything else goes in the family album. When I die they can tear albums apart or throw them away. Similar - I did first year albums but after that just family albums. I did do smaller 8x8 albums for sports and scouts and high school (mainly focused on senior year) |
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A7
Full Member
Posts: 344
Aug 12, 2021 8:12:32 GMT
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Post by A7 on May 17, 2022 18:45:42 GMT
For what it is worth, I would totally take the 20 albums. 😊
ETA : that said, I would also try and do my kids' "firsts" and then family albums only.
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