Use Memorabilia in Your Scrapbook

Memorabilia adds a whole new element to your scrapbook pages, rendering memories tangible and even more vivid. We’ve seen all kinds of keepsakes preserved on scrapbook pages, from ticket stubs to stitches. Use these products and ideas to incorporate pieces of the past—literally—into your pages.

Pocket Page
A pocket page is just what it sounds like—a layout that incorporates a pocket for storing and showing memorabilia. Some secrets for perfect pockets:

• For a see-through pocket, use vellum, a small page protector or a Mylar photo sleeve.

• Stitching will securely attach a pocket so it can hold heavy items. How about giving Dad’s old jeans pocket new life on a scrapbook page?

• An envelope makes a clever pocket for letters. For an envelope pocket, we opened an old envelope flat to use as a template. If you want to access the letters easily, cut a slit in the page protector at the top edge of the pocket. Insert the page into the protector, then slip the letters through the slit into the envelope.

• If you have several large items, consider placing them in their own page protector for a full-size pocket.

• Make a pocket do double duty by using it as a journaling plaque or photo mat.

Do A Double-take
Snag two brochures, booklets or programs at museums, plays and celebrations, so you can cut up one to display on your layout and keep the other intact in a pocket page.

Safety Measures
Can a photo-safe scrapbook include memorabilia? We think so. Here’s what to do with memorabilia that’s too big, not quite flat or may be acidic:

• If it’s too big, fragile or you’re worried about acidity, color copy or scan it and print on acid-free paper. This will work for all kinds of objects—plates, jewelry, books, clothing. Or take a close-up photo of large treasures to use on your page. These approaches are also good for items that might dent photos on the facing page.

• Use your acid-testing pen on paper items and spray them with deacidification spray if necessary. Avoid letting the item come into contact with photos. Most fabrics are safe, so go ahead and scrapbook those baby dresses or wedding dress swatches.

• Natural materials such as pressed flowers aren’t acid-free and can crumble on your pages. Your best bet is to enclose them in a memorabilia pocket. The same goes for items with glitter or metallic fibers, which can scratch photos.

Object Lessons
Just about any piece of ephemera can jazz up your album. Here are four ideas to build a memorabilia page:

• Collect newspaper and magazine articles for a page that commemorates a milestone occasion, such as a birth, birthday or graduation.

• Press flowers and foliage from your garden and create a layout that will remind you of a family member’s green thumb. For example, recall Aunt Beatrice’s prized rose bushes by enclosing petals from your own plants.

• Gather receipts, ticket stubs, vacation brochures and such from throughout the year for a time capsule layout.

• Did you inherit Great-grandma’s collection of stamps, antique hankies, buttons? Use them in a layout to show your ancestor’s personality.