Retirement Scrapbook Layouts & Tips

A retirement scrapbook is a very special way to show someone you care that their life has been exemplary and is an inspiration to others.

Retirement is a big deal for most people, as it is something they have worked hard for their entire life. If you enjoy scrapbooking, then consider creating a retirement scrapbook for a variety of uses:

• Departure gift for a coworker or employee.
• Gift for a friend who has led an exemplary life in your community.
• Gift of appreciation for a long term volunteer retiring from volunteer service.
• Memory book for a parent or other family member set to retire.
• Your own retirement, to preserve the memories and friendships formed during your working years.

You can even use a retirement scrapbook as a unique gift for a stay-at-home parent who made caring for their children their full-time job. Once the last child goes off on their own, they are essentially retiring just like everyone else!

Whether you use a smaller sized album or go with a full 12 x 12 album depends largely on the number of pictures you have and how many pages you think you will need to create.

Organizing Your Retirement Scrapbook

Creating a retirement scrapbook is a bit different than many other types of scrapbooking projects because you are usually working against a deadline. It is much easier to complete the scrapbook before a retirement party or some other date if you have some intended structure to organize the project.

For instance, if you are creating a retirement scrapbook for a coworker or one of your employees, consider asking other employees and possibly close family members to either design a layout around particular photos or fill out special journaling blocks which you will spread around the scrapbook. You can then arrange the order of the layouts and even determine how many layouts to incorporate by pulling themes and other ideas from the contributions of other workers.

If you are creating a retirement scrapbook at home for a family member or special friend, you can always ask other friends and family members to contribute in the same manner. You can also come up with other organizational ideas, such as having sections for each aspect or phase of career this person journeyed through.

Creative Layouts

A retirement scrapbook may be more serious in nature than many other types of scrapbooking projects, but that doesn't mean you have to stick exclusively with supplies designed just for a retirement. You can use bright colors and fun shapes and give a lighter, happier feel to many of the layouts as well.

Remember, this is not a sad moment for most people! While there may be some tears and they may miss their coworkers, this is something they have worked long and hard for. There is just as much satisfaction and excitement for many people as there is sadness and serious reflection.

A retirement scrapbook which reflects seriously on the highlights of the person's career and the good that they have done over the years, as well as playing with the happy aspects of their life will touch the recipient on all levels. Get creative and spend some time seriously thinking about how this person has lived this segment of their life, what contributions they have made to the community or workforce, and what you will forever remember about them before you start creating your retirement scrapbook.

Show Us Your Favorite Retirement Scrapbooking Layout!

Whether you put an album together of your retirement or that of a close co-worker, friend or relative, we would love it if you shared a layout from your album. It's easy to do - just use the form below to upload a picture of your page, and make sure to give us the scoop, providing any special details, such as inspiration for your design, as well as techniques and products used...

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