Scrapbook Layouts
Ideas for Simple Scrapbooking Page Layouts

It's easy to create eye-catching scrapbook layouts! You just have to know where to look for ideas and inspiration.

In the beginning, it can be overwhelming. You spend a small fortune on supplies, maybe set up a space or area in your home, and buy magazines and books to learn different scrapbooking techniques. You are ready to get started, but you have to know where to begin. Before you can start putting your first layout together, you have to actually select one. This seems like a simple task, but there are so many styles and options, it's hard to know where to start. Here are some great ways to find possible scrapbooking page layouts.

Scrapbook Sites

If you're looking for ideas, the first place you should look is online. There are thousands of scrapbooking websites, many with free layouts and how to's on how to make them. Simple to complex, budget-friendly to expensive - there are ideas for every person and every occasion.

Scrapbooking sketches are another great way to find ideas. You can find many sites that offer free sketches. Many of these sites also allow visitors to upload their designs, so you can see firsthand various ways that different scrapbookers have adapted the sketches to fit their personal styles.

You can also find inspiration from message boards. Most message boards allow members to submit pictures of their layouts, and they do so on a regular basis. This means there's a constant supply of new layout ideas on just about every topic, and within almost every budget. Not only that, other message board members are usually nice enough to give you tips and tricks about how they put their pages together.

Many message boards even offer challenges, where members can submit scrapbook sketches, and anyone who wants to participate in the challenge can create page layout(s) based on that week's sketches. This is actually how I started scrapbooking on a regular basis. These challenges are motivating. They help you to step out of your comfort zone and try things you may not otherwise do. Even better, once your project is completed, you can upload it to the board and show it off!

Scrapbooking Magazines, Books, and Videos

Magazines and books are another great place to get started when selecting a layout.

With just a little searching, you can find scrapbooking books and other publications with hundreds of sample layouts. However, there's so much more you can gather from magazines and books than just layouts to copy. They provide helpful tips, and looking at all the completed projects can spark your own imagination. You may even find inspiration from books that have nothing to do with paper crafting – for example, poems or quotes that you can use in your journaling.

In addition to books and magazines, there are also scrapbooking videos you can watch. I learn better by watching and doing than by reading. If this is you as well, then scrapbooking vidoes may be for you. The best part is that you don't even need to spend a dime on videos. There are many people that upload video tutorials to YouTube, blogs and other internet sites.

Friends, Family, & You -The Best Resources for Scrapbook Layouts!

If you want more original scrapbook layout ideas without pulling them straight from a book, why not have a get together with friends and family who share an interest in this hobby? You can get ideas from their work, or they can give you tips on a layout you're already working on.

Sometimes the best scrapbook layouts don't come from friends or web pages - they come from you. Scrapbooks are supposed to showcase your life and interests, so why shouldn't they come from your very own inspiration. If you feel like you can't seem to come up with ideas, just get out your supplies and start playing. You just might surprise yourself!

Don't forget to enjoy the process. You don't need to have every idea all slammed into a few scrapbooking page layouts. You can start simple with a picture, a piece of journaling, and a small embellishment, then work your way up as you buy more tools and gain more skills. Remember that scrapping is an art, and sometimes simple is better.

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