Scrapbook journal: photos and writing in one notebook
A scrapbook journal, or scrap journal, is a notebook you write in and stick things into: a photo, a ticket and a few lines on one page. Pick paper heavy enough to take glue without curling.
Start with 40 pages free. No card needed.
It sits between a diary and a scrapbook. The writing is daily and loose; the photos and scraps are what make a page worth opening again.
The notebook decides most of it. Thin paper ripples under glue, a tight binding will not close once it is full, and lined pages fight every photo.
See also: a glue book for the day's paper, junk journal vs scrapbook, how to print photos for a scrapbook, Open the online scrapbook maker.
Make a digital scrapbook
Add your photos and keepsakes in tbf scrapbook, then arrange them on the pages. Make a scrapbook journal online.
| Notebook | Paper | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sketchbook | Plain, about 100 to 150 gsm | Glue, paint and photos | The spine strains as pages thicken |
| Dot grid journal | About 80 to 120 gsm | Neat writing beside small photos | Too tight to close once full of scraps |
| Kraft notebook | Brown card pages | Tickets and tape | Dark pages need a white or metallic pen |
| Ring binder | Any punched paper | Adding and moving pages | A looser feel than a bound book |
| Traveler's notebook | Slim inserts on elastic | One trip or month an insert | Each insert fills quickly |
| An online book in tbf scrapbook | None | Voice, video and people adding photos | Needs a screen or a print order |
Leave room for the book to grow
Every photo and ticket adds thickness at the edge, not the spine. Cut out every third page close to the spine before you start, or pick a binding that expands.
Write first, stick second
Write the day's lines before the photo goes down, leaving a box for it. A photo placed first leaves the writing squeezed into the corners.
Photos small enough to share a page
A 6 x 4 inch print fills half an A5 page. Print at 3 x 2 inches or use instant mini prints, and two or three sit beside your writing.
Steps
Choose the notebook
Plain or dot pages, at least 100 gsm, and a binding that lies flat.
Thin it out
Remove every third page close to the spine.
Print small
Order a sheet of 3 x 2 inch prints from a week of phone photos.
One page a day
Three lines and one picture or scrap. Skip days without making them up.
Questions
What is the best journal for scrapbooking?
A sketchbook or a heavy dot grid notebook that lies flat. Avoid thin lined paper, which curls under glue.
How is a scrapbook journal different from a scrapbook?
A scrapbook is usually made after an event, page by page. A scrapbook journal is kept as you go, in one notebook.
Can I keep a scrapbook journal online?
Yes. tbf scrapbook takes photos, scans, writing, voice and video on the same page, free for one book of 40 pages.