Mother’s Day Scrapbooking Project
It seemed relatively simple; I mean just collect a few pictures and slap them in a book. Voila! It would easily be instant memories that could last a lifetime. But, I never do things simply, which is why I decided to use my normal does of “flair” and take things to the extreme. So, being the oldest of my mother’s children, I roped my siblings in to taking part in the Mother’s Day gift that would win her heart for years to come.
I called my younger sister, who lives out of state, and informed her of my plan to put together a scrapbook for our mom. I encouraged her to collect some of her own photographs, tiny snippets of memories that she and her husband have developed over the last few years of their marriage. I even encouraged her to put together a few pages of photographs and journal style entries highlighting the newest addition to our family, Heidi, who is due to be born in just another month. She quickly jumped at the idea and promised to send me her pages in just a couple of weeks.
Next on the list was my younger brother, who I was sure would be a challenge. I told him about the idea and he immediately insisted that he had no idea how to put together a scrapbook. He was the part of plan that took the greatest amount of work, but turned out to be the most fun. I was quick to promise him that it would be a fun experience, and just insisted that he collect some of his favorite pictures and spend an afternoon at my house, where I would be glad to help him put together his pages.
We spent an afternoon together, my brother, my children, and my sister on the telephone, talking about old photographs and laughing at the memories that each of them sparked for us. We collected the pictures in a chronological order and started laying out our pages, leaving personal messages to mom on each of them. In the end, after all the scraps of paper were cleared away, what we were left with was a remarkable tribute to the woman who had shaped all of our lives through her hard work and determination.
Not only did the scrapbook turn out much better than I had ever imagined, but it was also an opportunity for my siblings and I to reflect on our lives and the impact that our mother had made on each of us. The experience turned out to be one that made that Mother’s Day far more memorable than any other.
My mother loved the scrapbook. And as she flipped through the pages of photographs and read our messages, tears of joy filled her cheeks, and smiles covered our faces. There are only a few things that moms love more than anything else; one of those is to know that all of the hard work that they put into raising their children has paid off. That day, she had pages of proof that it had.
If you’re interested in putting together your own scrapbook for your mom for Mother’s Day, there are a ton of resources available to help out even the non-craftiest people. My favorites are the scrapbooking programs that are available to install on your computer. The Hallmark Scrapbook Studio is one such program that allows you to flow your digital pictures directly on to full page templates. Afterwards, you can either print the 8×10 pages from your own printer on photo grade paper, or you can save the file and take it to your local retail store and have them print it for you. These pages make for real simplicity in creating your scrapbook pages.
If you tend to lean more toward the crafty side of the scale, make sure to get copies of your pictures before you give them away. Most retail outlets have a handy kiosk that will allow you to scan and print copies of your favorite photographs, as well as have prints made from your favorite digital photos.
If you’re struggling for creative ideas in scrapbook page layouts, swing by your local craft store and check out the scrapbook section or just jump on line and Google it. There is a wealth of scrapbook ideas at your fingertips online and with the variety of papers and embellishments available, your pages are sure to go together with perfection.
Don’t forget to make it a family event. One of the greatest parts of this project was the fact that we included everyone, right down to the younger members of our family. Include handprints of smaller children, and maybe even a few drawings that they do all on their own. For the older children, we had them come up with their own ‘messages to mom/grandma’ that we included in the scrapbook. These are all priceless memories that mom is sure to hold dear for years and years to come.
