Monday, September 10, 2012

Tips on Creating an Event Album

We've all done it: postponed doing a certain scrapbook album a million times over because it just seems too overwhelming to accomplish. "Event Albums" can seem daunting for us because it's an ENTIRE BOOK centered around one day, like: weddings, vacations, a big move, the birth of a baby, and more. I wanted to share some of my own personal tips for how to prep any event album! These are 10 steps that will help you prep the album AND YOURSELF!

1. GATHER INSPIRATION. Pinterest is a great way to do this because it's fast, convenient, and organized. There's no printing involved and you won't have millions of thumbnails cluttering your computer desktop. Search for inspiring images that fit the feel you're going for, showcase a technique you want to try, or just have a great idea you want to remember. Keep it all in one place so when it's time to create, they will be there.

2. Make A LIST OF ALL SUB-EVENTS TO INCLUDE. For events like weddings, there are many tiny sub-events that go on such as wedding showers, registry, dress fittings, rehearsal, and so on. It's a good idea to write out a list of all sub-events you want to include in your album so that you don't miss any awesome memories!

3. CREATE A STORY BOARD FOR THE LAYOUT OF THE ALBUM. Literally draw out the album page by page and get the general layout nailed down so you have an idea of the spacing to expect. Some events will require 2-page spreads and inserts, so this allows you to plan ahead for that.

4. WRITE OUT DETAILS. At some point, sit down and just write out any and all details you remember about the event so you can include them as you go. Chances are, in 20 years you're not going to remember certain tiny details and it will be wonderful to have them documented when you look back.

5. CREATE A LOOSE COLOR PALETTE CONCEPT. Having a color palette truly does tie an album together. This can be easier said than done depending on how many pages your scrapbook will be, but choosing your main and supporting colors with plenty of pretty neutrals will make the book seem cohesive and pleasing to the eye. It also saves you from having to choose from the 5,306 different papers you have and narrows it down to a few dignified choices. For my wedding album, I chose variations of my wedding colors, gray, silver, and teal.

6. GATHER PLENTY OF EMBELLISHMENTS AND PHOTOS AHEAD OF TIME. Before the day you actually want to sit down & scrap, take the time to print out photos you know you want to use. Also, go through your stash of embellishments and stickers and pull things you might want to use that match your color palette and vibe. Keeping these items close at hand in one place will save you time from searching through drawers of supplies while creating the project.

7. CONTACT FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR MORE PHOTOS. Asking your friends and family to email you photos of the event will give you more options and you can include shots and angles you might not have already had!

8. DON'T FORGET MEMORABILIA! Scour your house to collect all the loose memorabilia and ephemera from the event that you want in the book. Items might include: cards, ticket stubs, receipts, notes, etc.

9. CREATE A BRILLIANT TITLE PAGE LAYOUT. Make your title page capture the feel you want for the album, that way it sets the tone for your project from the start. It will seem charming to your reader and help keep you inspired and on track.

10. BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE CHANGES. If you're not using a "top-loading" page protector system, create loose pages and wait to permanently adhere them until the entire album is finished. This will keep things in chronological order and prevent any messy changes in layout you might have to make.

Overall, enjoy your project! Prepping is half the fun and it can be very inspiring!
<3
E

5 comments:

Alexandra Rae said...

Great post!

Do you have a gallery with the whole completed album? I would love to see it :)

Amy said...

love this! I'm pinning it

Amy said...

love this! I'm pinning it

Unknown said...

I'm going to use this to start my wedding album. . . mine is more of a memory book & less of a scrap book. . . if that makes sense? I have lots of little things saved & lots of little stories to write down.

Sabine said...

Thanks for the tipps. These are really helpful. :)