What should my scrapbook be about? 20+ ideas!

One of the most significant setbacks to people scrapbooking is that they simply don’t know what to scrapbook about. I’m here to tell you that this should not stop anyone from scrapbooking.

What makes a good scrapbook is that it means something to you, as the creator. There are so many topics that you can choose from, and you can either make a whole scrapbook on one topic or just one page. The choices you have in making a scrapbook are endless. But don’t feel overwhelmed with choices!

Let’s first talk through some ideas about what should be included in a scrapbook.

What should a scrapbook contain?

In its most basic form, a scrapbook should contain stories and photos.

But even then, it doesn’t have to contain both. Some people scrapbook with only photos, while others love to have the story and journaling as the central theme.

The thing I want you to remember as you read this article is that this is your scrapbook and you can make it whatever you want it to be.

What should I write in my scrapbook?

People often wonder what to write about in a scrapbook and this is because some scrapbookers aren’t comfortable with putting stories down on a page. It makes them feel vulnerable, and I completely understand this. There are so many stories that I haven’t been able to include in my scrapbooks.

My scrapbooks appear to just be all the happy moments of my life. Am I ok with this? You know, at the time I was. Now looking back, I think I would have tried to be more open and honest in my scrapbooking.

Later in this article, I will list and discuss different scrapbook ideas to write about.

How many photos should my scrapbook have?

Your scrapbook can be just photos or it can contain no photos!

Some scrapbooks are what is called ‘photo heavy’, that is where you put as many photos as you can to tell your story. I have a few layouts that have lots of photos, usually because they tell a story or because the page is of a major event.

I also have a layout that has no photos, because I didn’t have a photo to tell the story.

Most of the time, the number of photos that you add to your scrapbook will be dependent on the number of photos you actually take. One or two good photos can be better than none at all. But even if you don’t have any, you can still tell your story.

Below are two layout examples, one that has many photos, and one that has none. 

beach scrapbooking layout ideas
what to put in a scrapbook

What should I scrapbook about?

All the things! But seriously, let’s talk about some different themes and ideas for your scrapbook album. 

Scrapbook ideas for school memories album

You may have loved school or hated it, but almost all of us have attended school, so we have many stories that we could capture in an album.

A ‘my school years album’ can be a walk down memory lane. You can include your professional school photos. If you went on a school excursion and took photos, those photos are also excellent to add to your album.

You could create a my school scrapbook layout which could be about the buildings or the teachers. You could even create a page about your favourite subject. It might take some effort to brainstorm some ideas, but getting these stories down on paper will be so good to look back on in the future.

If you’re wondering how to scrapbook school pictures, the truth is, there is no special way to do this! Like any other layout, it’s all about the photos and story you want to tell.

Below is a layout I created of my son’s last day at pre-school.

scrapbook idea about school

Scrapbook ideas all about me album

As scrapbookers, we generally create albums and pages about other people. But it’s about time we got out from behind the lens and made an all about me scrapbook album.

Creating an all about me album allows you to really stop and think about these things in your life that you like or enjoy. You can also add pages about what you dislike or are scared of.

A scrapbook album about yourself is also a great legacy for your loved ones.

I will create a whole article on ideas for all about me scrapbooks. This type of album is important because our stories matter too.

Scrapbook ideas for a baby album

Babies are usually a catalyst for people wanting to start scrapbooking. I think this is what hooked me on scrapbooking 20+ years ago. My daughter had recently been born and I felt like scrapbooking was a great way to capture her growth and milestones. 

If you want to know what to write in a baby scrapbook, I am here to tell you everything. You could do a whole album on ‘firsts’, that is, first hug, first visitors, first ride in the car, first walk in the pram, first night baby slept all the way through, first smile, first bath, first tooth, you get the idea.

There are so many layouts you can make about a baby. So much so that you may end up with multiple baby albums!

Scrapbook ideas for a wedding album

Another idea for a scrapbook album is to create a wedding album that captures the memorable moments from your big day. Usually, there are so many photos taken at a wedding that you’ll have more than enough photographs to complete a whole album.

Don’t worry too much about what to write in a wedding scrapbook. Mostly, a wedding album is more about the photos.

However, one idea that I love is you could add a story about how you know each guest. That would be so lovely to look back on in years to come.

Scrapbook ideas for a travel album

I know I’ve taken some trips that require a whole album just to themselves! I take so many photos when I travel, and I want to be able to remember all the little details.

There are many ways you can approach your travel scrapbook album. You can create a chronological album or group your layouts by theme, such as pages on food, sights, culture, or types of transportation. 

Below is a layout of a trip I took to New Zealand.

scrapbook layout idea for travel

Scrapbook ideas for a family history album

Family history preservation is very important, and it’s a reason why a lot of people start scrapbooking in the first place. You could create a whole album based on your family tree. It would be an amazing family heirloom and resource. Scrapbooks don’t always have to be pretty photo, they make perfectly good reference items too!

20 Scrapbook album ideas

Above, I’ve gone into depth about what you can create a scrapbook album about. But the list is much longer than the six ideas above.

Here’s a list of 20 ideas you can make a scrapbook album about.

  • School memories
  • All about me
  • Baby
  • Wedding
  • Travel
  • Family history
  • Recipes
  • Christmas
  • Books you’ve read
  • Your house
  • Family
  • Your boyfriend/girlfriend
  • Easter
  • One photo a week
  • Favourite movies and tv shows
  • Pets
  • Sporting events
  • Hobbies
  • Garden
  • Random facts

I’ll keep updating this list as I think of more things, but for now, this is a pretty comprehensive list of scrapbooking album ideas. 

What to do with a scrapbook?

Answering the questions what is your scrapbook for and who is it for will help you determine what you should scrapbook about. 

Are you planning on giving your scrapbook to someone as a present? Or do you want to keep it to look back on over the years?

The scrapbooks you keep with generally be more personal and the stories you tell will mean something special to you. If you create a baby album for your niece/nephew, you may find that the stories are less about your thoughts and more about what they are doing. That’s perfectly fine! I’m just pointing out that the theme of your scrapbook album will determine how you capture the stories.

Essential scrapbook album supplies

Hopefully, you now have a great idea for a scrapbook album! What you’ll next need are a few basic supplies to start your album.

Compensated links are contained in this post. If you purchase through these links, I earn a small commission, at no cost to you! Please read my disclaimer for more info.

D-ring scrapbook album

My personal preference is a D-ring scrapbooking album. This is because it's easy to add pages and move them around. It makes life a bit easier when you can simply pop pages in and out. They also seem to be able to hold more pages too.

We R Memory Keepers make lovely albums. I have so many of them that I'm sure you will like them too.

I've linked to a 12x12 inch album here, but there are a few different sizes you can get. I usually scrap in 12x12, but I do have a couple of 8.5x11 inch albums too.

Check Prices Here!

Page protectors

An album will generally come with some page protectors, however, you will find that your album can hold more than the original ten you are given. You can buy page protectors separately from an album.

I've linked here to a gigantic pack of 100-page protectors. If you're serious about scrapbooking and are planning on making lots of pages, this is the most economical way to purchase page protectors.

Check Prices Here!

Paper packs

An easy way to get started on your album is to source a themed paper pack. You can get lots of standard themes like baby, Christmas, Halloween and birthdays.

This paper pack from Echo Park is so sweet and it should help you make your pages quickly.

Check Prices Here!

Final thoughts

I hope this article has helped you to choose a theme for your next scrapbook album. There are so many amazing things to scrapbook about and this post just scratches the surface. 

If you’re wondering what is the importance of making a scrapbook, the answer to that is everything! Scrapbooking is so rewarding, there’s nothing like looking back on the details you’ve captured within the pages of your album.

So, jump in and start creating – you won’t regret it!

Further reading

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