Not everyone has a good visual memory. You can make a real scrapbook in which you put photos and mementos of your loved one that have a positive emotional meaning for you. — Elinor Greenberg Ph.D.

Scrapbooking is more than just telling our life story but adding more colors and art to it. Every little detail is emphasized and brought to life once more. Scrapbooking has been featured in some Hollywood movies, movies about friends and family walking down memory lane. It highlights how our memories are essential in creating our identity. Memories are important because they are the confirmation of our existence, our dreams, our aspirations, and they make us grounded in what we used to be.

It best to plan and start scrapbooking early in life to capture the fresh feelings and emotions. It is your history book,so you can put as much creativity as you want.

What can you put in your scrapbook?

Photos

Photos are our precious moments printed on paper. They capture the smile, feeling, and emotion of a particular event in our lives. A scrapbook wouldn’t be as special without them. Take and keep photos of special moments like a family vacation where everyone has a good time, a picture of every birthday, your sister’s wedding, or your prom night.

Take photos of your firsts, like your first sleepover, first movie with friends, first date, first car, or even your first day in school. All these photos will someday make you say, “Oh, I remember this!”

After my mother died, my brother and sister and I, who live in different states, decided that we would each make our own copies of the 15 scrapbooks. When I received and copied the originals, one at a time, I decided to do what my mother had always wanted to do: enlarge the photos, put them in order, and include her comments. The result is a beautiful story in pictures. — Helen Davey Ph.D.

Newspaper Articles

If you or someone you know has been featured in a newspaper or a magazine, you can cut it and paste it in your scrapbook. It could also be news or an article about your favorite singer or band. Someday, their music is going to be classic, but you would still be able to hear it in your thoughts.

Scribbles

Your scribbles when you were little are also helpful to put in a scrapbook. All of us had held a pencil and wrote or drew something when we were young. It’s our way of expressing our thoughts, mainly when we were little where everything was magical. Our imagination was limitless, and they are all in our scribbles.

Tickets

A ticket to your favorite movie or concert could also be used in your scrapbook. You can even use the receipt of the first gift you bought for yourself or a special someone, every proof that could make you remember a special day that happened in your life.

One of the things we have in common, and that strengthens our bond, is that we both like to take pictures-lots of pictures. I’m happy printing one or two and putting them in the family gallery; my partner likes to create scrapbooks, which include ticket stubs, programs, notes, and the like. — Barton Goldsmith Ph.D.

Candy wrappers

Candy or chocolate wrappers are hard to keep as we often throw them straight in the bin. That’s understandable because not all wrappers are memorable. Some are simply trash. Candy or chocolate wrappers you could put in your scrapbook are wrappers from a famous Halloween trick or treat. You don’t need to keep them all. You can just keep one, your favorite one.

Flower petals

Every girl has dreamed of receiving flowers on Valentine’s Day or prom night, so once you do, make sure to keep even just a petal from one of the flowers in the bouquet. The whole thing won’t fit in your scrapbook anyway.

Indeed, memories are important. They make us unique from everyone else, and looking back to all these memorabilia will make us realize and reflect on the things that mattered and reflect how they affected our individuality. Every choices, decisions, and path we take can be based on our memories. Make yours as creative and colorful as it should be.

A scrapbook is a reminder how much love you had, so no matter what challenges lie ahead, you will have a reminder how beautiful life was. You can put everything in your scrapbook because it is your own, and anything that makes you feel special and happy is worth putting in.