Creating A First Birthday Scrapbook That Will Last A Lifetime!

When it comes to Scrapbook Ideas for Different Events, creating a first birthday scrapbook is high on the list for any crafty parent!

If you make your own album, be sure to purchase acid-free, archival-safe page protectors. These protectors will help photos, die-cuts, stickers, etc. keep their color and not turn yellow.

A few brands to consider are American Crafts, Pioneer, KMA or We R Memory Keepers.

One of the favorite steps in creating a first birthday scrapbook is to decide what you want the scrapbook album to contain. Here are some ideas to consider:

 - photos of your child taken throughout the year – be sure to include a photo taken at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year

 - journaling about milestones – first steps, first word, first food, etc.
birthday party invitation

 - decorations from the birthday party – trimmed and used as embellishments for layouts

 - photos of baby enjoying the birthday cake

 - birthday cards

 - photos of family and relatives

 - highlight's of baby's first year (i.e. trips, special occasions)

 - newspaper clippings of important events that took place during baby's first year

One of the most important things to keep in mind when putting together a first birthday scrapbook is to know what glue to use for scrapbooking. You want to use materials that will last a long time and not stain your layouts. Look for glue and tape that are acid-free.

For most of your layout, use acid-free double-sided adhesive tape. Tape can be purchased as small squares, on a roller, or on a regular tape dispenser. Use permanent tape rather than removable tape. This will keep your items in place for many years.

Acid-free glue sticks work well if you need to hold something in place as you add a border or matting around the item. The drawback with glue sticks is that over time, the glue can dry up and the item will become loose. Be sure to use a good quality glue stick, otherwise, the glue might be lumpy which will cause bumps in whatever it is that you're gluing to the layout.

Tip: A great first birthday layout idea is to include a page using family tree scrapbook templates and add baby pictures of each generation in your family, if it's a baby boy, put a picture of dad and granddad, and create a birthday and generational scrapbook layout.

Quite often one of the frustrating things about a first birthday scrapbook is that the keepsakes won't stick to the page and eventually just disappear from the book. Some keepsakes, such as a lock of hair, a piece of baby's favorite blanket or baby's hospital ID bracelet should be kept in a sealed enclosure.

To make an enclosure, cut two identical squares out of an overhead transparency.

Use double-sided tape to seal three of the sides of the two squares to form a pocket.

Using a small piece of double-sided tape, tape your keepsake inside of the pocket.

Once the item is secured, tape the top side of the square. Adhere your pocket to the layout. If you don't want to make an actual pocket, you can adhere the item to your layout, and then use double-sided tape to place a plastic square over the item.

If you plan on adding keepsakes such as a button from a favorite outfit or a metal charm, to a page use a liquid glue to adhere the item to your layout.

One of the sad mistakes that people sometimes make while creating a first birthday scrapbook is that the journaling is done in a light colored pen or even a pencil By using a permanent marker, your journaling will remain bold for many years to come. Another idea is to type your journaling on the computer, trim around it, and adhere it to your layout.

Whether you choose to write or type, create a frame or mat for your journaling. This will help keep the journaling in place and will prevent the edges from curling up.

Bonus: If you're interested in creating amazing baby scrapbook layouts then check out our scrapbooking ideas for baby girl article