Hobby: Scrap that

You have free time on your hands. You want to do something fun yet be productive. What do you do?

You have free time on your hands. You want to do something fun yet be productive so you have something you can proudly display at the end of the day. What do you do?

We all try to capture the important moments of our lives in the form of photographs and on occasion, save  items  such as ticket stubs, postcards, newspaper clippings, or even words scribbled on a piece of paper. This reminds us of a time or event that we don’t want to forget- ever. All of us have stuff lying around that takes us back to special moments that we’ve had; if you want to organise and add flair to your collection of such memorabilia, you might want to try scrapbooking, a hobby that not only lets you unleash your creativity but also helps you artistically preserve your memories.

Scrapbooking involves combining photos and memorable items together with thoughts, encompassed in decorative templates, so as to highlight the significance of that item or event. To create meaningful archives, photographs are arranged on paper along with relevant clippings and notes, with text added to detail the experience; decorative elements are then added to the page to reflect the scrap booker’s style and feelings as well as complement the photos and provide a more personalised touch. The final product relays a story and communicates the underlying sentiment in a more expressive way than any of the individual items could have done separately.  Basic scrapbooking material includes background papers, albums for storage, adhesive, archival pens, cutting and mounting tools and decorative elements like patterned paper, stickers, laces, ribbons, and other embellishments. The quality of scrapbooking supplies can, however, vary depending on your budget. You can use any paper, even plain paper or a notebook, if you so wish, although such material is unlikely to last for long and can also damage your photos and clippings. Proper scrapbooking supplies (like acid free paper and safe-for-photos adhesive) can range from expensive to more economical options; such supplies are specifically treated so that they don’t damage the things you want to preserve or severely deteriorate over time, and are therefore a better choice for safety and longevity.

If you’re short on cash, then you can also try its computer-based variant: digital scrapbooking. Digiscrapping lets you use scrapbooking software for building pages around digital/scanned photographs; you can create your own templates, and also find (both free and for-a-price) kits, elements, backgrounds, and tools online. Computer scrapbooking is easier than its traditional counterpart and will save you both time and money, while making it easy to share the final product with others. Scrapbooking is an activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It can be created just for fun, as an outlet for creative expression and style, or to preserve personal or family history and can also be made as a present for a family member or a friend. The hobby can also be social; scrappers can host events in which they get together and work on their pages, which can help them make friends who enjoy the same hobby. Scrapbooking can potentially combine photography, journaling, and art; it is not only creatively fulfilling but also gives you artistically preserved memories that you can cherish later on in your life and share with loved ones. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2011.