Today is the day, if you haven’t already, to discover the simplicity of scrapbooking in pockets! That’s right. Scrapbooking CAN be fast, simple, and easy. By using Memory Protectors™ with multiple pockets, you can quickly catch up on your scrapbooking or just add photos, art, journaling, and other keepsakes in this trendy blocked style to any of your albums. But where do we start?

Too often, we get so eager to try out a new memory keeping approach only to end up staring at the Memory Protectors™ and their empty pockets, not quite sure how to begin. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, we start without a plan and find that something about our completed pages just isn’t quite right. If you take a look below, you’ll see that we came up with different ideas to get you thinking about how to create a pocket page or layout, and to get you up to speed on this popular style of scrapbooking!

1. Start with a set of photos.

We all have stashes of photos, mainly on our electronic devices. Print out some of your favorites and give this approach a try. Once you’ve got your photos, choose a color scheme by pulling from the colors in your photos first and then, if you’d like, add one or two colors that coordinate. Lastly, choose accessories or embellishments for the finishing touches.

If you aren’t quite sure how many photos to use, consider the 50-50 rule where you fill 50% of your pockets with photos and the other 50% with patterned papers or pre-made pocket cards—ensuring a well-balanced page and layout.

2. Start with a color scheme.

This approach is very similar to the first, only the color scheme comes first and then the photos. When you have an album that you are wanting to add on to, the color scheme is often predetermined by what’s come before. In this example, we chose our colors first, then came up with the photos, and polished off the layout with some sequins as our accessory. If you don’t have enough, or any, photos that you’d like to use to match your color scheme, manipulate the colors in the photo. If you’re not savvy with photo editing software or want to keep things simple, print your photos in black and white.

As you’re deciding on what photos to use, keep in mind that you are not bound by the orientation or size of the pockets of your Memory Protectors™. In both of the examples that we’ve shown you so far, we cut a 6″ x 8″ photo in half and inserted the parts into two of the pockets. You can get really creative and do all sorts of things with pockets that you can’t quite get away with in a traditional layout. 😉

3. Start with a story.

This third method is for the storyteller. You start out with a memory or story and then find photos that accompany it. In this example, the story is about Grandma Joann and her garden. The reminiscence and words came first, then the photos, and lastly the embellishing accessories.

If a 12″ x 12″ album is too big to fit on your shelf, there’s also the 6″ x 8″, Everyday Life™, option. All of the ideas that we’re sharing today translate into any size of pocket scrapbooking.

4. Start with an event.

Our last approach is to begin with an event, like a birthday party, vacation, holiday, family gathering, etc. Think about the story behind it and develop it. This is where the 5 W’s (who, what, where, when, why) come in handy. As you develop the story, write it down and choose photos that support it. Finally, add an accessory for embellishment.

5. Come up with a pattern.

If the ideas that we’ve shared so far are overwhelming, find a pocket layout that you like and break it down into a pattern for you to recreate and personalize (it’s pretty easy to do this with pockets). Here’s what the pattern of our very first example looks like:

We used this very same pattern to create the layout in our second example. Did you notice? We rotated each of the pages 90 degrees counterclockwise and came up with this:

(You can download this pattern, here.)

Flip a pattern, turn it on its side, switch the order of the pages—if you have the Memory Protectors™ to support your pocket idea, then go for it! One of the great things about pocket scrapbooking is that you can change the contents of the pockets around however many times you need to, making it a lot more forgiving than traditional scrapbooking.

All you need to be a successful pocket scrapper are the pocket Memory Protectors™, pre-made pocket cards, your photos, and a plan. Pair any of the ideas that we’ve shared with you today with our Picture My Life™ pocket cards and get caught up on your scrapbooking in a fast, simple, easy, AND trendy way!

**All of our Picture My Life™ pocket cards are 35% off, now and through the end of the month. It’s a great time to stock up!

Recipes:

12″ x 12″ Wonderful Layout
X7243B Feels Like Home Paper Packet, X7243E Picture My Life™ Cards—Feels Like Home, X7243C Feels Like Home Complements, Z4270 I Heart Us Sequins, 4113 Memory Protectors™ Design 2, Z1951 Memory Protectors™ Design 4

12″ x 12″ Life Is Peachy Layout
X7241B So Much Happy Paper Packet, X7241E Picture My Life™ Cards—So Much Happy, X7241C So Much Happy Complements, Z4270 I Heart Us Sequins, Z1324 Memory Protectors™ Design 1, Z1950 Memory Protectors Design 3

6″ x 8″ Grandma’s Garden Layout
X7241B So Much Happy Paper Packet, X7243E Picture My Life™ Cards—Feels Like Home, X7240C Something Fierce Complements, Z4270 I Heart Us Sequins, Z3252 Everyday Life™ Memory Protectors™ 6″ x 8″, Z3192 Everyday Life™ Memory Protectors™ 4″ x 6″

6″ x 8″ Celebrate Layout
X7241B So Much Happy Paper Packet, X7241E Picture My Life™ Cards—So Much Happy, X7240C Something Fierce Complements, Z4270 I Heart Us Sequins, Z3191 Everyday Life™ Memory Protectors™ 3″ x 4″, Z3192 Everyday Life™ Memory Protectors™ 4″ x 6″

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