Baby Scrapbooking Albums

When I started searching for the perfect baby scrapbook album for my baby’s pictures, I soon discovered that there are quite a few things to consider before taking the plunge and buying one!

Here are some things to consider when choosing the perfect baby scrapbook album:

• the color of the baby scrapbook album;
• the size of the baby scrapbook album;
• the binding style of the scrapbook album;
• the baby scrapbook album cover materials; and
• archival quality of the album.

Baby Scrapbook Color

What color baby scrapbook do you prefer?

Do you like the idea of a gender specific color such as pink for a baby girl scrapbook album or blue for a baby boy scrapbook album? If you are looking for something a bit different from soft baby pink and soft baby blue there are lots of baby scrapbook albums available in different shades of blue and pink too.

Perhaps you would prefer a gender neutral color like pale yellow or green? Gender neutral scrapbooking baby albums are a great option if you are looking for a baby shower gift.

Baby Scrapbook Size

Let's start with baby scrapbook sizes. Baby scrapbooking albums come in a variety of different sizes including 12 x 12, 8 ½ x 11, 11 x 8 ½, 8 x 8 or 6 x 6 scrapbooks.

When deciding on the best baby scrapbook size, ask yourself the following questions…

• How many photos would you like to fit into your baby’s scrapbook?
• Do you want to include some digital scrapbook pages printed from a standard home printer in your scrapbook?
• Do you want to include other baby keepsakes other than photos in the scrapbook? Are the keepsakes large or small?
• Are you an experienced scrapbooker or a beginner?
• How much do you want to spend on a baby scrapbook?
• What sort of scrapbook do you want to create for your baby? A chronological album of your baby’s first year or a themed scrapbook album such as a scrapbook of your baby’s milestones or of baby’s first birthday?

Here are some advantages of each of the different scrapbook sizes available:

12 x 12 Baby Scrapbooking Albums

• The pages are large so you can fit more photos on the page.
• Most scrapbook paper is designed for the 12x12 scrapbook album so you will be able to choose from a large selection of baby scrapbook paper.
• It’s a great scrapbook album size for a chronological album of your baby’s first year.

• Great for digital scrapbooking pages printed on your home computer.
• Smaller album – so cheaper.

• Great for beginner scrapbookers as your baby’s scrapbook can be created quickly and less design knowledge is required.
• You can trim 12 x 12 paper into quarters to use in 6 x 6 scrapbooks.
• Good size for theme albums – such as baby’s first birthday party.
• Great size scrapbook for a brag book or gift for grandparents.

Binding Style of Scrapbook

Baby scrapbooking albums are bound in a variety of ways including post-bound, ring bound, strap hinge and spiral bound.

When deciding on the best baby scrapbook binding style for you, ask yourself the following questions…

• Do you intend to do one page layouts or two page layouts?
• Do you want to be able to move scrapbook pages around easily?
• Do you want to be able to add to and expand your baby’s scrapbook album by adding extra scrapbook pages?
• Do you want pages to lie flat?

Post-bound Baby Scrapbooking Albums

• have two or three metal posts holding the scrapbook together
• come with scrapbook page protectors to get you started
• can be expanded with post extenders
• not an easy task to reorganise pages
• great scrapbook album for two page layouts

• have three rings which hold the scrapbook page protectors
• scrapbook album can’t be expanded
• easy to add extra page protectors and/or reorganize baby scrapbooking pages
• scrapbook pages lay flat
• not the best album for two page layouts as there will be a gap between the pages

• great for two page layouts as there is no gap between pages
• difficult to move pages once they are strapped in
• scrapbook pages lie flat

• most don’t have page protectors
• not able to move pages around
• good for themed baby albums

Scrapbook Cover Illustrations

Some baby scrapbooks have cute baby illustrations and patterns on the cover such as:

• baby animals
• baby clothes
• flowers
• stripes
• polka dots
• ric-rac
• popular children’s characters such as Winnie the Pooh

Scrapbook Cover Materials

Consider also the type of materials the cover of the scrapbooking baby album is made of.

You can choose from a number of different scrapbook album cover materials including:

• fabric/cloth
• suede
• leather
• paper
• ribbon accents

Most baby scrapbook albums include page protectors with the album. Check that you can purchase additional page protectors for your baby’s scrapbook album.

Note that most page protectors are top loading which means you slide your layout in the top of the page.

Combined baby scrapbook with photo album

If you would like to scrapbook only a few of your baby’s photos and display the remainder of your baby’s pictures in a traditional photo album format consider a combined baby scrapbook/photo album.

Here are a few examples of combined scrapbook/photo albums:

• Baby Scrapbook Album by Aimee J provides you with the option of including 12x12 page protectors as well as 4x6 photo page protectors in your baby’s scrapbook. They only supply page protectors which suit horizontal 4x6 photos. Aimee J also provide pre-designed page inserts that you can include in your scrapbook to create a baby book scrapbook if you wish.
• Anthologie (Bay Box Album) by Scrapworks include six different styles of page protectors to choose from including the traditional 12x12 page protector for baby scrapbook layouts. The other five page protector styles allow you to include insert 4x6 photos just like a photo album.
• Baby Jake Photo Scrap Album and Baby Maggie Photo Scrap Album by K & Company is a combined photo album and scrapbook in one.

  With this scrapbook you can scrap special photos quickly with pre-made layouts and also slide photos into coordinating display slots which hold 4x6 photos. The pages in these scrapbooks feature spots for journaling as well. There are no page protectors in this scrapbook and the scrapbook is bound like a book which means you can’t move scrapbook pages around.

Scrapbook album with pre-made layouts

Another option is a baby scrapbook album that includes pre-printed baby scrapbook layouts. If you love the look of a scrapbook but have no scrapbook design knowledge these scrapbook albums are made for you! All you have to do is add photos.

Consider K and Company’s Sweet Pea Scrapbook to Go for a scrapbook album with pre-made layouts.

Baby Scrapbook Kit

Some baby scrapbook kits such as baby scrapbook album kits include baby scrapbook album along with a variety of baby scrapbook paper and coordinating embellishments. Baby girl scrapbook kits and baby boy scrapbook kits are available.

Baby scrapbooking kits are great for busy scrapbooking moms who love creating beautiful layouts but don’t have the time to choose coordinating baby scrapbooking supplies.

Other Baby Scrapbook Features

Some baby scrapbooks have the following features:

• tie enclosure
• label holder on spine or front cover
• box design which keeps harmful elements such as light and dust from deteriorating or destroying precious memories and allows the scrapbook to be free standing
• padded cover
• sewn edge on cover
• photo insert on front cover
• insert for foot print or hand print on front cover
• insert for baby’s name on front cover
• matching baby memory book

Before buying a baby scrapbooking album, check to see if the scrapbook is archival quality which means it should be acid free, lignin free and PVC free.

Scrapbook manufacturer

Here are some baby scrapbook album manufacturers:

• Aimee J
• Colorbok
• Die Cuts with a View
• We R Memory Keepers
• K & Company
• Heartland
• Pioneer
• Pear Head
• Westrim Crafts

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