Beginners Guide to Scrapbooking: Layout Planning

There are many companies that manufacture layout planning organizers. These layout planning organizers have multiple pockets to store background papers, embellishments, and photos. My favorite is the Cropper Zipline file from Legacy Crafters. This layout planning organizer has 4 front page planner pockets, 2 with flap closures, and a 12" x 12" pocket for your scrapbooking papers.

The first thing I do when I buy a new pack of layout planning organizers is write on them. Using a Slick Writer I label each pocket. The upper left pocket is labeled "photos", the upper right pocket is labeled "ideas", the lower left pocket is labeled "embellishments", and the lower right pocket is labeled "possible embellishments." When I sit down to pre-plan my scrapbook layouts I can see at a glance which pocket should contain specific supplies.

Let's get started pre-planning our scrapbook layouts. You will need some supplies: Layout organizer, Slick Writer, plan 5" x 7" index cards, post it notes, scrapbook idea magazines, and miscellaneous scrapbook supplies.

1) Choose the photos you will be using on your next scrapbook layout. These photos will determine the theme of your scrapbook layout. Use your photos to choose the colors that will be in your scrapbook papers to be used for the background, photo mats, journaling, etc. At this point you will need to determine if you have enough photos to do a two page layout. If you are doing a one page layout I recommend storing two of each color or pattern of paper that you plan on using. For a two page layout I recommend having four of each paper you plan on using. Having extra paper will help if you make a mistake or if you decide to double or triple mat your photos. It is always better to have more than enough paper than not enough, since you may not be able to find the exact color or pattern at stores again. Cardstock colors can vary with each run, but they are usually close enough in color that they will work together. The pattern paper is where you can run into big problems. Many pattern papers are limited runs or the stores do not reorder them and opt to bring in a new pattern. Erring on the side of caution when it comes to your papers will cause less stress in the long run.

2) Choose your embellishments. I am sure when you bought certain embellishments you had a plan for them. If you have already purchased a particular sticker or diecut to use with the photos you have chosen these embellishments will go into the pocket labeled "embellishments." In the "possible embellishments" pocket you will put brad, eyelets, ribbons, etc. that coordinate and that you may use.

3) Write out your plan of action. At this step of scrapbook layout planning things get more complicated. Every scrapbooker needs ideas, a starting point or they get frustrated. What most people don't understand is that you already have your starting point. You have already chosen a theme and embellishments so now you can grab a scrapbook idea magazine and quickly find ideas that will work with your pre-determined embellishments.

Now when you look through the scrapbook idea magazines while layout planning you know exactly what to look for. If you have a large flower embellishment you will be looking for a fun way to use the flower, if you have a large pre-cut title you will be looking for an idea that uses an oversized title. Once you find two or three scrapbook layout ideas that have scrapbooking ideas that you would like to scraplift you will cut the ideas out of the magazine and stick it to the backside of a post it note. You will end up with an idea on one side and a blank pot it note on the other side.

Use a pen or pencil to immediately write what you want to duplicate on the page and any other notes you need to remind yourself later, be detailed so you don't have trouble interpreting your notes later. You will also take a blank 5" x 7" note card and draw a large square. The square represents the scrapbook layout that you are planning. In this square choose a spot to "draw" in the embellishment or idea that you just wrote on your post it. As you gather more ideas repeat the layout planning steps from above remembering to draw each embellishment onto the 5" x 7" note card and include notes as needed.

After collecting three or four ideas for your layout planning you will have an organized layout and a plan. Each of your pockets in your layout planning organizer should be filled and you should have a 5" x 7" note card that has an idea for a completed layout idea. Did you catch that? You, yes you, just designed a scrapbook layout. Now when you get to sit down to scrapbook you should be able to put your scrapbook ideas into action and duplicate your combined ideas into a one or two page scrapbook layout. Your layout planning as not only made you a more organized and efficient scrapbooker, it has made you a scrapbook designer.

By using layout planning you can freely scrapbook even if you only have 15 minutes to scrapbook or if friends call and invite you to a crop party you are always ready to go. Knowing that you have layouts organized and planned will motivate you to scrapbook and follow the steps above will help you design a scrapbook layout without a lot of stress or time. Your layout planning will help you enjoy your scrapbooking more and help you complete more scrapbook layouts. As you practice layout planning you will become more and more proficient and eventually designing and layout planning will become second nature. You will be able to design and layout plan quickly and with confidence.