Homemade Scrapbooking Gift for Children

How do you make a unique, fun and thrifty gift for a toddler? This easy craft will delight your child, because it will be about the people and things he or she loves most! There are several ways to vary this gift, and you can be sure your child will treasure it for years.

Begin by gathering your supplies. What you will need for this project is: a small scrapbook, several pictures of things or people your child loves, and your imagination. If you've never done a scrapbook, don't worry! You don't need any special skills to make your child a book they'll love! I would choose a scrapbook about 6"x6" but you can choose bigger or smaller, I like this size because it is just enough room for a 4x6 photo and the caption I'll be adding to each page.

Use your photos to tell a story for your child. For example, I have pictures of my son pretending to drive our car, looking at the engine, "changing" the tires with daddy, and wearing scuba goggles. I might start with him looking at the engine, saying in the caption "Logan the racecar driver makes sure his car is in good running order every day!" Then I might go to the picture with the tires and say "He always checks his tires out, too!" Then I would go to the scuba goggles and then to the one of him "racing" our car. For a little girl, you could make up a story about being a princess.

You don't have to use real pictures, and you don't have to make it about the child. You could find some clip art of your childs favorite animals or other things. You can also get self sealing laminating sheets and just use paper if you don't want to buy a scrapbook. You could also enlist your school age child to think of a story for the pictures you choose. Or if you don't want to make a story, you could label each picture with the persons or objects name. Some photo programs allow you to cartoonize a photo. This can be a fun alternative!

I like to go to the dollartree store for the scrapbook, but you can find small scrapbooks at most craft stores. You can find laminating papers at office supply stores. If you don't have a decent photo printer, you can use online printing site, like snapfish, or you can put your pictures on disk and take them to most drug stores, Walmarts, and Targets.

Remember, try to keep it small enough for little hands to hold! Your child will love looking at the pictures of the things he knows best, and hearing your story behind the pictures, whether real or make believe. Above all, enjoy yourself while making this project, and feel a sense of pride that you made your child such a great gift!