Organizing Scrapbook Albums : An Update

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Two things happened yesterday that spurred today's post.


First I received a box of layouts back from Creating Keepsakes (all my layouts from the October issue - I think there were 14 total) that needed to go into albums. Second I received an email from a reader with some questions about organizing albums and pages for people with multiple children:


I was just wondering if you make double layouts for your kids' albums. For ex., the page about Simon reading to Anna...do you make one for each of their albums? If not, whose album are you putting that in?


I have three kids and not much time to scrapbook so the thought of making multiple albums is not too appealing. I'm just not sure which layout to put in whose album so your thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.


A very good & timely question.


I don't make duplicate pages. This is actually one of the benefits of creating digital pages in that you could just have more than one printed to add to each child's album. 


But as you know, I'm not all digital.


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[ Albums currently in my office that I am using for inspiration for my upcoming workshop. Spinner project is an instant download class called Family Gratitude Spinner available through Big Picture Scrapbooking. ]


Since my big album organization last year I have been working within the following framework of 12x12 albums:




  1. Simon: albums by year


  2. Chris + Ali: stories about the two of us together


  3. Family: layouts about our extended families (including some childhood stories for both Chris and I)


  4. Ali: about me pages


  5. Chris: mostly political content


This has been working really well. Pages that I have made since getting all the albums organized have all found a home quickly and easily. 



Now with baby Anna in the mix my plan is the following:



  1. Layouts that are about either Anna or Simon will go in their individual albums (organized by year). I view these pages as essentially love notes to each child and want each of them to have their own collection with pages where they are the subject. The one about Simon reading to Anna (CK, October) will go into Simon's album because the journaling is talking directly to him

  2. Layouts that are about both of them/our family (and not journaled specifically to one or the other) will go into the Family category that will now be dated E:2009, E:2010, etc. Right now I'm not really worrying about who gets what down the road and how it will all be split up. I am more interested in focusing on documenting & celebrating the stories our of lives. 


There's definitely no right or wrong way to go about this. There are so many different ways it can be done depending on your family situation, space, time, etc. 

I would love to hear about other's systems if you are willing to share. 



You can read more about my Adventures in Album Organization series here

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91 thoughts

  1. Deirdre says…
    09/19/2009

    I'd love to hear the specific categories you came up with---love hearing how people adapt LOM!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Jade Conran says…
    09/19/2009

    It has been great reading how everyone sorts their scrapbooks so differently. Ultimately you have to do what works for your family. For us this is what we do (with one child)
    Ongoing Albums-
    Son's album- Chronologically I do as many of these as I need I run at about 1 per quater at the moment.
    Family Album- I generally end up with 2 albums per year. I try to include one layout per month of our son and then I duplicate birthday and Christmas layouts.
    Project 365 Album
    Christmas Album- I do between 4-6 layout per Christmas and I include our Christmas card and letter.
    My husband and I both have a childhood album, but I have enough photos to do another one each.
    People we love album- Random photos from the last few years that missed being scrapbooked but that I wanted included somewhere.
    These are all 12x12 WR Memory Kepper ring binders.
    I also do extra 8x8 or 6x6 albums for different things through the year.
    Duplicating definitely helps me a lot- I get to include and scrap all the important photos I want to but I also get them into the different albums I have. It also depends on your scrap style as I am a very simple and quick scrapper and mainly like to focus on the photos and journaling.

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Linda says…
    09/20/2009

    You know ultimately I think our scrapbooks are OURS not our kids. I know alot of us scrapbook FOR our kids but the reality is they may not even want the albums we are doing.
    So I say do one of everything for yourself and like others have said, just let your kids work out who gets what when and IF they want it.

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Susanne says…
    09/20/2009

    Love your statement. I was thinking about this for the last weeks as well, because we our 2nd child arrived 4 weeks ago. I think you are right - they can take what they want some day, but for now its about documenting and creating.

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  5. rebecca keals says…
    09/20/2009

    I also have an album system like yours, but I don't do duplicate pages. If there is a pic I really love that I want to have in both albums, I scrap the picture twice using 2 different layouts. I have a boy and two girls so I generally do a more boyish layout for one and a more girly one for the other, I also have an album for Christmas.
    Bek

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  6. TracyBzz says…
    09/20/2009

    I use Stacy Julian's LOM (Library of Memories) system. I use 12x12 albums and put in all sizes of protectors.
    As far as which kid will get which album. I'm not worried. I figured in many many years when I'm gone my girls can take which pages/albums they want. In this modern age (in years from now even more advances will be made) they can scan them, copy them or do whatever with them. So they can each have any or all the pages I've done.

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  7. Crazy Daisy says…
    09/20/2009

    This is very timely. Though I have no children, I am trying to figure out all our organization of albums. Thanks!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Christine says…
    09/20/2009

    It is so interesting to see how people set their album system up! I do not have children, so I find my system is simpler than most. I have scrapbooks for 'Celebrations' (which is just that, and of any occasion or event), 'Loved Ones' (which includes Family, Friends and Pets), and 'Mine' (which is about me and showcases things I like to scrap about (my garden, photography, etc.). ('Mine' is not as self-indulgent as it sounds!). I also have a 'graduation' scrapbook for my niece and nephew (all in one book). I find this system works for me, but am sure it will grow and change as time passes. Thank you for all the ideas! Christine, Vancouver, BC

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  9. Anna Aspnes says…
    09/21/2009

    I use the WR Memory Keepers Albums and have various *volumes* on the go.
    1. Christmas
    2. Halloween
    3. Anna and Eric
    4. Luke Birthday
    5. Ella Birthday
    6. Davies Family
    7. Aspnes Family
    8. Anna AAM
    9. Eric (mostly Military)
    10. Anna Work
    11. Ella School
    and then I have yearly albums to catch all the rest :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Anika says…
    09/21/2009

    I know this is late but I am struggling for suggestions.. I want to giv emy son his own album ( he is 19 mos) I was gonna do my daughters book from age 3 on as a family album since he was born a month after she turned 3 my question how do I give him his own and do a family album at same time... I have alot of pics of him and her and her alone but his alone pics form that year will be in his book? Do u see my delima I dont wanna repeat pages pics etc.. so how do I do this .. does the family book become her and him together and pics of her alone i like since his are in his own book.. (baby album) or..... Ideas please.

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  11. Sheri says…
    09/25/2009

    I came to your website today to see your organization method of your albums again.. I'm starting on a school album for my son. It's his first year of pre-k. I thought I would have school stuff separate from the regular album but now I'm questioning if that should be the way to go...ugh! What to do....what to do. what to do. Do you put your son's school information in all of one album (school, home, etc.) I purchased that Becki Higgins kit also....hmmmm. I just want to get it right. I don't want to have to tear it apart later and then put it all back together again. Thanks for blogging your organization methods....even though now I'm still undecided...

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. sue says…
    09/26/2009

    Ali - Thanks for sharing your family with us. They are beautiful. Also, thanks for sharing your scrapbooking tips. I also organize by child but have one album just for travel as I do not scrapbook chronologically. I have one from CKU - Chicago 2006 & 2008 and since my two youngest daughters got married this summer, I have started a wedding album. I use binder albums as it is easier to rearrange.

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Maggie says…
    10/12/2009

    This part stays the "hard part" if you ask me! Knowing where to divide things up and not have it all together, but it being "too much" to focus on or put all together meaningfully.

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Alaine says…
    08/26/2011

    I have 4 children and a grandchild and I organise my albums exactly the same way that you do. I find it easy and never have trouble deciding where a page needs to go.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Diane says…
    07/04/2012

    Hi Ali, where did you get your binders/photo albums. I really like them.

    Reply 0 Replies

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