Scrapbooks aren’t always just for photos. I tend to go out with myself a lot, but when I was a kid, my sister had a scrapbook that I used to sneak into from time to time. Of course, back then I used plain paper and colored cardstock that are now acid yellow. He also used white school glue that no longer holds anything in place. The important point I’m trying to make is that I still remember the contents of that scrapbook.

She kept movie and theme park ticket stubs, concert ticket stubs, and as I got older, I even found an old love letter from a boy she liked at the time. Other things I remember seeing were school papers with an A +, notes passed in class from her friends, and even flowers and press sheets.

Today, we can still preserve those kinds of memories by adding these little extras to our scrapbooks. The difference today is that we know that a lot of those kinds of things are destructive to our scrapbooks and we know how to fix it by using digital scrapbooking techniques. I always recommend making digital photocopies of everything. Unless the original paper is guaranteed to be acid-free, it will yellow and crumble over time. Therefore, keep the original in a memory box or other safe place, but use secure digital copies in your scrapbook.

So what other kinds of “extras” are safe, and what kinds of things will destroy your scrapbooks?

Items that are safe:

* Old report cards

* Short essays or poems

* Birthday invitations

* Maps and postcards of the holiday town

* College brochures and letters of acceptance

* Greeting cards for special occasions

* Decorative napkins

* Name tags or place cards from table settings

* Receipts from a favorite restaurant

* Tickets stubs and schedules for plays and concerts

* Programs and ticket stubs for sporting events

* Old driver’s licenses

* CD covers

These items can be added to individual pages or left intact and placed in a sheet protector along with photos of the events they represent. Just be careful around bulky or uneven items as they can ruin the pages on top over time when the book is closed.

Common items that can destroy your scrapbooks over time:

* Pressed leaves and flowers

* Newspaper clippings

* Magazine or article clippings

* Receipts for thermal printing or carbon copies

* Crayons and most markers

* Glitter or other objects with sharp edges

* School glue or rubber cement

* Synthetic material or fabric

* Most hobby and home paints or stains

Organic materials like flowers and leaves have natural lingon and emit gases that will deteriorate your photographs and papers. Newspapers and magazines use acid-filled oil-based inks and stick to everything … just look at your fingers after reading. Thermal papers and coals are highly acidic and it takes very little heat to turn them completely black. Crayons, markers, household paints, and stains use acids and other harmful chemicals to bond colors just like white glues (school paste) and rubber cements. Glitter has thousands of little sharp edges that cut, scratch, and ruin your photos and other items … not to mention, it gets everywhere.

If you must use glitter, get the most expensive one that is fully coated with an acid-free clear glue. While not perfect, it keeps most of it in place and covers most of the sharp edges.

Here’s the whole point. There really is no limit to the items (and keepsakes) you can put in your scrapbooks. Additional elements can help capture feelings and emotions, as well as tell more of the overall story. Just be a little cautious. Verify materials are free of acid and lingon. If in doubt … make a copy on your color scanner or copier and use the digital version in your book. Save thick and bulky items for your shadow boxes or protect top and bottom pages from damage caused by thick edges.

Most of all … Happy Scrappin ‘