Here’s a good article I found on using scrapbooking as a teaching tool. The project ideas would be great for anyone to use!

Scrapbooking is a great way to get creative in Family and Consumer Sciences classes. Ask students to choose a theme for their scrapbooks. For example, they could use scrapbooks to compare generational lifestyles in photos, such as careers for women, marriage and raising children. How did their grandmothers work? What career options do women have today? How old were their grandparents when they got married? How many of their grandparents attended college? Topics like these make great discussion starters, and scrapbooks can be the trigger that gets the dialog flowing.

What follows are two simple projects you can implement with classes.

The Bookworm Scrapbooking Project

Basic Supplies:

• Tracing paper
• Transfer paper
• Straight-edged scissors
• Pencil
• Glue

Project Supplies:

• Patterned Paper Pizazz(TM): yellow gingham
• Square hole punch
• Black pen
• Red buttons
• White floss
• 1/8′ red and yellow eyelets
• 1/4′ red ribbon
• Decorative glue dots
• Kristin font for designing lettering (a Macintosh computer font)
• Paper book patterns (available in craft supply stores)
• Solid Paper Pizazz(TM): black & white

Instructions:

1. Mat the photo on white, with a 1/8′ border, then on black, with a narrow border. Glue the matted photo to the upper right side of the yellow gingham. Cut out one 4 3/4′ x 4′ white piece, and one 4 1/4′ x 4 1/2′ white piece. Mat both on black, with a narrow border. Insert eyelets in each photo corner; yellow in top left and bottom right corners and red in top right and bottom left corners.
2. Use the pencil to trace the book patterns onto tracing paper. Place transfer paper between the tracing paper and the patterned papers. Go over the traced lines with pencil. Use the black pen to write over the book titles and add the lines. Cut out the pieces, mat on black, with a narrow border. Glue the book patterns to the center of the 4 3/4′ x 4′ white rectangle. Write details about the person in the photo (the person’s name, grade, school name and the year) around the edges with the black pen. Glue this piece to the bottom left of the page.
3. Write photo details on the other white piece with black pen, and glue at an angle to left of the photo. Tie a bow with the red ribbon, and attach it to the top of the piece containing photo details with a decorative glue dot.
4. Cut 1 1/2′ squares of three different patterned papers, mat on white, then black, with a narrow border. Arrange squares and glue under the photo. Thread floss through each button and tie a knot. Arrange squares and adhere with decorative glue dots between patterned squares.

The Heartfelt Journaling Project Supplies:

• Patterned Paper Pizazz(TM): stars on green
• Specialty Paper Pizazz’(TM): light green paper, green and white vellum paper
• Solid Paper Pizazz(TM): black, dark green, light green
• Stamp Studio(TM) eyelets: light green and dark green
• Circle hole punch for circles 2′, 2 1/2′, 3′
• Black pen
• Foam tape (available in craft supply stores)

Instructions:

1. Mat the photo of the chosen person on black paper with a narrow border, then on green with a 1/8′ border. Mat it on black again, with a narrow border. Adhere the matted photo to the bottom right of the stars patterned paper with foam tape, 1/2′ from the right edge.
2. Write a description of the person in the photo onto a 6′ x 3 1/4′ rectangle of light green paper. You can mat the paper on black with a narrow border. Mat on dark green with a 1/4′ border, then again on black with a narrow border. Put the person’s name onto a 6′ x 3 1/4′ rectangle of white vellum. secure the vellum to the matted text block with a dark green eyelet in each corner.
3. Use each circle hole punch to make a light green vellum circle. Repeat with the dark green vellum for three more circles. Take one word used in the text block and write it onto each circle. Attach the circles with alternating light and dark green eyelets to the page.
4. Attach the text block with the description of the person above the photo with foam tape overlapping some of the vellum circles.

Project #1 is from Making Fabulous Scrapbook Pages. Project #2 is from 203 Paper Piecing Patterns, both published by Hot Off the Press, ©2002. www.hotp.com

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