What Is a Scrapbook?

An example of a scrapbook from my mom’s collection that inspired me to start this inquiry.

What I wanted to Find out:

This week, I wanted to learn more about scrapbooking before getting more into creating my own pages. I already knew that scrapbooking was a way of organizing photos and memories, but I wanted to understand more about where it came from, why people scrapbook, and how it has changed over time.

What is a scrapbook?:

Through my research, I learned that according to PaperPapers, scrapbooks are a creative way of documenting and preserving memories by using photos, memorabilia, artwork, decoration, and writing in a personalized album (Ehtisham, 2026). I learned that scrapbooking is not only about putting photographs into a book. The decorations, colours, layouts, and writing can help tell the story behind all of the memories.

History of Scrapbooking:

I learned that scrapbooking has a long history. Scrapbooking goes back to the Middle Ages and was common for well-educated people to document and keep personal journals on their thoughts on life and the events happening around them. One of the earliest known surviving journals is known today as “Journal d’un bourgeois de Paris,” The Diary of a Bourgeois from Paris. It was written in Paris between 1409 and 1449 by a French priest (Scrapbook.com, n.d.). The idea of scrapbooking was created back in the 15th and 16th centuries when people used books to collect things such as poetry, quotations, sketches, and personal reflections (Ehtisham, 2026). PaperPapers also identifies three main elements of a scrapbook including photographs, mementos, and journaling. Photographs show the memories, mementos can include things like tickets or postcards, and journaling adds written details such as dates, locations, and stories.

Included below is “A bride’s scrapbook from 1919 – created by Emily Henrietta Fredericks Meyers to document her wedding (May 1st, 1919),” (Scrapbook.com, n.d.).

What Scrapbooking Means Today:

Today, scrapbooking is a creative hobby that people use to preserve memories, family history, and important life events. It can include photographs, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, writing, and different decorations to create a personalized scrapbook (Kennelly, 2022). I found it interesting that there is no one right way to design a scrapbook. People can choose their own themes, layouts, colours, and decorations to make their pages personal to them. Scrapbooking has also changed with technology. EBSCO explains that digital scrapbooking has become popular, allowing people to use computers, phones, and different tools to edit photos and make layouts (Kennelly, 2022).

However, traditional scrapbooking is still popular because people can physically work with photos, paper, and other materials. I like that scrapbooking can combine creativity with technology, which connects to my free inquiry project because I can use online resources for inspiration while creating something physical myself.

I’ve included an example below of a digital scrapbook page, showing how photos, text, colours, and decorations can be combined using technology (Photo from Canva).

What I Found Interesting:

I was surprised by how far back scrapbooking goes. Before doing this research, I mostly thought of scrapbooking as something people did with photographs and decorations. Learning about its history helped me understand that people have been using books to collect memories, ideas, and meaningful pieces of their lives for hundreds of years.

What I Want to Explore Next:

After learning about the history of scrapbooking, I want to research the different styles and layouts that people use today. I am interested in seeing how people use colours, patterns, photographs, and decorations differently and figuring out what styles I might want to try in my own scrapbook.

What? So What? Now What?:

What?
This week, I learned about the history of scrapbooking, what scrapbooks can include, and how scrapbooking has changed with technology

So What?
This helped me understand that scrapbooking is more than just decorating a photo album. It can be a way to tell stories, express creativity, and preserve personal memories. I also noticed that people have a lot of choice in how they create their pages, which can make the activity personal and meaningful.

Now What?
I want to use what I learned when I start creating more of my own scrapbook pages. I also want to explore different types of layouts, colours, and styles to see what works best for me. As a future teacher, I can also see how a similar activity could give students a creative way to share stories, memories, and ideas through pictures and writing. Giving students choices in how they design their pages could also support creativity and allow them to express their own ideas.