Scrapbooks: Grand way to chronicle family history

Craft room set up for scrapbooking hobby

About 45 years ago I started sorting my photos into a scrapbook, of sorts.
It was a rudimentary effort, but the first example of what evolved into a full-fledged hobby after I met my husband. Luckily we have had a momentous 31 years of marriage, and I, the former journalist, happily chronicle the Baker family life.
Scrapbooking, the hobby, is one of the fastest-growing in the United States, according to Smithsonian magazine, at Smithsonian.com. The value of scrapbooks has spanned the centuries, according to a report by graphic designer Jessica Helfand, as cited in a 2009 story, "The Cherished Tradition of Scrapbooking." Hefland once wrote negatively about the hobby and was taken aback by a response from scrapbook hobbyists.
She then went out and acquired 200 scrapbooks, and wrote a book, "Scrapbooks: An American History." In the Smithsonian account, she talks about 19th century scrapbooking, which tended to the macabre, including one by a woman who watched as her six children were killed in a streetcar accident.
As one who has more than 35 scrapbooks, I do see the value of the hobby as a coping mechanism. I do my scrapbooks, mostly, in the first couple months of the year. This week, for example we had a big snowfall and it was smart to stay indoors most of the weekend. Hence, I worked on the scrapbooks.
I divide the family scrapbooks into 12 months -- a cover page on "January" works off our family calendar. I list the main events of the month on the cover page, and choose 2-3 of the best photos I took each month. The cover page is in a color to match the season ... For January, the paper is beige, and resembles a piece of wood.
The following pages give some detail off the main events. We have several family birthdays to kick off the year, so I always use gift stickers in the overall design.
I have a large amount of stickers to use with each event, or season. I try to take advantage of sales to keep costs in line. The use of stickers is easily the most expensive part of the process.
I'm also redoing some scrapbooks. In early years we didn't have access to the kind of materials available today, so some do need a fresh look.
Scrapbooks come in many styles. I favor ones that resemble three-ring notebooks, so the pages can be more easily assembled, and changed if necessary. I use a wide variety of pens, ribbon, and now, colored tape in the designs. Photos mainly come off my phone: Right now I have 175 to print; I use a coupon to keep the costs in line.
Assembling the book takes time; I can spend several hours just documenting a trip, for example. These days, I take notes on each trip we take, type them up in a chatty form, and post that page first, followed by photos of the vacation.
There is a storage issue: My scrapbooks are in a bookcase, but each one is too long for the bookshelf. I hope to rig up two bookcases, back-to-back, to hold these 30+ books.
The scrapbooks are invaluable. In the event of a funeral, for example, we can quickly find photos of the loved ones, and design posters for the visitation. A recent birth in the family adds a new dimension, and new stickers to be purchased.
Finally, I do plan to scan each scrapbook, someday. They will be "in the cloud," so our family won't have to deal with storing the books.

This year's Baker family scrapbook is a work in progress.