Preserve a Special Trip with a Travel Album

Ahhh…vacation time. Whether its an exotic once-in-a-lifetime trip, the annual family road trip to the cottage or sightseeing in your own town, a vacation is a special time. You may want to house those memories in a special album. Here are some ideas to spark your imagination.

 

FAMILY VACATIONS ALBUM This type of album develops over time, with a few layouts added each time you take a different vacation. It’s fun to see the highlights from many years all in one place. If you go to the same place for vacation each year you will be able to see the changes over time, whereas if you take a different trip each year this album can showcase the variety. Go back and dig out photos from past vacations, or start fresh with this years trip. (TIP: Choose an album that will allow you to add pages over time – post bound, three ring or strap hinge would all work well. Buy enough pages/protectors now as the album will accomodate so you can add pages for many years down the road, as manufacturers do change styles of products.)

 

TRIP SPECIFIC ALBUM The goal of this type of album is to preserve memories of a once-in-a-lifetime trip or a journey to a special destination. Devote an entire album to all aspects of the trip – the planning and preparationas well as photos of the trip itself. Include things like itineraries, memorabilia, maps, postcards and journaling. If you have buckly souvenirs, you may want to photograph them and add that to the album. Note that this doesn’t have to be a huge album – it could be a mini-album (6×6 or 8×8 size) that allows you to easily share it with others and relive the memories whenever you have a moment.

 

No matter which type of vacation album you are making, you’ll probably end up with lots of photos you want to include. Remember that not every photo has to be incorporated into a fancy scrapbook layout. Consider using an album that allows you to insert pocket pages with 6 4×6 slots interspersed with regular 12×12 pages. This allows you the freedom to mix up traditional scrapbook “pages” with lots of 4×6 snapshots. You would need to use a 12×12 3 ring binder style album to house these pages. WR Memory Keepers, Pioneer, American Crafts, Close to My Heart and Pebbles all manufacture these types of pages.

 

If you usually come back from a trip and dread the idea of sorting everything once you are unpackes, here are some tips for preparing in advance for completing a travel album when you get home:

• Plan you album ahead of time...what size will you use? What type of products? This information will help you collect or weed out souvenirs on your trip. For example, you'll know that there is no use bringing home a large brochure if you will be creating a 6x6 album!
• Bring along a binder or duotang with one page protector for each day. While you are on vacation, slip mementoes, souvenirs and postcards in each protector. You will have everything you need all together when you get home.
• Take along journaling cards and an acid free pen and record your memories while things are fresh in your mind at the end of each day or after you enjoy a special experience.
• Or bring a copy of your itinerary and note interesting observations right on it. You'll have the date, place and info all recorded in the same place.
• Use postcards you pick up along the way as images for scrapbooks. You can even journal on the back of the cards the special details about the location pictured on the front.

 If you have tips for creating travel themed albums, we'd love to hear them!