A great way to add personality to your scrapbook pages is by adding quotes, words or sayings written in a pretty font. Using these words as part decoration and part journaling can add a lot of flair to an otherwise plain picture page.
Samples of Scrapbook Quotes
Quotes can be incorporated into almost any scrapbooking theme, from cute quotes for kids' books to romantic sayings for a wedding scrapbook. For example:
Family
- Only love can be endlessly divided and still not diminished - Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad - Author unknown
- He ain't heavy, he's my brother - Roe Fulkerson
Children and Babies
- A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer - Author unknown
- A person's a person no matter how small - Dr. Seuss
- Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see - John W. Whitehead
Holidays
- Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat - Author unknown
- There are some people who want to throw their arms 'round you simply because it is Christmas; there are other people who want to strangle you simply because it is Christmas. - Robert Lynd
- He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree - Roy L. Smith
Love and Romance
- Live through feeling and you will live through love. For feeling is the language of the soul, and feeling is truth. - Matt Zotti
- Man loves little and often. Woman much and rarely. - Basta
- A heart that loves is always young - Greek Proverb
Using Quotes in Scrapbooking
Short quotes or phrases can be used as titles for your pages. Write the words out in nice handwriting, or use your computer to display the words in a pretty font (you can print the words on card stock and mount the whole piece of paper on your page or very carefully cut the letters out). You can spell it out in stickers or use a stencil.
Longer quotes can be treated as journaling, simply written or typed on a pretty piece of paper, maybe mounted on another piece of paper and pasted into the book.
There are several ways to use quotes in your scrapbook layouts. Try some of these ideas:
- Find a quote you love, and then design a page around it. Maybe you have a favorite quote about reading; you can make a page featuring a photo of your child learning to read. If you love a quote about friends, feature a picture of you and your friends on that page.
- Alternatively, you can choose a picture and find a quote to go with it. To do this, think of words to describe your picture or common themes you might be able to use. Then search for a quote on this topic.
- How you display a quote matters. For a holiday saying, try arranging the words to form a Christmas tree shape. You can also print the quote on plain paper and mat it against a pretty colored paper piece to set it off. Keep the rest of your layout simple so viewers can focus on the words.
- Consider embellishing your quote with paper crafting techniques like sanding and embossing. This can add even more drama to the words, and it will help readers take notice.
- Remember that quotes don't have to come from famous people. You can highlight something your grandmother used to say, a quote from the Bible, Torah, or another religious text, something your child's teacher said at a parent teacher conference, or another phrase that has special meaning for you.
Characteristics of Good Scrapbook Quotes
You can pick up any quotation book or visit any website featuring old sayings, but you'll find that not all of these word gems are suited to scrapbooking. When you use a quote in your scrapbook layout, it needs to have a few specific qualities:
Length
Look for a saying that is short enough to read quickly. Scrapbook pages are more about the visual presentation of the photographs and mementos than they are about showcasing someone else's words. Save space for your own journal entries, and choose quotes that are short and sweet.
Topic
A good scrapbook saying is perfect for your page's topic. If you're doing a layout about a new baby, the quote should involve newborns. If your page is about Christmas, a holiday quote would be a good choice.
Tone
Another important consideration in choosing a saying is the quote's tone. Some pieces, especially older quotes, can be quite formal. If you're making a page that is about kids or a casual event, a formal quote can seem out of place.
Sources for Quotes
The Internet is a great resource for sayings of all kinds, and it's easy to find pieces that are perfect for your layouts. The following websites offer a great variety of quotes:
- Scrapbook.com has quotes broken down by category for easy perusal
- Quote Mountain breaks down famous scrapbook quotes by category in its side bar
- Quote Garden has quotes specifically about scrapbooking
- Scrapbook-crazy.com has a selection of quotes broken down by category
- Wisdom Quotes features a very large selection of quotes for all purposes, the most recent listed first and categories for browsing
Other Quote Sources
There are books on the market that include quotes specifically designed for scrapbookers, and you can also find stickers and rubber stamps with short quotes, phrases or inspirational words on them that can be stamped or stuck right to your pages. Look for these items on the sticker or stamp aisle of your favorite craft store, or visit a store dedicated to scrapbooking for even more possibilities.
If you're looking for general quotes about all sorts of topics, look to a basic book of quotes. One Internet book site, Bartelby, gives you access to a handful of great quote books which can be searched by topic.
Spice Up Your Scrapbook
With the right words and a little creativity, you can make quotes the focal point of your pages. However you choose your quotes and sayings for scrapbooks, you'll find that they add a touch of personality and folk wisdom to your scrapbook layouts.
