Military scrapbook supplies are essential to make memory books for service members. If you or someone you love is a member of the armed forces, you know how important it is to preserve and share your experiences through the art of scrapbooking. Don't let the search for military-themed supplies overwhelm you. There are plenty of comprehensive stock available at reasonable prices.
Sources for Military Scrapbook Supplies
While you might find a single sheet of Coast Guard stickers or a Marine theme specialty paper at a local scrapbooking store, it is unlikely that you will find enough local resources to make complete pages and complete Military-themed memory books. Since this is a specialty area of scrapbooking, it's wise to buy large amounts of supplies online all at once. While it may be fun to walk into a store and examine the items before you purchase them, most websites offer excellent viewing options with zoom capabilities so you know what you're buying. Some online shops that specialize in military-theme scrapbook supplies even offer memory books with covers for specific military branches. These include military emblems and specific military titles such as Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force and so on. If you want to make an entire military-themed scrapbook, online sources offer the widest selections and some of the best prices.
Service Memories
Service Memories offers a wide range of products and supplies for all branches of the military and also a collection of general patriotic items. Standard items include memory book paper, stickers, stamps, embellishments and even alphabets with which you can write your own text in letters that stick with the theme of your own branch of the military. In addition to all of these supplies for inside a scrapbook, this webshop also sells a wide variety of military-theme memory books. While some of these albums are considerably more expensive than a standard memory book from a local craft store, you can still find some books in the $30 range. All of these military-themed albums make a big impression. This shop even sells generic scrapbooking supplies, such as page protectors and photo corners, which means you can do all of your shopping on one site. Shipping from this website is free to overseas APO (Army/Air Force Post Office) and FPO (Fleet Post Office) addresses.
Creating Military Memories
Creating Military Memories has a large selection of military scrapping supplies and carries many of the same types of items as Service Memories. A few unique offerings from this webshop are several different types of items that are themed to past wars and other time periods. These can be great resources for veterans of previous wars or history buffs. Prices are reasonable and shipping is also free on this website when going to APO or FPO addresses. This shop also has regular sales, so be sure to check the sale sticker on the website whenever you visit.
Using Military-Themed Supplies
Making great scrapbooks starts with a paper background that sets the stage for what you place on the page. Basic papers for military memory books are camouflage papers for the Army or blue backgrounds for the Navy, but with the supply shops above, you will find many new paper options specific to each branch of the military.
Consider making two-page layouts using the same paper on both the left and right sides and a saying that stretches across both sheets of paper. Use special stencils to make the letters into an armed forces theme, or purchase alphabet stickers to spell out the saying. Of course, you can also print out letters in a font you find fitting from your computer.
Pictures, many featuring frames around them, are also on every page in a scrapbook. The finishing touches on each page can come from stickers, die-cuts, and other embellishments. You can use special items from the shops above or incorporate your own memorabilia into the book, such as tickets, notes, and maybe even your own dog tags.
Page Themes
The possibilities for page themes are endless. If you need some initial ideas to get started, try making a few of these pages with your new collection of military scrapbook supplies:
- Close buddies
- Heading home
- Impressive moments
- Intense training
- Making the grade
- Missing home
- Reunion
- Shipping out
- The call of duty
- The unit
Making Military Scrapbooks
Whether you are chronicling your own experiences in the military through a scrapbook or you are a mother, wife or loved one of someone in the armed forces, creating a military scrapbook is a great way to bring pictures and experiences into one place where they can be seen and remembered for generations. A special military scrapbook also makes a wonderful gift for a family member or friend returning home from service.
