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It’s a good idea to get into the habit of having details of personal history for yourself and anyone you might do scrapbooking for to be able to refer to it when needed.

You could be doing a scrapbook for a parent or friend and you will need some information about their life to help you in putting together the pictures and words that will make up the scrapbook. Everyone’s life experience is different and we want to be sure we record the important events for each person.

Let’s get started. First we will want to organize the important documents in chronological order such as birth certificate, marriage certificate etc. In order to get certified copies you can call or e-mail the records office for the county in which you (or the subject of the scrapbook) were born, married and any other documents you require. For details of how to find this office try Googling and then contact the clerk’s office for details of how to get copies of the documents you require.

Buy a three-ring binder which you can use for listing facts about your life. You could come up with a form to re-use for others. This should include details like schools attended along with dates. The various addresses you have lived at with years for each. You will want your parent’s names and their occupations. Be sure to include your mother’s maiden name. These facts can help to jog your memory when you begin to write the story. For now just outline the details of whatever you can remember.

Have divider pages with sections for childhood from infancy to age 12, then another section for teen years and finally adult life. Have page protectors where you store memorabilia such as photos (not facing each other), documents, letters etc. You may want to work with copies of photos and important papers rather than originals.

When the family gets together make notes of things people have said and include times and dates for the scrapbook. If you ask questions make a note of answers without interrupting. Ask members of the family to write a personal history of themselves for you. Be sure to keep letters and display them in the scrapbook as they are usually full of inspiring ideas that will be a source of wonder to future generations.

Have an interview notebook with a list of questions for children, another for teenagers and yet another for adults. Your questions for adults might be along the following lines:

1. How did you become interested in the hobbies that you enjoy?
2. What age were you when you decided on the career that you took up? Did you ever change your mind and decide to do something else? Why?
3. What is the most important lesson that you believe you have learned in life?
4. Have you ever been on a camping holiday? If so, did you enjoy the experience?

These will all be interesting to the family and a really great resource for the future.

This will keep the scrapbook interesting with new things to add about the people whose stories you are preserving.

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