The Essential Guide to Creating Your Baby's First-Year Scrapbook

You’ve welcomed a new bundle of joy into the family, and you’re excited to create a lifetime of memories with them.

You know you’ll never forget all of the firsts that are about to come, but your baby won’t remember them. You’re planning on creating a scrapbook to memorialise their first year of life so you can share it with them when they’re older. But where do you start?

Here, we have some top tips for putting together your baby’s first-year scrapbook.

Fill the pages with photos

Of course, when it comes to scrapbooks, photos are the first place to start. You’ll want to document how your tot has grown in their first year – because, believe us, they grow so fast! Whether you take photos on your smartphone or a professional camera, you can get them printed easily to stick in your scrapbook.

If you have family members or friends who’ve documented some special occasions, such as their first visit to see your new baby or a day out at the park, get them to send you their pictures. The more the merrier.

Save some scraps

The great thing about scrapbooks is that you can include different items. You’re not just limited to photos. Why not save some scraps from your little one’s first baby blanket, mittens, or hats? The different textures will not only make their scrapbook interesting but it offers a multimedia experience. They’ll love feeling how soft their first blanket was!

You could also include hand and footprints or even a lock of their hair to add some interest to their scrapbook. Putting in real scraps from their first items is also a great way for you to relive the joy of having a newborn. The colours, patterns, and texture of these items will transport you back to those joyful memories even as you create new ones with your child.

Order it by month

From the month they were born and the countless adorable photos of them when they’d barely opened their eyes to their first birthday, documenting the whole year will fill the scrapbook with all their firsts and some unforgettable moments.

If you order it by month, you can build the scrapbook as you go and even create themes. December can feature your baby in adorable Christmas-themed outfits and trips out to Christmas markets, bundled up in their baby blanket and woolly warmers. For Halloween, go with an orange and black theme and don’t forget to get some snaps of your baby in a pumpkin costume!

Give it a theme

Putting together this scrapbook is a great way of indulging in a crafty activity. Get your creative juices flowing and create a theme that you know you and your child will love. If you adore floral patterns, why not paint some or create some cut-outs for your little one’s scrapbook? Equally, you could stick to a colour theme to create a cohesive and stunning scrapbook that you and your child will treasure forever.

You could even give it the same theme as their room, nursery, or favourite cuddly toy. We’ve seen people create a zoo-animal-themed book and a scrapbook with a bee theme.

Build scrapbooks with them

A scrapbook of you and your children’s memories doesn’t have to stop at their first year. Keep it going beyond their first birthday to create a lifetime of memories. What’s more, when your tot gets old enough to get crafty, why not add to your scrapbook together? There’s no better way to bond and pass on your love of arts and crafts than to fill a memories scrapbook together.

As your child grows, they’ll be able to take the lead on designing the scrapbook. Perhaps you have a shared love of ladybugs, but they also love butterflies. Encourage them to create something that they’ll want to revisit time and time again.

The memories you and your baby will create together will last a lifetime. Bring those memories to life by putting together a beautiful, crafty scrapbook filled to the brim with treasured moments. As they grow into a toddler and a child, get them involved in building out this scrapbook for the perfect bonding time.