Turning Trash Into Treasure - The Truth About Scrapbooking

While so many women today enjoy the art ofscrapbooking addict would find plenty of uses for old
scrapbooking, many are surprised to discover that itnewspaper clippings, advertisements, and printed
has a history that stretches back some one hundredpoetry.
seventy nine years and has as much to do with trash- Modern scrapbooking, with archival and acid free
as with delicate embellishments and carefully writtenpaper owes much of success to Marielen Christensen.
journals. Indeed, what started out as a book aboutIn 1980, she shared scrapbooking albums of her
collecting scrap pieces of paper and newspaperfamilies history with the World Conference of Records
clippings has turned into a multi-million dollar industry.in Utah.
- Published in 1826, "Manuscript Gleanings and Literary- The albums generated so much attention that the
Scrap Book" by John Poole was a unique collection ofChristensen family saw an immediate business
engravings and poems. The book also explained theopportunity. They opened the first retail stamping store
best means of finding, collecting, and arranging scraps"Keeping Memories Alive"
(printed pieces of paper with beautiful ornate designs).- Today, thousands of scrapbooking companies supply
- During this time, even the smallest leftover "scraps"the eager scrapbooking crowd with stickers, rubber
of paper were saved and later used in scrapbookingstamps, acid-free paper, albums, and a whole host of
layouts. Even today, some scrapbooking revolvesembellishments.
around stickers intended to look like old "scraps"Scrapbooking continues to draw much attention and
- "Scrap mania" quickly caught on in the society andinterest since it is focused on the wonderful memories
companies began producing scraps, scrapbooks,of our lives and the lives of the ones we love.
albums, and supplies used for the display of puzzles,Whether it is the birth of a baby or the graduation of a
poems, journaling, and pressed flowers.son, these moments are sure to make scrapbooking a
- In a society where little was wasted, thefavorite hobby for many years to come!