If you’re reading this, not only do we like to travel; most of us like to find artistic ways to document all the places we’ve been to and all the things we’ve seen.

One of my favorite ways to look back on my travels is through scrap-booking. It’s a way to gather your favorite photos and put them together in a unique way that fits your personality and impresses your friends and family.

Scrap-booking does take some serious time to do and some cash depending on where your gathering your materials. But with enough research and creativity you can find ways to minimize the amount you spent and have a scrapbook that you can treasure for years to come.

Step 1: Create a travel timeline

This is the best way to ensure that you don’t miss a single vacation and the best way to tell an accurate story of your travel timeline. All you have to do is grab a piece of paper and write down your trips in order. (Tip: This makes the photo choosing process a whole lot easier.)

Step 2: Print out photos

This is where your travel timeline comes in handy, with so many photo storage locations it can be hard to pick your favorite photos, so being organized ensures the best possible outcome. (Tip: Select your photos ahead of time and organize them in a flash drive.)

If you want to include a lot of photos into your scrapbook I would recommend printing them out at sizes (4 x 6) and do your best photographs in a larger size to show depth in your book.

Printing so many photos for your book can become pricey so make sure to your research before selecting a printing location. Check places likes Walmart, Target, CVS and etc.

Step 3: Gather Memorabilia

Having memorabilia already saved from your past vacations adds a good value to your scrap book because it means having to spend less on decor for your book and it also adds personal sentiment.

Some good items to save would be: ticket stubs, receipts, wrist bands, brochures, business cards, etc.

(Tip: Try not to select huge items that end up taking up the entire page unless you really want to include it. )

Step 4: Decor

So the number one place to go to for this kind of stuff is obviously Michael’s, however this isn’t always the best option if your looking to save money. Many of the stickers range between $3-$5 for only one sheet of stickers, which is barely enough to fill two pages in your book. If you do go to Michael’s I would suggest checking the clearance section or only buying the sticker packs that greatly benefit your project goals.

However, other places to visit for discounted stickers and decor are your local 99 cent stores, granted you won’t have as many options but thinking outside the box and going through all the racks of stickers and crafts you are bound to find items that go with your theme.

If the in-store methods both fail and you haven’t found what your looking for , I suggest going online to places like Ebay, I was able to find some of the same stickers I saw at Michael’s for half the price. And I even found some that weren’t available in stores and ended up only costing me $1- $1.99.

(Tip: On Ebay refine your search method to less than $2 and free shipping. )

As for buying scrapbooks I would recommend going to Target, Walmart or Michael’s during season sales. I got two leather books, 50 pages each each for BOGO 50% off.

When selecting scrap books always go for the 50 page ones or else you will quickly run out of space. It’s better to have leftover sheets than not enough.

Step 5: Piece it together

This is the most fun part but also the longest part. Here, I would just do what feels right and what soothes your personal taste. It took me roughly 5 to 6 hours to complete around 20 pages.

Hope you all enjoy these tips and tricks for scrap-booking your adventures. If you have any of your own let me know by leaving a comment!