four lovely scrapbooking ideas to have a crack at

Ah, scrapbooking. There's nothing better in our eyes than cosying up in our abodes, scouring through our endless piles of mags, vintage-looking books and whole selection of quirky bits and bobs we've collected over the years, cutting up and then placing them inside our beloved scrapbook, but when you've been hit with a sudden art block what the heck can we do? 

Fret not, beloved pal, since we've done the legwork for you all by listing a handful of ripper ideas that might just inspire your next best scrapbook work. Plus, we've included some rad examples made by fellow scrapbookers just in case you need a little extra inspiration.

JUNK IS A SLAM-DUNK Who said that scrapbooking has to be polished? If we spent all our time waiting for the 'perfect' photo, drawing or any other lovely bits and bobs we would get absolutely nothing done – which is why we recommend not thinking too deep about it and investing in a 'junk journal'. Add any loose stamps, magazine cut-outs, stickers or anything else that sparks joy, who cares if they don't follow a theme! After all, scrapbooking is supposed to be fun!

PUSH THE ENVELOPE So, you've run into a problem: you've found a neat bunch of sentimental bits but you don't have the heart to permanently glue them onto a page. Our solution? Put them in a cute envelope! That way, you can store any loose trinkets, photos or any other tchotchkes that you might want to put somewhere else someday, while still adding a nice 3D element into your scrapbook. It's a win/win!

WHEN IN DOUBT, MAKE IT SENTIMENTAL We get it, it's all the rage these days to seem as aloof and unaffected from emotion, but we've always thought that was a crock of steaming-hot BS. If you're missing your friends, vent out your feelings by curating an equally-sad scrapbook page filled with photos or letters written by mates. Feeling angry at the many injustices happening in the world? Project your anger via paper and scissors – cutting something up might be cathartic. Sometimes the best inspiration is found within ourselves and the world around us (as cheesy as that sounds). 

GET DOODLY WITH IT If you're keen on making your scrapbook feel that much more personal, why not add a splash of paint and create your own bit of art? We suggest picking up some watercolour paints and decorating the paper with scenes of nature, animals or just a neat splash of colour – and if you decide you're not a fan, just cover it with a cute-looking photo. 

We hope you enjoyed our list of scrapbooking ideas. While we have you, why not take a gander at some stationery bits and bobs or take part in our Martina Calvi giveaway?