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National Scrapbooking Day was created in 1994 by Creative Memories. Today it is an internationally observed day by hobby practitioners and may include contests, get-togethers, and other locally organized events.
Scrapbooking (also referred to as memory keeping) has existed since the 15th century when families created homemade books for journaling, drawing, and saving knickknacks for the family record. These were referred to as commonplace books, and each marked a specific time.
In later centuries, scrapbooks became known as friendship books, family albums, and clipping books. Typical memorabilia included in scrapbooks is newspaper articles, ticket stubs, photographs, stickers, journal entries, drawings, report cards, ribbons, locks of hair, first dollar (or, in this writer’s case), first nickel earned. Often childhood drawings are included as well.
The modern-day scrapbook is a worldwide multi-billion dollar industry started in 1980 by Marielen W. Christensen in Utah. Part of the Mormon tradition is tracing one’s family tree and documenting your family’s journey, and this task usually falls to the mother. Unlike previous generations, Christensen embellished her photo album pages with a ribbon, artwork, captions, and other frills and bling. After creating over 50 of these three-ring binders, she exhibited these at the World Conference on Records in 1980. Based upon the feedback from those attending, she wrote a book entitled “Keeping Memories Alive” and opened the first store dedicated to scrapbooking in Spanish Fork, Utah, in 1981. That store is still open today.
With the advent of digital photography, easy accessibility of scanners, and drag-and-drop technology, scrapbooking moved from the physical and digital worlds during the early 2000s. Popular social media websites grew from this trend, including Pinterest and Instagram. Today many news and information sites copy the same idea of embellished layout with a short commentary on how they present themselves.
Scrapbooking has played a critical role in safeguarding the family history of generations. Today, thanks to digital technology, it is a custom practiced and enjoyed worldwide. The industry did experience a sharp decline in popularity in the late 2000s, most likely attributed to the Great Recession. Scrapbooking can be expensive if one chooses to purchase professional embellishments.