In a previous blog I shared details of my latest scrapbook project. I am working with a bunch of moms from my daughter’s school to craft a Polar Express memory book filled with shots and mementos documenting the students’ winter/train/holiday-themed adventures.
Since I have never attempted to create a scrapbook with a train theme, I took to the Internet and various craft stores to research our options. Frankly, I am shocked by the sheer magnitude of embellishments, paper and layout ideas there are for scrappers looking to design their own railroad-inspired albums.
Scrappers with train-obsessed children have no shortage of choo-choo-themed choices to select from. You could create an entire layout showcasing your son or daughter’s love of collecting or riding on trains. If you choose the latter, don’t forget to include souvenirs from your train travels, such as ticket stubs or a dining car menu in your memory album.
Another page design could be devoted to a visit to a local railroad or railroad museum. Or, you could craft a layout that highlights your child’s train-themed birthday party. If the book is for a girl, combine some feminine touches in the layout, such as rhinestone brads and ribbons on locomotives or silk flowers along paper tracks.
If you are looking for an easier option, purchase a train-themed scrapbook kit. A number of different scrapbook supply retailers offer kits which feature “The Little Engine That Could” patterned paper, stickers and die cuts. Creative Imaginations also offers a superb Lionel Train scrapbook line, while A Cherry on Top has a complete line of locomotive-themed embellishments in its transportation section.
For advance scrappers, don’t be afraid to let your imagination soar. It doesn’t pay to limit yourself when you are designing a train-themed layout. Rather, get those creative juices flowing and draw your own train-shaped frame on cardstock, and then design paper tracks that double as a page border. You can complete the page by adding some conductor die-cuts or embellish with stickers of train cars and steam engines.