Make Your Scrapbooking Pages Personal: Use Your Own Handwriting

Scrapbooking has joined the digital age.  We can now make complete scrapbooking pages on our computers. Even those of us who prefer traditional scrapbooking tend to use the computer for our journaling to print clean, neat captions and narratives on our layouts.

Handwriting on pages may not be as pretty as a computer font. Still, it is so much more personal and meaningful to our families.

Why don't we use our own handwriting on our scrapbooking pages more often?  We all have different reasons.  You might be concerned with how messy your handwriting is or that others may not be able to read it.  Remember those recipes written by a grandparent or handwritten letters from a loved one?  Those are more meaningful to you now because they are personal and unique.  Your family will feel the same way about your handwriting in your scrapbooks.

Are you worried that you will make a permanent mistake with your journaling? Handwriting errors aren't difficult to correct.  Try using a paper journaling block first.  You can use a second one if you mess up the first.  If you've already attached it to the page, just glue another one over it.  Use other page elements to cover your errors.  Stickers are a simple way to cover a handwriting mistake.


The right pen makes a big difference when it comes to handwriting success. Look carefully at the paper you are using, and choose the best pen for that type of surface. Many pens will smear or run on certain types of papers. Choose a pen with the appropriate width as well. Trying to write in a small space with a wide tip will be a definite handwriting challenge.

For handwriting success you need to practice.  Make a draft of your journaling before you glue anything to the page.  Read it to yourself and out loud. This allows you to spot any errors in spelling or grammar.  Having someone else proofread your journaling is especially helpful when you have a long, narrative block of writing.  Be sure to test your pen on the page you intend to use for your final journaling. Making a draft also lets you be sure your paper is large enough to handle all your journaling.

Do you write on a slant or uphill?  Many of us find it difficult to write straight on a blank paper. Try using lined journaling blocks.  These are available in your local scrapbooking stores or you can make them yourself with lined stamps or with a ruler and pen.  Try using the natural lines on your patterned papers.  Write with the stripes on your paper as your guide. Frames can be accented by printing along the edges.  You can even writes along the boundaries of your page borders.


There are few things as personal as our handwriting.  Handwriting is unique.  Like our signature, it is a statement of who we are.  When you use your handwriting on your page layouts it adds character to your scrapbooks.  It will tell your family and anyone who looks at your albums about your mood and your personality.  Your family is sure to treasure your scrapbooks even more.  Let your handwriting add depth and emotion to your pages, not a computer font.

Christine Perry is an avid scrapbooker and has more than 10 years of scrapbooking experience. Her favorite scrapbooking subjects are her reluctant teenagers. She invites you to her website, http://www.intoscrapbooking.com for more scrapbooking tips and information on Mother's Day cards for scrapbooking.