Make Your Scrapbooking Pages Personal: Use Your Own Handwriting

Scrapbooking as a hobby has changed along with the digital age. We can use digital software to create beautiful scrapbooking pages completely on our computer screens.  Even the most traditional scrapbookers love the neat, professional-looking type of computer fonts for their pages.

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

We all hesitate to use our own handwriting on our scrapbooking pages for different reasons.  A few reasons are common. You might think your handwriting isn't neat enough for others to read.  Consider how your family views your handwriting.  You can get beyond your concerns if you realize how much your families will value that you preserved something as personal and unique as your handwriting.  Remember how important those handwritten family recipes or letters are to you now.

Handwriting mistakes a common reason why people hesitate to use their own handwriting on their scrapbooking pages.  You can use different techniques to correct your handwriting errors. First, use a paper journaling block.  These are inexpensive, and if you make a mistake on one, you just try again on another.  If you spot your mistake after the journaling is attached to the page, just glue another paper block over the one with the error.  You can use stickers to cover your mistakes as well.


The right pen choice is crucial to successful handwriting on your scrapbooking pages.  The type of paper you are using determines the best pen choice.  Many pens are not meant for slick or glossy papers and will smear. Others don't work well on porous papers and will run. Check the width of the pen.  Wide tips pens work best on large journaling areas.

Always practice your journaling before you glue it to your page.  Write a draft on a piece of scrap paper.  Slowly, read it aloud. This helps you spot errors in your grammar and spelling.  If you have someone available, ask them to proofread it for you.  Always remember to test the pen on the paper as well.  Practicing on a draft first also lets you see if you have enough room available for all of your journaling.

Many of us need a straight edge to handwrite or we tend to write on a slant.  Pre-lined journaling blocks are a useful tool for those you often write uphill.  You can make these using a pen and ruler or you can use a lined-journaling stamp made for this purpose.  Your local scrapbooking store will also have pre-lined journaling blocks usually with decorative accents.  Patterned paper can work as a guide for your handwriting.  Try writing along the lines in striped paper.  Print along the outside of a frame.  You even can write along the edges of scrapbooking borders.


Handwriting is uniquely personal.  It's also a form of validation, like our signature.  A page layout with handwritten journaling adds character to a scrapbook album. It's a glimpse into who you are.  Your family will treasure your scrapbook pages even more, because it tells them about your personality and even reflects your mood.  A computer font can't  add the depth and emotion to your words that your handwriting can.

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 beginner scrapbooking and information on Mother's Day cards for scrapbooking.