For centuries, humans have collected letters, pictures, recipes, and other ephemera and preserved them in books. Even as the physical forms of these materials have evolved, along with the tools to save them for posterity, the scrapbooking process has largely stayed the same. And it’s not so surprising that the activity is alive and flourishing today: In a time when so much of our lives unfold online, it’s especially meaningful to keep physical capsules of important moments and memories. To introduce children to scrapbooking, consider purchasing a kit, which can come with lots of themed papers, essential materials, and even the book itself.
1. Amassan Scrapbook DIY Kit
This kit provides everything needed to create a memorable scrapbook, save for personal mementos. You not only get a book but also colorful marker pens, scissors with decorative blades, stamps, ink, stencils, photo corners, and a lot of stickers. This option is our top pick because it really is a blank slate: The book, which is spiral bound, is filled with simple but sleek black paper, and the provided accessories feature open-ended, decorative patterns rather than pointed thematic designs. And everything included is well made, particularly the satisfyingly heavy cardstock pages.
2. Scrapbook Customs Scrapbook Kit
If you’re interested in a themed scrapbooking kit, we like the inspiring ones from this scrapbook company. You can choose from a wide range of themes: from national parks to football, from baby showers to vacations. Each kit includes nine pleasantly stiff decorative papers—printed on both sides!—that are watercolor friendly, plus three sheets of paper cutouts in modern colors and typefaces. These can all come together on the page to create stunning compilations of life events. You’ll have to provide your own book, but this option gives you a lot of readymade material to transform whatever canvas you find.
3. Just My Style Ultimate Scrapbook
Another comprehensive kit, this product is suitable for young children and is a great way for them to explore the art of visual journaling. It features a hardcover scrapbook, 270 punch-out shapes, 355 stickers, and lots of sequins and gems. Kids also get a pen, child-friendly scissors, and a glue stick. While the kit’s aesthetic leans into traditionally “girly” iconography, messaging, and colors, we’re certain that artists of any gender can delight in sifting through the plethora of material to design their own keepsake book.
4. Alex Eco Crafts Scrapbook
Scrapbooking, by nature, requires the use of a lot of paper. This option by Alex Toys Store makes the process a little greener, featuring some carefully sourced materials. The included scrapbook, for instance, is made of recycled cardboard, while the six pencils are made of sustainably sourced wood. All the included patterned paper and stickers are also printed with soy ink. Best of all, the kit still delivers on quality, with materials that both feel and look good.
5. Echo Park Paper Company CA70016 Creative Agenda Collection Scrapbooking Kit
This pack of paper goods, which includes patterned paper and stickers will brighten up any scrapbook. Designed by illustrator and serial scrapbooker Kaitlin Sheaffer, these embellishments can be used as backgrounds, borders, and much more, with motifs that range from stripes to arrows to letters of the alphabet. Some of the stickers are for simple pasting, but others function thoughtfully similarly to sticky notes, and are printed with writing prompts or layouts that encourage list making. We especially like this product’s color palette, which is vibrant and easy to coordinate.