Make Your Scrapbooking Pages Personal: Use Your Own Handwriting

The digital age has even affected the scrapbooking hobby. Digital scrapbooking software lets us make entire page layouts on our computers. Traditional scrapbookers who may like the more tactile materials on their pages still like the neatness of computer fonts for their journaling.

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 do we hesitate to use our own handwriting in our albums? There are a few reasons. The most common one is concern that our handwriting is too messy or won't be able to be read by others. We should all try to get beyond this and realize how important it is to our family to preserve something as unique as our handwriting. Think about those handwritten letters and recipes from a grandparent and how important they are to you now.

Another reason people resist handwriting on page layouts is fear that they will make a mistake that can't be erased. There are many ways to correct a handwriting error. First, use a paper journaling block to write on first. You can always use a second one if you make a mistake. You can also correct a mistake by placing a new piece of paper over the error on the page, and write again on that piece. Finally, stickers work wonders when it comes to covering up most kinds of scrapbooking mistakes.


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.

Practice, practice, practice. Write out the journaling first on a scrap piece of paper. Read it over slowly out loud. This will help you spot errors in spelling and grammar. For longer narrative writing, you may want to have someone else proofread it for you before you place it on your page. Be sure to test the pen on a small piece of the paper you want to use. Writing a draft will let you know how much room you need to write on as well.

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.


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