Many people create scrapbooks for a wide variety of reasons, and of course you may have your own.  Perhaps it's a wedding or graduation or other event you want to commemorate.  Or you may have some fun photos of the kids or the family pet that you want to enjoy over and over again, and putting them in scrapbooks is much more decorative than just a simple album.  But for many, a scrapbook is a great way to trace one's genealogy or family tree, and a good way to do this is by using Heritage scrapbooking paper.  There are many designs and themes available, all of which would work for a variety of scrapbooks, but typically the themes you would use for a family heritage would revolve around those old-fashioned photos and keepsakes that celebrates previous generations.  If you're interested in using and making the most out of Heritage scrapbooking paper, let's take a look at how you can do that to create some amazing albums.

For one thing, you may notice that most Heritage scrapbooking paper is brown or sepia toned.  This is because they are meant to mimic the yellowed and aged papers you would find from previous generations.  You may notice that antique newspapers, old birth certificates and marriage licenses, and even photographs have a tendency to brown with age.  By using papers and themes that have this same tone, Heritage scrapbooking paper is creating a mood that emphasizes previous generations and that "old time" feel.  This is something to consider when making up scrapbooks for a family history or genealogy as the color scheme can go a long way toward setting that tone.  Of course you can use other colors and themes if you want, but when shopping for Heritage scrapbooking paper you might want to consider sticking to these colors and feels.

Another thing to remember about working with Heritage scrapbooking paper is that you want to include embellishments and decorations that go along with that "old time" feeling.  Many find that photo borders that are silver or that incorporate ribbon and lace seem to work best for Heritage scrapbooking paper.  This gives them an appropriate feelings, as opposed to using buttons or eyelets which have something more of a fun feeling to them.  It might be good to check out other samples of pages that have been done this way and to see what other scrappers have used on their Heritage scrapbooking paper to anchor or frame the photo.  You might notice that many use photo tabs which were popular items on photo albums from many generations ago.  These were used before plastic film was invented in order to keep photos in place.  When using Heritage scrapbooking paper, consider using these photo tabs as well.

Other decorative elements and embellishments you add to Heritage scrapbooking paper will be important.  Dried flowers are a popular choice as of course they look like keepsakes from times past.  Ribbons are also a popular choice as they were used more plentifully in times past.  You may also notice that many who use Heritage scrapbooking paper choose items that are a bit more serious than fun and fancy.  This may include paper in a coordinating or contrasting pattern.

When using Heritage scrapbooking paper you'll also want to consider the font you use for your pages.  Fancy fonts can seem too fun and light, whereas fonts that are too boxy and square can seem too serious.  There are many fonts that are perfect for the time period of your photos, or you may consider mixing up your wording.  Have one word in a large fancy font and the rest of your wording in something that's easier on the eyes.  Check out how others have added wording to their Heritage scrapbooking paper and you'll see how this can either add to the look or detract from it.  You can even use scrapbooking poems or quotes on your pages.

As with all scrapbooks, when you work with Heritage scrapbooking paper you want to put all your items and elements on the page and work with them before you actually glue or adhere anything.  You may want to take something away and of course that's very difficult to do once it's stuck to the paper!  Because most Heritage scrapbooking paper is such a dark and strong color, it's easy for the pages to look busy when you start putting your added elements on it.  Try laying everything out onto your Heritage scrapbooking paper and then taking some things away and see if that doesn't look even better.  For many scrapbooks, less is more!

If you're still not sure of yourself when using Heritage scrapbooking paper, consider making up a digital scrapbook.  Digital scrapbooking allows you to add elements on the page while working on your computer so that you can easily move things around and add or take things away.  You don't need to save or print anything until you're completely happy with the finished product.  Many find that there are all sorts of digital programs that offer Heritage scrapbooking paper and that work very well for keeping a family tree or history.  They offer a wide range of embellishments and elements and of course it's not that difficult to add digital photos or ones you've scanned in.  Or, you can make up your pages with your Heritage scrapbooking paper and then print it off on your color printer and put your photo right onto that page.

Working with Heritage scrapbooking paper may have its own challenges; some people are just not comfortable using paper that's as busy as it usually is or may prefer something other than the brown and sepia tones.  But if you keep at it you may realize that these are great tools you can use to make up a record of your family history.  Most types of Heritage scrapbooking paper are so beautiful and interesting that you may prefer to work with them even if you weren't planning on creating a family album!