Cropping Up Birthdays: Spring Scrapbook Party!

With the ever growing popularity of doing scrapbooks (referred to as scrapping) you can incorporate doing scrapbooks into a spring birthday party for your child and her friends that they will never forget! Spring seems to bring about a rebirth of creativity for everyone and the weather still may be to chilly to venture outside which leaves scrap booking a great option for a birthday party. While girls tend to be more interested in doing scrapbooks than boys this can work for both sexes. The best age group for this type of party is generally between 8-13 years old. Here is what you need to know about how to have a Spring Scrapbook birthday party-

Invitations-A great invitation is to create a tag with the party information and tie it to a pair of decorative-edge scissors (about $1 each). Be sure to ask the guests to bring both to the party, along with photos and supplies to share.

• It is important to decide on the size of your guest list by considering how much table space you have.
• To start setting up for the party, cover your workspace with butcher paper. This will help protect your table from glue sticks as well as provide a place for the kids to sketch ideas as they work.
• Your goal is to create as much workspace on the table as possible. You can string a cord across the wall and then clip shared supplies to the line, including stickers and photos of the guests from group adventures. At the party, the kids will have a great time using the photos on their pages and remembering all those field trips, sports teams, kindergarten classes, and birthday parties.

1. After the guests have arrived be sure to use your digital camera to take a group shot. While they work, print out copies of the image on photo paper. The guests can then use the photo and their invitations to make a page about the party.
2. It is crucial to make sure the workspace is separate from snack space (ideally in different rooms). Keep in mind that one spilled drink can ruin a lot of hard work! Pretzels are a great crop snack because they are not greasy.
3. If you want to add games try this one: Have one crafter don a special scrap booking hat (tiara, clown hat etc). Each time someone asks for a specific supply (“Can you pass the sunflower punch?”) the hat gets passed to the next person. At a few random times during the party (set a timer as a reminder), you can then award a small prize to the person wearing the hat.

• Be sure to offer two sizes of paper. A standard scrapbook page is 12 by 12 inches, but the kids can also work on 8 1/2- by 11-inch pages, which fit into a regular binder.
• You may have to help them get started. The guests will have brought photos they want to use, which will partly determine their page designs. It is nice to have a few suggestions for page starters, just in case. Books on scrapbook design from your local library or craft store can also inspire your guests.

· Be sure to offer a range of supplies. Here is how you can divide things up.

You provide:

· scissors

· markers and colored pencils

· assorted scrapbook papers

· page protectors

· photo-safe glue sticks

· acid-free tape

· stickers

· buttons

· ribbon scraps

· small paper cutter

· photos

· old maps or an atlas

· magazines for cutting

· glue dots

· craft and hole punches

Kids bring:

· invitation and scissors

· photos

· scrapbook (if they have one)

· any tools or supplies they want to share

Do not lose sight that this is your child’s birthday party. Be sure to set aside a special time for cake and gifts from the guests.