What is your family’s favorite recipe? Where did you get it? Was it something Grandma learned when she was a young bride? Was it a sushi recipe that won an award for Uncle Lyle at the state fair?
A recipe scrapbook would be a wonderful gift for family members. Imagine giving everyone a collection of family recipes, each with its own story, in a recipe scrapbook.
You can make those recipe scrapbooks by following these steps.
Recipe Scrapbooking Supplies
Prepare to make your recipe scrapbook by gathering the following minimal materials. You may want other things too, but these 7 are recommended for a complete recipe scrapbook.
* Family recipes, as many as possible, well written or typed.
* Photographs of how the recipe is ready to serve
* Photographs of the person credited with creating the recipe
* Notes of things people always say or remember about the recipe
* Scrapbooking paper (acid-free) reminiscent of the kitchen
* Food preparation stickers and charms
*Recipe “instruction” labels
Recipe Scrapbook Themes
Your general theme is for a recipe scrapbook, of course, it will be recipes. In keeping with that theme, each page or section will have a specific theme in the recipe category.
Browsing through her recipes and photos, look for natural groupings. If there are multiple recipes from Grandma, design a section of your recipe scrapbook for them. If Uncle Lyle has more recipes than his unique award-winning sushi, reserve a section for him in his recipe scrapbook.
You may find it easier to divide your recipe scrapbook into topics like appetizers, main courses, sides, desserts, and drinks. Each of them could be a page or section topic.
Recipe Scrapbook Page Layouts
Once you have your themes, you’re ready to design your recipe scrapbook pages. There are many approaches to page layout and you may have one that you have used frequently. Here is one way to do it.
1. Select the photo(s) to be used in a spread or single spread. If they are color photos, select scrapbooking paper to complement them. Be sure to use acid-free paper to protect your keepsakes.
2. Lay out your scrapbook paper to fit on the page. Get creative with your paper. Nostalgic kitchen wallpaper is a good choice for old recipes. Italian recipes can find a home on red and white checkered paper that is reminiscent of a tablecloth. If your recipe scrapbook includes a Fish and Chips recipe, you might want the scrapbook paper on that page to look like old newspaper.
3. Once you’ve laid out your scrapbook paper, begin to sort the recipe and accompanying photos. Typed recipe cards are fine, but if your recipes are handwritten by the person who created them, it will give your recipe scrapbooks a more personal touch.
4. Frame your photos and recipes after placing them. You can find a wonderful variety of frames at scrapbooking supply stores. Or use your own creativity. If Grandma always wore an apron when she baked that delicious chocolate cake, she creates an apron “pocket” out of fabric or cardstock. Put one or more recipes in it. Another idea is to make folding frames for the recipes in her recipe scrapbook. Simply cut a piece of cardstock to the appropriate size and fold it into thirds. Adhere the center third to your scrapbook, cover it with the recipe, and fold the other two sides closed. You can even make the folded card look like cabinet doors.
5. Once your photos and recipes are framed on the page, add a few journal lines that capture the family memories associated with the recipe. In my own files, I have a cookie recipe that was served by the host the night my husband and I first knew we would be more than friends. Personal notes on such memories add immensely to recipe scrapbooks. My mom’s freshly baked bread is remembered as dad’s favorite base for yellow mustard!
6. When each page layout is complete, each element is glued firmly in place, you are ready to add stickers and charms – embellishments. You can use commercially made embellishments for your recipe scrapbooks, and you can add more intimate touches as well. If Grandma loved lace, and even knitted her own, adding a touch of lace to her page will help family members remember it. Since Uncle Lyle always used that bright green “sushi grass” (baran) to separate his sushi, be sure to include a piece on the sushi recipe page.
Finally, you may want to leave a few blank pages at the end of your recipe scrapbooks so you can add future recipes.
Recipe scrapbooks can be made during an extended family gathering, giving everyone something to do with their hands while catching up on family news.
