The season of Hanukkah is a time for Jewish families to exchange gifts in honor of the special event that it commemorates. To save memories of that time each year spent with family and friends, make a scrapbook. Here are some tips for how to make a Hanukkah scrapbook.
Scrapbooking is a unique way to pass down memories from one generation to another. It is a step up from the traditional photo album that most people grew up with. The crafting pastime has taken off and stores now carry so many embellishments and decorative pages that anyone can begin the art of scrapbooking right away.
For the Festival of Lights, make sure that you have your camera ready. If you don’t have one, borrow a digital camera from a friend. The best photos for a scrapbook are those candid shots that you take when no one is particularly paying attention to you.
Take photos of individuals and groups that happen to be together, but no posed pictures. Also, grab snapshots of the menorah, the gifts and the delicious treats being served each night of the celebration. All of these things will feature well in your scrapbook.
As you move around the room each night, save things that will be useful in your scrapbook. Pick up a napkin here, a piece of the Hanukkah wreath there and even special keepsakes the family may have had printed up specifically for the occasion.
After you have the pictures taken and collected your keepsakes, it is time to gather the other things you will need to put it all together:
- Scrapbook (with removable pages)
- Extra pages (if you want different ones for different pictures)
- Craft scissors
- Embellishments for Hanukkah (dreidels, candles, stickers, lettering, etcetera)
- Decorative pens to write with
- Crafting glue or double-sided adhesive
1. Lay out your pictures on one page at a time. Group pictures according to the order of the events of the evening. Don’t overload the page with pictures so you have room for decorations. Write the name of each photo participant on the back of the pictures so you can remember later.
2. Begin with the headline. You can use stickers. Since the entire book is about Hanukkah, individual pages can be themed according to what is going on in the pictures (for example a dreidel game, opening presents, lighting the candles).
3. Use embellishments to bring out the beauty of each page. Get creative. If you can’t find as many Hanukkah items as you would like, use crafting foam and scissors to create a menorah, candles, candle flames and other items you want to remember the occasion.
4. Use decorative pens to add names under photos and little blurbs of script to the page.
Hanukkah is a well-celebrated holiday. Take the time to remember the eight-day festivities with a scrapbook.
