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When my kids were young, I’d often toss a bunch of art supplies in the middle of the kitchen table and let them release their creativity. I was always blown away by some of the results. It’s amazing what you can do with a few pipe cleaners, glue, construction paper and a copy of Cat Fancy.
I enjoy some crafts, but I like to work on projects I can complete quickly. I don’t have a lot of patience when it comes to long-term creations. Several of my friends are avid scrapbookers, but I’ve never been interested because it’s something that would definitely take longer than one sitting to complete. Plus, I think I might become obsessed and stay up all night working on it. I don’t know if I want to open that can of worms.
I do think, however, it would be fun to work on a scrapbook project as a family. It becomes more of a social event, plus everyone has a hand in personalizing it. January is a great time to create a scrapbook of memories from the previous year, and what better subject for a scrapbook than the family cats?
In this day of all things digital, there are lots of options for making online scrapbooks. Shutterfly allows you to add images to photo books of various sizes. The only consideration with this option is that you need to create images using photo-editing software and then add the images to the book. I sometimes use Photoshop for editing, but prefer PicMonkey because it’s way more simple, and there are tons of options for adding fun graphics to the images. Plus it’s free and you don’t have to download anything. In fact, I used PicMonkey to create the sample scrapbook pages in this post. If I wanted, to could then upload the images to a Shutterfly photo book and then order a copy of it (prices range from around $12-$45).
You can also download digital scrapbooking software (like My Memories), and follow the steps to construct your special project. Heck, you could even print the images you created in PicMonkey and arrange them in a photo album or scrapbook. Even if you choose to make the scrapbook digitally, the whole family can sit around the laptop and choose the photos, designs and graphics to include.
If you choose to rock it old school, the project becomes way more hands-on, which can be a ton of fun. There are many options when it comes to scrapbooking supplies. You can raid the local craft store and stock up on official scrapbooking gear, or you can simply use a folder, photo album, or even bind it yourself, which might be more fun for kids. Other types of supplies you may want to have on hand are markers, stickers, glue sticks, ribbons, stamps, scissors, and multiple photos of your cats (yeah, you’re gonna have to print them)!
Use your imagination when designing the scrapbook, but include memories from the previous year. Don’t forget to include photos of the human family members with the kitties. If you create one of these scrapbooks each January, your family will develop a collection of feline family memories!
Have you ever created a scrapbook about your cat? Tell us about it in the comments!
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Read more about cats and kids:
- 5 Tips for Teaching Your Kids How to Properly Handle a Cat
- Should You Let Your Kids Name Your Cat?
- 4 Ways to Keep Your First Cat Happy When You Adopt a Kitten
Read More by Angie Bailey:
- 5 Tips for Helping Your Kids Start a Pet-Sitting Business
- I’m Raising My Son to Love Cats, No Matter What Society Thinks
- 6 Tips for Planning the Perfect Cat-themed Party for Kids
About the Author: Angie Bailey is an eternal optimist with an adoration of all things silly. Loves pre-adolescent boy humor, puns, making up parody songs, thinking about cats doing people things and The Smiths. Writes Catladyland, a cat humor blog, Texts from Mittens (originated right here on Catster) and authored whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds, a silly book about cats wheeling and dealing online. Partner in a production company and writes and acts in a comedy web series that features sketches and mockumentaries. Mother to two humans and three cats, all of which want her to make them food.
