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MY FAVORITE PHOTO TOOLS, SCRAPBOOKS, AND MORE

I posted this image on Instagram last week and received so many questions about this book that it occurred to me that it might be worthy of a full post. I honestly thought I was the only one who still enjoyed the art of scrapbooking but after that kind of response, I guess I might not be alone.

As much as I love the immediate access to a stream of photos that my iPhone provides, there’s something really special about being able to look through photos that aren’t on a screen. There’s something really satisfying about a photo album and being able to hold memories in your own hands. This is suddenly more important to me then ever since having George.

Below, a quick list of my favorite tools for taking photos off your iPhone and into your living room.

Artifact Uprising – This website is a longtime favorite of mine. The website is super easy to use and their app makes it so simple to take photos directly from your iPhone. Though they offer a lot of different photo services (calendars and more!), I use them primarily for making photo books. In fact, I make one of these hardcover photo books after every single big trip we take. The quality is great – not to mention, the books themselves are gorgeous enough to line up on my bookshelf.

Print Studio – This is the app I use for printing my iPhone photos. It’s super easy and quick and the photos arrive in no time. I like that they offer lots of different options in terms of sizes.

Christmas Memories Book – This hardcover book gives me a place to record all of Christmas’ special happenings by year. In addition to recording notes like holiday visitors and special gifts, it also gives me a place to put our holiday card. I love having all of our Christmases documented in one place. Note: this book would make a great gift for a newly married couple!

Baby Book – I have loved documenting George’s first everything in this book. It’s essentially a baby scrapbook for the first year. Each page features a whimsical watercolor illustration along with a different prompt (“baby’s first doctor’s appointment,” etc.). There’s enough room for both photos (I use these to stick the photos down) and handwritten notes.

Scrapbook Photo Mounting Squares – When working on a scrapbook, I use these mounting squares to adhere the photos to the pages. They work really well, and the box comes with 1000 stickers so it lasts quite awhile.

Smythson Photo Album – The photo albums from Smythson are definitely not budget-friendly, but they’re certainly beautiful. For something really special (think: weddings, babies, etc.), these are my go-to. You can easily personalize the cover to add a significant date or name.

Pocket Photo Album – If glue sticks and photo stickers aren’t your thing, this album is a great option. Each page has clear pockets for photos so you can just slide your photos in and be done with it.

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