Contributed by Info Guru Aurora LaJambre

Crafty projects are a unique habit to nurture.

Part journaling, part photo archiving and pure creative expression, scrapbooking your life is a fantastic way to capture the times and people who mean a lot to you. Many have the urge to try it so they begin collecting materials to put together someday, only that day never comes.

These top 10 scrapbook project ideas will help you get started today.

10. Holidays

Some holiday traditions come and go, others get passed down from generation to generation. Document it all – the strange, the funny and the sentimental – in scrapbooks. Tell stories of trick-or-treating, share favorite recipes and fill the pages with photos both posed and candid.

9. Family Vacations

Even the most photo shy among us should pop out from the shadows for a few good pictures during a family vacation. Whether you go on a family road trip or abroad, vacations take you out of the regular day-to-day routine so you’re more observant and likely to save ticket stubs and odd memorabilia. What better way to document these memories than with a vacation book?

8. College

You get to do all kinds of things in college that aren’t included in the brochure. If you’re heading off to school and trying to think of a way to savor the experiences ahead, get yourself and big blank photo journal and a great camera. Be sure to photograph everyday things you’ll want to remember, like your dorm room and favorite spot to study, as well as trips, activities, competitions and crazy adventures.

7. Food Book

For home cooks and foodies alike, food adds a great deal of flavor to life. Foodies tirelessly explore neighborhoods looking for the best undiscovered dishes, while cooks savor walks through the farmers’ and gourmet markets. These are perfect photo opts. Record signature recipes as well as variations on famous dishes, and in time you’ll have your very own family cookbook.

6. Family Tree

Nearly every family aspires to keep a detailed family tree, but there are almost too many ways to approach this. Genealogy is one research project that’s never really done; there are always more stories to learn when you pick the brains of relatives. Start a family tree project and dedicate a page to each person. This way you can always add more stories in the form of pull out cards. Create a foldout page in the front or back to draw out your ancestry.

5. Kids Craft

Scrapbook project ideas aren’t just for adults. Kids love the cutting and pasting, as well as helping to choose what goes in. Let them journal a few pages and color pictures. With some arts and crafts supplies, this can be a work-in-progress that you add to on rainy days.

4. Wedding Book

With all the planning and energy you put into your wedding, you deserve to capture every moment. Why should it all be stored in a box somewhere? A wedding craft book is the perfect place to put your photographs, fabric swatches, dried flowers and all wedding things to remember. Fill in bare spots with lyrics from your first dance, vows and anecdotes.

3. Journeys

Journeys could inspire a fun scrapbook project idea. Interpret this theme any way you wish. Take it literally and use a whole album to record a life changing trip – canoeing the Mississippi River, hiking a mountain range or cycling the Pacific Coast from end-to-end. Or use it to share a personal journey, like weight loss or starting a new business.

2. Baby Albums

They don’t stay tiny for very long, but your kids will always be your babies and the perfect inspiration for scrapbook project ideas. Start a book for each child beginning with their birth. Trace their handprints every birthday, and document fun anecdotes of their first words and steps. Be selective so you can record important moments from childhood all the way through high school.

1. ”My year of…”

It’s a popular theme for memoirs and movies, why not scrapbook an important year in your life? Fill in the blank of what your special year will be about, whether it’s something general, like change or taking risks, or very specific like travel or running. Use both photos of yourself and the places your quest takes you, as well as journaling so you don’t take the small steps for granted.