Brag Books

The brag book is the scrap booking enthusiasts answer to what to do with all those left over bits and scraps from other projects. Brag books aren’t just for showing of babies either. They can be used to tell a story about trip, event or even a special accomplishment.

Even on a short weekend trip, a scrapper develops a habit of saving small mementos from just about everywhere that she goes. She pockets a matchbook, napkin or paper coaster from a restaurant. The plastic room key from a hotel does not get dropped back off at the counter. Parking stickers and pay stubs all make it into her purse.

Then later when she has photographs printed and ready to scrap from her weekend away, she has fun scrap elements from all of those places to work into her brag book. And when she is finished, she doesn’t have to just tell all her friends about her trip – she can show them.

Train your kids when they go to summer camp to do the same thing. Give them a supply of disposable cameras to fill up with memories. Tell them you want everything that they create and every ribbon that they win brought back home with them and to keep an eye out for other keepsakes that they would be allowed to pack away. A bunk assignment list gives them a lifelong reminder of the kids they shared space with.

Many couples take photographs as they remodel their home or redesign a room. Keep snips of the old curtains and furniture fabric to use with ‘before’ layouts. Even old
sun-faded pictures can be pirated for a wistful background to represent days gone by.

A brag book is perfect for those scrapping stories that deserve more than a single page but just aren’t big enough to fill a whole scrapbook on its own. They have wonderful pass around value and they’re small enough to ship inexpensively so they make a great gift for friends far away.