Yes, the convenience of having all of your baby's adorable photos on your phone is wonderful, and if you're anything like me, you have thousands of adorable shots at your fingertips. But anyone who's ever found themselves trapped in an awkwardly long scroll, hunting for a specific photo to show off, knows the lightbulb moment when you realize that yeah, maybe you should have just printed some of these out.
Enter the tried-and-true beauty of a baby book, which is not only an opportunity to curate all of your favorite pictures of your baby's first year, but is also a chance to get a little crafty. To make the whole process of putting together your child's baby book as simple as possible, we partnered with the HP Envy Photo — which allows you to print off beautiful photos at home, straight from your smart phone. (Which also means that it's easier than ever to sub a new photo onto a page when you find an even cuter option.)
Check out this series of tips below, which will walk you through everything from deciding what supplies you do and don't need, to making each page as lively and fun as all of the photos you plan to include.
Figure Out What Supplies You'll Need
Putting together a baby book for your little one doesn't mean you have to be the kind of person who gets excited to spend hour after hour wandering the aisles of your local art supplies store (although it's fine if you are!). At the very least, pick up a quality album that'll stand the test of time, grab a pen and some adhesive, and print out your favorite photos. If you're looking to fancy things up a bit, goodness knows that a book of card stock, 12 by 12 scrapbooking paper, stickers, and some stamps will provide you with endless creative possibilities.
Make Sure You Don't Forget These Photos
Be honest: You have no fewer than 20 different versions of each of these pictures stored on your phone. Clear up some of that storage space by using the HP Envy Photo to print off your favorites shots from each of these moments directly from your phone. And since it's so easy (and cheap!) to print photos from home, you're free to add in as many cute expressions as you want.
Use Creative Layouts To Include More Photos
No mom should ever have to (*shudders*) leave out baby book-worthy photos of her kid due to a lack of space. Here are a few sample layouts that can help you creatively arrange photos of different sizes on the page, while still saving a little room to write on the page.
Add Clever Photo Frames For Visual Depth
Even the least crafty among us can add a little visual interest by creating simple photo frames for each page. Use scraps of card stock, or bright, coordinating scrapbooking paper to whip up one of these photo frames in no time.
Make It Personal With Custom Embellishments
You don't have to empty your bank account in the craft store checkout line to curate a stunning album full of memories. Try stamping baby's hand and foot print onto pages as they grow, or even get big brothers or sisters involved by having them add sweet doodles to each page.
Create A Portable Scrapbooking Station
Nope, you don't need to dedicate an entire room (or even a corner of a room) to putting your kid's baby book together. Pick up a sturdy, child-proof container to store your works-in-progress alongside all of your supplies, and keep it tucked near your HP Envy Photo, so you'll have everything you need handy the next time the scrapbooking mood strikes.
This post is sponsored by the HP Envy Photo.
