Scrapbooking has reached the pinnacle of popularity. Many people are attracted to this hobby because of the creative outlet it provides, especially for those who would not otherwise consider themselves to be so. The industry has successfully provided products that make it easy for the not-so-creative types to assemble beautiful pages. However, following basic principles of design will make it easy to create stunning scrapbooking layouts. Consider emphasis, balance and color while you choose your scrapbook elements and how they will interact together on a page.

The emphasis of your scrapbook layout is your focal point. Most often this will be a photograph that you want to showcase. When displaying more than one photo, choose one as your focus and the rest as supporting images that don't compete with the first. A basic layout may consist of one main photo and two related, yet smaller, photos positioned on the page in a way that draws you eye to your subject. Another way to create emphasis in your scrapbooking layout is with the use of color. Choose background colors that will draw attention to your photo without clashing. For example, if the subject in your image is wearing a kelly green shirt, then layer it over a lavender patterned paper. Using contrasting colors will make your subject pop.

An element of great design is to achieve balance which is the distribution of visual weight in a composition. With this in mind when drawing a layout sketch for scrapbooking pages, you would not want to arrange all your elements on one side of the page without having a strong, bold element on the other side to offset them. To the other extreme, you might not want to place your items equally on your page like a mirror image. Although this would create symmetry, in design it may be too predictable. Asymmetrical balance adds visual interest you your design. One trick I like to use to achieve this is to visualize a triangular shape on my scrapbooking layouts and place my main elements at each point.

Color is a very powerful feature in any design. It sets the mood of a composition and can tell a story without words. Learning how colors interact with each other is exciting and complex. Most decisions about color will be in choosing your scrapbooking backgrounds that will best showcase your photos. Start by identifying the main color in your photos. For a subdued effect, choose a monochromatic palette in a hue that is complimentary to that in your photo. For pages with higher energy, select a color combination of contrasting colors like various shades of blue and orange. It is best to stick with 3 prominent colors as more will tend to make a page look busy. If your photos contain many colors that make it difficult to select a palette, try turning your photos into black and white which will look great with any combination.

Designing a scrapbook page is not difficult even if you don't have any artistic experience. These design principles are simply guidelines, not rules. Everyone has their own unique style reflected in their work. So don't be intimidated by the fantastic scrapbook layouts you see featured in a crafts magazine. You too can release the artist within.