How to Make and Design a Scrapbook Recipe Book

Collecting and sharing favorite recipes is a family tradition shared by many. It is a way to pass family traditions on to future generations and to share these traditions with others. Make your own recipe books for your personal use or as gifts using scrapbooking methods and materials. You can personalize your books, coordinate them with the design of your kitchen, and have fun in the process. Organize your collection of recipes by breaking them down into categories, and then design the cover and pages to create a recipe book scrapbook. Include anecdotes, comments on recipes and family history to create a history of memorable meals that future generations will treasure.

Loose-leaf binder

Sheet protectors

Loose-leaf divider tabs

Colored or scrapbooking paper

Recipes

Index cards (optional)

Word processing program (optional)

Scrapbooking scissors

Silver and gold pens

Stickers

Stamps

STEP 1

Purchase a loose-leaf binder with an insert cover, sheet protectors, tabs and papers to fill the book. Purchase plain or colored papers as well as decorated theme papers for the various sections of the cookbook. For example, purchase scrapbooking paper or download royalty-free images with barbeques and picnic tables for a section on outdoor cooking, and papers decorated with baking utensils for a baked goods section.

STEP 2

Create a cover for the binder with stickers, stamps and hand-written or typeset wording. Add photographs or pictures to the page, if desired. Insert the cover page into the binder cover sleeve.

STEP 3

Place sheet protectors into the binder. Decide how you want the cookbook organized. Write the names of the sections on the divider tabs and attach them to the edges of the sheet protectors, staggering them so they are easy to read.

STEP 4

Write or print the recipes on index cards or small pieces of paper. To prepare the recipes on a computer, type as many as will fit on each page and cut them out individually with decorative-edged scissors. Print them on plain white or colored papers.

STEP 5

Design each page in the book, placing one or two recipes on each. Add photos, cutout pictures of magazine recipes, stickers and stamped messages. Add comments and names of people who gave you the recipes. Use decorative silver and gold pens for writing names and comments.

STEP 6

Make a cover sheet for each section of the cookbook, writing the name of the section and adding stickers and pictures to decorate. Use decorative scrapbooking paper or colored paper decorated with stickers, cut out images and computer clipart.

STEP 7

Place each finished recipe page into a sheet protector in the appropriate category. Place a second finished page on the opposite side of the sheet protector.

Organize the recipes by categories. Consider categories like salads, desserts, meats or alternate categories like grandma's recipes, Aunt Mary's recipes or seasonal favorites.

To create an old-world cookbook of old family recipes, consider using a black and white, or sepia toned color scheme.

Instead of placing recipes on small cards or papers, write or type one on each sheet. For variety, stagger the placement of the recipe on the page to allow for decorating the page.

If you have many magazine recipes, cut them out with decorative scissors, along with their picture, instead of rewriting or typing them. Add them to a sheet and decorate.

To keep all of your cooking and baking information handy, include a page with standard measurements and substitutions in your cookbook.