Summarize:

The book itself will be the foundation of your memory book, so choose wisely. Any type of notebook will do, as long as it contains acid-free paper. In general, scrapbooks work best. These can be found in most general, stationary, grocery, craft, and even convenience stores. If you plan on creating your memory book over time, consider picking a type of notebook where extra pages can be added as needed. Some scrapbooking albums allow you to attach new cardstock pages, while you can also always easily add new pages to a "book" made from a simple three-ring binder. Many retailers, such as bookstores and hobby shops, sell ready-made memory books for particular occasions. These memory books typically contain fill-in-the-blank text and places to put your photos. They may be a good choice when making your first memory book if you are uncertain of how to format it. Once you have your book ready, you'll need things to put in it. Gather together all photographs and other elements you'd like to put in your book. The only other materials you must have are a pen and adhesive. Your adhesive may be any type of glue or tape. Make sure whatever you use is acid-free. Archival glues meant for books and paper projects will produce the best results. However, a simple glue stick will also work. You may also choose to include small items related to your book's theme. You may want to decorate your memory book with embellishments. These decorations may be directly related to your book's theme or content, such as die-cut snowflakes for a book about winter or pumpkin stickers for a Halloween chapter. You may also use purely decorative embellishments, such as glitter and rhinestones, that may not strictly match your book's theme. Once you have everything in one place, it may help you to sketch a layout or arrange your items before actually attaching them to the page. It's a good idea to figure out a layout before you glue your items permanently in place. You may choose to arrange elements items in any way you think looks nice. A common format for store-bought memory books is to include a place for a photograph on one page and fill-in-the-blank text on the page opposite. Include large embellishments when determining your layout. Instead of using uncropped rectangular photographs, you may want to crop them into other shapes. This will help your memory book to have a more interesting, cohesive feel. Crop photos for shape. You may choose to trim a photo so that it better fits in your page's layout. Thematic shapes, such as a heart for Valentine's Day, are another cropping option. Crop photos for content. If a photo includes certain aspects that don't fit with your memory book, see if you can trim them away. For example, a picture of your friend at the beach may be cropped to remove strangers Use a pair of sharp scissors to get crisp edges. Cropping may be done before the layout step if you are planning to crop a photo a certain way regardless of page design. For most of your elements, you will likely use some form of acid-free glue. Simply spread a thin layer of adhesive on the back of each item and stick it in place. Use your fingers to smooth each piece flat and wait for each page to dry before turning to the next one. Some three dimensional objects may require a different type of adhesive. Double-sided sticky tape or scotch tape may be good alternatives. If your memory book pages are thick enough, you can sew items onto the paper. Because different glues can have very different set times, check your particular glue's packaging for how long they should take to dry. Describe your pictures and other elements. Explain what they depict and/or why they are important. These can be simple words (like "Grandma Rose, September 28, 2015"), phrases ("This was dad's favorite song."), sentences, or even whole paragraphs. You don't need to write a caption for each item, but it helps to flesh out your memory book and distinguish it from a photo album. If you are including poems, lyrics, or quotations, you may also choose to handwrite them instead of using a clipping or print-out. If you are working with a pre-made memory book, simply fill in the blank spaces where appropriate. You may also choose to write more in the margins. Add any finishing touches to embellish your book's content. This is the time to add things like glitter, smaller stickers, stamps, and ornamental designs. Try to use your embellishments to reduce the amount of blank space. If your memory book tells a story, lay them out in a way that draws the reader's eye across the page to each item in the correct chronological order. A simple trick for this is to connect each item in the desired order with a line or ribbon between them. Once you've finished decorating, your memory book is ready to share.
Pick the right book. Gather your materials. Sketch a layout. Crop your photos. Attach your items. Write about your items. Decorate your memory book.