It is often said that there are three main parts to a scrapbook page – the title, the photos and the journaling. These three items often encompass the main parts of scrapbook page but there is an important fourth part that is often forgotten about, memorabilia. Memorabilia is a vital part of scrapbooking and can offer a glimpse into your life like no other item can. Ticket stubs, tourist maps, and foreign coins can instantly transport a person to a vacation spot just as hospital bracelets and birth announcements will bring back memories of a new baby that photos and journaling along cannot do alone.

This important memorabilia needs special care when being added to a scrapbook page. Memorabilia can be acidic in nature (not acid free) which can cause not only the piece of memorabilia to breakdown over time but can cause acid to migrate to photos which can cause irrevocable damage. There are many different ways to add memorabilia to a page and each way has benefits depending on the type of memorabilia and your needs.

One of the simplest ways to preserve an item and include it on scrapbook page is to simply place it in a memorabilia pocket. This is a clear pocket that is designed specifically for this purpose and protectively stores items directly on a page.

Memorabilia pockets are easy to use, come in a variety of sizes and are usually self adhesive. These pockets are perfect for small, hard to attach items and items with minimal thickness such as coins or ticket stubs.

Another simple way to safely include memorabilia is to either photograph it or scan it with a digital scanner. Photographing items is perfect for large bulky items such as a special sports jersey or a treasured baby blanket. Scanning items is perfect for paper items that would normally breakdown over time such as playbills or newspaper articles. Once an items is scanned it is important to reprint it on archival safe paper that is acid and lignin free so that it will be preserved.

A further way to protect paper memorabilia is to use a preservative spray specifically designed to neutralize acid. This spray is applied to both sides of an item and will slow the ageing process and stop the paper from becoming brittle.