Photo: Project Life

Keeping up with trends in scrapbooking these days can be difficult. New products come and go so fast that products disappear just when we discover them. Although we’ve certainly seen a shift away from the traditional scrapbooks of 10 years ago, the art of documenting a life through photos continues to be popular with crafters of all ages.

We took a look at what’s popular right now to help you stay on top of what’s trending in the industry.

Albums

While 12”x12” albums are still a popular format, d-ring albums are sought after, replacing the tedious post-bound albums of a few years ago. The popularity of pocket pages has waned a bit but we’re seeing scrapbookers mix pocket pages of all sizes in albums with traditional full-size pages. And Project Life is a great way for people to scrapbook.

Planners & bullet journals

Photo: A5 Planner from Simple Stories

Scrapbookers aren’t jut scrapbooking in traditional albums any more. Planners and bullet journals are hot! Walk into any craft store and you’ll likely see a planner display with everything from the planners themselves to coordinating tapes, stamps, stickers and other embellishments. Whether purchased or created from scratch, planners and journals are not just used as planners; they’re being used to document everyday life. This is a popular format for busy moms who are able to track schedules and appointments and include photos and memories at the same time. Simple Stories is just one of the companies with planner lines.

Travel journals

Photo: Sizzix Scoreboard Journal Die

Who knew travel journals were not just for travelers? Surging in popularity right now, traditional travel journals are typically about 5” x 8” in size with blank page inserts that can easily be removed from the folder. We’re seeing people make travel journals of all sizes and even repurpose old books to use as journals. And crafters are not only documenting trips, they’re documenting everything from daily life and wedding plans to baby memories and lists. Check out the new Sizzix Scoreboard XL Journal die.

Die cutting machines

While digital die cutting machines are becoming the go-to tool for many scrapbookers, manual machines continue to grow in popularity as companies release more dies to keep up with the trends.

Stamp presses

Photo: MISTI stamp tool

We knew last year’s appearance of the MISTI stamp tool would bring similar products to the market. After copyright issue delayed competitor’s products, they’re here, each with their own unique features. Look for the Tim Holtz stamp platform and We R Memory Keepers’ Precision Press Plus (exclusive to HSN.com) available now.

 Faith scrapbooking

Faith scrapbooking has seen a rise in popularity this year. People are sharing their feelings on faith in their scrapbooks and as this trend continues, we’re seeking many of the major companies releasing faith-based product lines.

Flamingos, rainbows and butterflies

We can’t end our trend review without mentioning the icons we’re seeing everywhere right now. So if you really want to be trendy, make sure to include flamingoes, rainbows and butterflies on your projects this year.

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Pauline is a Canadian freelance writer and scrapbooker. She runs The Scrapbook Room, a retail store out of vintage suitcases in her home, and regularly hosts scrapbook events. Email her at pauline@paulineclark.com.