There are times when you just have too much to say or scrapbook than will fit on one page. This is a great time to create a fun two page spread. But before you just start slapping pictures and decals onto the page, there are a few things you’ll need to consider.

Theme

Two page scrapbooking spreads work best with a theme, so choose a theme first and then work with it. Use photos that complete your theme. In the example here, I’ve used Water Fun as my theme and everything from the papers and colors to the photos work with that theme.

Often, you can find entire kits based around common themes that you might want to use. I did find several water based scrapbooking kits online, but none of them were really what I wanted, so I ended up mixing and matching from what I already had from assorted sites.

You can use up paper scrapping supplies this way, as well. In fact, an excellent method of creating your two page spreads with minimal investment is to print off some of your working materials and then integrate stickers and other items that you have leftover from previous scrapping sessions! Anything you don’t have, such as borders or papers, can be produced on your computer for next to nothing, making it far easier to create that theme you’ve been wanting to scrapbook about.

Balance

Whenever you’re working on a double page spread, it’s very helpful to balance the pages out. That means that you will want to make sure the elements are arranged in such a way that they are pleasing to the eye. Having six photos on one side and just one on the other could look pretty lopsided unless you add a journaling space to the page with just one photo.

Colors and Papers

You’ll want to keep your theme pretty much the same on both pages, but too much repetition can get boring quickly, so mix it up. This is especially true if you are looking at having several two page spreads on the same theme in your scrapbook, such as camping, for example.

Choose two solid colors and two patterns to work with. These will give you a good selection without making the page too busy. If you aren’t sure which papers to use, you might want to opt for a scrapbooking kit which will provide you with solids and patterns that go well together.

Keep in mind that you can also turn patterns so that they run diagonally or vertically instead of horizontally, essentially creating a whole new look without adding more designs.

Borders

Good borders should run around both pages to unite them. However, there’s no need to use just paper, you can turn stickers or even hand-drawn lines or written words into a great border that will tie both pages together. The idea here is to go for continuity . . . you want both sides to meld into one page so you don’t even notice that they are really two.

Details

Truthfully, the details are what make scrapbook pages really come together and this is especially true when you are blending a two page spread. You have more room to work with, so you can really get creative! What might have crowded a single page is now something you can use freely to create a top notch scrapbooking spread.

Titles

Your titles don’t have to be centered. In fact, I’ve seen some very cool scrapbook layouts where the titles were down the sides or even just on one side of a two page scrapbook. Get creative!

Two page scrapbook layouts are ideal for when you have a lot of photos of one event or of your child playing in the dirt or taking riding lessons. Sometimes you just need more space!

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