Scrapbook Trends: What’s Hot for 2024–2025

If you’ve been away from scrapbooking for a while—or you’re just getting started—you might wonder what’s actually trending in the craft right now. The answer is a fascinating blend of nostalgia, intentional design, and sustainable creativity that’s drawing more people into memory-keeping than ever before. According to recent consumer research, 71% of people now identify as crafters, with scrapbooking holding strong appeal among those in their 30s and 40s who want to preserve family memories in meaningful ways.

This guide is for both returning scrapbookers and newcomers looking to stay current with the latest trends. Understanding current trends helps you create albums that feel fresh and meaningful.

This post will walk you through the biggest scrapbook trends shaping 2024 and 2025, from paper choices and color palettes to journaling approaches and digital tools that are gaining popularity across the crafting community.

In the Beginning: From Sticker Overload to Curated Stories

Cast your mind back to the early 2000s. If you were scrapbooking then, your supplies probably included deco scissors with wavy edges, Mrs. Grossman’s sticker sheets, and paper packs themed around every holiday from halloween to summer vacation. Layouts featured shape-cut photos, busy patterned backdrops, and what some affectionately call “sticker sneeze”—embellishments scattered across every available inch.

Fast forward to 2024–2025, and the approach has shifted dramatically. Today’s scrapbook pages lean toward intentional white space, clustered focal points, and mixed media elements that tell stories rather than just decorate them. Mixed media in scrapbooking refers to combining various materials and techniques—such as paint, ink, fabric, and paper—to create layered, textured pages. The charm of those early albums isn’t lost, though—current scrapbook trends build on that history rather than rejecting it. Many crafters now revisit old projects for inspiration, pulling motifs and colour choices forward into modern layouts.

Key then-vs-now differences:

• Photos: Shape-cut circles and squares → full-size prints with layered mats
• Backgrounds: Busy all-over patterns → intentional white space or single focal patterns
• Embellishments: Stickers everywhere → curated clusters and dimensional accents
• Journaling: Basic captions in ballpoint → hand-lettering, typed stories, and mixed fonts
• Style philosophy: More is more → purposeful design with breathing room

From Handwritten Captions to Modern Hand-Lettering & Calligraphy

Those quick ballpoint captions from early-2000s albums served their purpose, but 2024 scrapbookers are treating letters as art. Brush-lettered quotes, faux calligraphy, and alphabet stamp layering now appear on layouts ranging from bold maximalist collages to quiet monochrome spreads.

The tools have evolved too. Tombow Fudenosuke pens and Pentel brush pens dominate supply lists for physical pages, while crafters creating hybrid scrapbooks turn to Procreate on iPad for digital hand-lettering they can print and incorporate. Hybrid scrapbooking combines digital and physical elements, such as using digital tools to create custom embellishments that are then added to traditional scrapbook pages. This trend fits both elaborate art journal-style projects and clean, minimalist layouts where a single hand-drawn title becomes the focal point.

How to use lettering on your scrapbook pages:

• Create a focal title in large brush lettering, positioning it according to the rule of thirds
• Add subtle page-side journaling in fine-tip pen for contrast against bold headlines
• Repeat background elements—small words, phrases, or doodles—to create texture without overwhelming photos
• Mix printed templates with hand-drawn letters for a fresh hybrid look
• Use alphabet stamps in varying sizes to build titles with visual depth

Photo Corners to Layered Mats, Frames & Clusters

Remember those adhesive photo corners from 1990s albums? They’ve evolved into something far more dimensional. The 2024–2025 trend embraces multi-layered photo mats, frame clusters, and creative positioning that adds depth to every page.

Current photo framing approaches:

• Double mats in contrasting cardstock (try kraft under white, or black under metallic)
• Vellum and acetate overlays that partially cover photographs
• Polaroid-style printed frames for instant vintage appeal
• Offset layers using foam tape for shadow and dimension
• “Cluster triangles”—three grouped areas per layout creating visual balance
• Stitched borders around key pictures using a simple running stitch
• Chipboard frames layered with washi tape edges
• Corner embellishments combining tickets, tags, and small labels

Current Scrapbook Aesthetic: Messy, Mixed Media & Hybrid

The dominant scrapbook aesthetic for 2024–2025 sits at the intersection of tactile collage, digital tools, and story-focused journaling. If you’ve scrolled through Instagram or watched youtube videos of crafters working, you’ve seen it: torn paper edges, washi tape borders, overlapping tags, and snippets of fabric creating pages that feel lived-in rather than pristine.

Mixed media in scrapbooking refers to the use of multiple materials and techniques—such as paint, ink, fabric, and paper—to create layered, textured, and visually dynamic pages. This look draws heavily from junk journal and art journal communities, where “perfectly imperfect” is the goal. Vintage book pages, sheet music, and ephemera feature heavily in these vintage paper craft ideas. The influence of social media cannot be overstated—30-second process reels and TikTok tutorials have made these mixed-media techniques accessible to crafters who might never have tried them otherwise. The result is a style that celebrates creativity over perfection and stories over aesthetics alone.

Visual Hallmarks of the Modern Scrapbook Look

• Torn and burned paper edges as deliberate design choices
• Visible glue marks, staples, and exposed stitching
• Layered ephemera: vintage tickets, fabric swatches, book page snippets
• Handwritten journaling mixed with printed text
• Neutral bases (kraft, cream, grey) with selective pops of colour
• Dimensional clusters rather than flat arrangements

Hybrid Scrapbooking Workflow

Hybrid scrapbooking represents one of the fastest-growing segments of the craft. Hybrid scrapbooking combines digital and physical elements, such as using digital tools to create custom embellishments that are then added to traditional scrapbook pages. The approach combines digital content—cards, labels, journaling spots, and patterned papers created in apps—with physical papers and hands-on embellishments. The digital scrapbooking market is projected to grow from $3.5 billion in 2025 to $7.5 billion by 2030, reflecting just how many crafters prefer this blended method.

Tools like Canva, Procreate, Affinity Designer, and Photoshop make it simple to design elements that get printed and then enhanced by hand. Popular hybrid sizes for 2024–2025 include 6×8 albums, traveler’s notebook inserts (approximately 4.25×8.25”), and A5 binders—all formats that balance creative space with manageability.

Hybrid workflow example:

1. Design a collage-style background in Canva using free templates and your own photos
2. Export at 300 DPI and print on matte photo paper
3. Trim to fit your 6×8 album page
4. Add physical embellishments: a washi tape border, foam-mounted photos, handwritten journaling
5. Finish with a clear silicone stamp sentiment in archival ink

Layered Textures Techniques

The trend toward layered textures embraces what would once have been considered mistakes. Visible glue marks, torn edges, staples, and exposed stitching now function as deliberate design elements that add character and depth to layouts.

This approach photographs beautifully for social media—shadows, dimension, and texture catch light in ways flat pages simply cannot. It also reduces the pressure many crafters feel to create “perfect” pages, making the hobby more accessible and fun.

Textural techniques that photograph well:

• Gesso and paint swipes: Apply white gesso or acrylic paint in thin, uneven strokes as a background layer before adding papers
• Distress Oxide inks: Blend these water-reactive inks around edges and over stencils for a worn, vintage tone
• Texture paste through stencils: Creates raised patterns that catch light dramatically
• Coffee-dyed paper: Steep paper in cold coffee, dry flat, and use for a naturally aged appearance
• Mixed paper weights: Combine tissue paper, book pages from 1970s paperbacks, and kraft paper for varied tactile interest

What’s Hot Right Now: Paper & Color Trends for 2024–2025

Paper remains the foundation of most scrapbooking projects, and current trends in patterns, palettes, and finishes reflect broader design movements. Whether you explore new supplies each season or prefer to shop your existing stash, understanding these trends helps you create pages that feel current.

Key paper and color subtrends for 2024–2025:

• Sustainability and eco-friendly materials
• Bold geometrics and retro vibes
• Minimalist and monochrome layouts
• Florals, botanicals, and nature-inspired neutrals
• Metallic accents and specialty finishes

Sustainability & Eco-Friendly Materials

Eco-consciousness has moved from niche concern to mainstream expectation in the scrapbooking world. Eco-friendly scrapbook paper options are made from recycled materials and are free from harsh chemicals. Recycled materials, FSC-certified papers, and plastic-free packaging now feature prominently in 2024 collections from major manufacturers.

Beyond purchasing sustainable new supplies, crafters are embracing upcycled scrap crafting—repurposing household items like wrapping paper scraps, cardstock offcuts, packaging from online orders, and old envelopes as layering pieces or even experimenting with handmade paper sheets. This approach suits both environmental values and tightening budgets.

Building a spread with mostly reused papers:

• Start with a kraft cardstock base (often available in eco-friendly options)
• Layer packaging paper from a recent delivery as a backdrop element
• Add strips from an old calendar or outdated map for visual interest
• Use envelope interiors (often beautifully patterned) as photo mats
• Incorporate fabric scraps from worn-out clothing
• Finish with handwritten journaling on the back of junk mail

Palette suggestions: Moss green, clay, ochre, stone grey, and natural linen textures

Bold Geometrics & Retro Motifs

Large-scale geometric prints are commanding attention in 2024 paper pads and digital kits. Chevrons, stripes, grids, and circles appear alongside 70s and 80s-inspired patterns: rainbow arches, sunbursts, checkerboards, and mod dots in mustards, deep teals, burnt orange, and electric blue.

These bold patterns deliver serious retro vibes while feeling fresh. The key is knowing when to use them as full backgrounds versus cutting them into strips and tiles for more subtle accents.

Layout ideas using geometrics:

• Create a full-page chevron by cutting patterned paper into 1” diagonal strips and adhering them across your backdrop
• Build a grid of 2×2” squares from various geometric papers, leaving small gaps for white space
• Use a single strip of bold stripe paper as a vertical anchor on an otherwise neutral page
• Combine circles punched from different geometric prints in a clustered embellishment

Minimalist & Monochrome Layouts

For every maximalist collage page, there’s a crafter who prefers restraint. Clean, white or cream backgrounds with limited color palettes continue to inspire throughout 2024–2025. These layouts work beautifully for events like graduations, weddings, and milestone baby albums where the focus should rest entirely on photographs and stories.

How to compose a minimalist page:

• Choose one focal photo, enlarged or printed at standard size
• Position using the rule of thirds (not dead center)
• Add linear journaling in a single font—typed or hand-lettered
• Limit embellishments to three or fewer elements
• Embrace high contrast: black ink titles on white backgrounds
• Include fine-line doodles sparingly for personal style
• Leave at least 30% of the page as breathing room

Florals, Botanicals & Nature-Inspired Neutrals

Floral patterns remain perennially popular, but 2024–2025 collections push beyond basic blooms into detailed botanicals, line-art leaves, and herbarium-style prints. According to e-commerce data, floral beige patterns dominate monthly sales rankings, with lighter, ethereal palettes showing accelerating demand.

Sage green, eucalyptus, blush, and champagne gold accents define spring and wedding albums this season. Pair botanical prints with pressed leaves, dried flowers sealed under acetate, and faux wax seals for dimensional interest.

Wedding or garden-themed layout example:

• Use a botanical line-art paper as your backdrop
• Mat your primary photo in champagne gold cardstock
• Tuck pressed eucalyptus leaves (sealed with clear contact paper) behind the photo cluster
• Add a faux wax seal in sage green near your journaling
• Keep embellishments natural: twine, linen ribbon, wooden buttons
• Journal about the day’s sensory details—scents, sounds, textures

Metallic Foils, Specialty Finishes & Texture

Metallic accents elevate celebration pages—New Year’s Eve 2024, milestone birthdays, anniversaries—without requiring massive investment. Gold, rose gold, copper, and holographic foils appear in thin borders, tiny stars, and title shadows rather than overwhelming entire layouts.

Other specialty textures gaining traction include vellum overlays, linen cardstock, embossed dots or woodgrain patterns, and glossy UV details that catch light beautifully.

Using metallics effectively:

• Before: A flat page with neutral papers and a single photo
• After: Same layout with a thin gold foil border around the photo mat, rose gold title letters, and two small copper star embellishments in the corner cluster
• The key is restraint—metallic accents should enhance, not dominate
• Consider using foiled washi tape for quick, controlled shimmer
• Pair warm metallics (gold, copper) with warm palettes; cool metallics (silver, holographic) with blues and purples

Journaling & Story-First Trends for 2025

The shift toward meaningful storytelling marks one of the most significant new trends in scrapbooking. Pages that once prioritized aesthetics above all else now balance beautiful design with substantial narratives. This focus on stories feels especially relevant post-2020, as crafters seek to document not just what happened but how it felt.

Long-form journaling, typed stories printed on vellum or cardstock, list-based documentation, and “day in the life” projects all reflect this desire to create albums that future generations will actually read—not just flip through. The goal is preserving memories in their full emotional depth, not merely cataloguing events.

Bold Self-Expression & Identity Pages

One of the most exciting 2025 trends treats scrapbooks as personal zines—spaces for documenting identity, values, and inner life rather than only vacations and holidays. Pages about career pivots, mental health journeys, creative goals, and personal philosophies are gaining popularity alongside traditional event documentation.

This approach encourages mixed fonts, magazine-cut letters, and handwritten manifesto-style journaling. The result feels intimate and honest.

Example page built around a quote:

• Choose a meaningful quote or personal statement as your focal point
• Letter it by hand in the center of your page, or print it in a bold font
• Surround it with small photos (optional) or abstract collage elements
• Journal around the edges: why this statement matters, when you first encountered it, how it’s shaped decisions
• Skip the traditional “event + date” format entirely
• Use stickers and ephemera that reinforce the theme rather than illustrate a specific moment

List Journaling Ideas

Not every page requires paragraphs. List-based journaling—“10 things from June 2024,” “Currently” lists, monthly recap spreads—offers a fast, approachable way to capture everyday life without the pressure of crafting perfect prose.

Many scrapbookers use prompt lists from social media hashtags and journaling challenges to inspire consistent documentation. Formats like traveler’s notebooks and A5 binders suit this approach perfectly, combining a single photo with a bulleted list for quick, meaningful pages.

Prompt examples with suggested compositions:

• “Five things making me happy this week”: Single 4×6 photo, numbered list in a column beside it, simple washi border
• “Currently reading, watching, listening”: Small media images (book covers, album art) with handwritten notes
• “This month in numbers”: Statistics from the month (miles walked, books read, coffee cups consumed) arranged in a grid with small icons

Digital & Social Media Influence on Scrapbook Trends

Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and youtube don’t just display scrapbooking—they actively shape what becomes trendy each season. Process reels, live classes, and Patreon communities have democratized techniques that once required in-person workshops or expensive retreats.

The speed of trend cycles has accelerated accordingly. A technique featured in a viral video can spread through the community within days. This creates exciting momentum but also pressure to constantly chase the new. The healthiest approach balances awareness of digital content trends with commitment to your own personal style.

How Digital Culture Changes Scrapbooking

• 30-second reels make complex techniques feel achievable
• “Shop my page” links drive product discovery
• Hashtag challenges create community around specific styles
• Live crops and virtual crafting sessions replace local meetups
• Tutorial access has never been easier or more free
• Trend cycles move faster, but so does inspiration

Digital Tools for Scrapbooking

Digital tools increasingly replicate the layered, tucked, overlapping look of physical collage. Procreate offers hand-drawn elements, Canva provides grid templates, and photo book services now include collage-style layouts that would have seemed impossibly complex a decade ago.

Layered files—PNGs and PSDs—allow scrapbookers to move, rotate, and “tuck” digital elements exactly as they would with paper ephemera. The result can be printed and embellished by hand for true hybrid projects.

Hybrid workflow: 9×12 collage page:

1. Open Canva and select a custom 9×12” canvas
2. Upload your photos and arrange in an overlapping collage
3. Add digital papers and elements from free or purchased kits
4. Include text boxes for journaling (choose a handwritten-style font)
5. Export at 300 DPI as a PDF or PNG
6. Print on matte photo paper at your local print shop
7. Adhere to cardstock base and add physical touches: foam dots under key photos, washi tape borders, a handwritten date

Who’s Shaping Today’s Scrapbook Look?

The scrapbooking community has diversified significantly in 2023–2025, with creators sharing everything from clean Project Life-style grids to heavily textured art journal pages. Kit clubs and online classes continue setting visual trends, but the range of “acceptable” scrapbook styles has never been broader.

Finding and following inspiration:

• Explore community hashtags like #scrapbooking, #memorykeeping, and #junkjournal
• Virtual crops (online crafting sessions) act as trend incubators where new techniques spread
• Follow a deliberate mix of styles—clean, artsy, vintage—rather than copying a single aesthetic
• Sign up for newsletters from your favorite supply shops to see seasonal trend previews
• Join Facebook groups or Discord servers focused on specific album formats

Scrapbooking, Wellbeing & Sustainability

Modern scrapbook trends increasingly intersect with mental health, slow living, and eco-consciousness. The craft offers a screen-light, hands-on practice that counterbalances the digital saturation many experience daily. Positioning scrapbooking as both creative outlet and mindful ritual reflects how many dedicated crafters already approach their projects.

Mindful Making & Mental Health

Unplugged crafting sessions—cutting with scissors, applying glue, handwriting journaling—provide genuine respite from 2024’s high screen time. The sensory experience of handling paper, selecting stickers, and arranging photographs engages the mind differently than scrolling or typing.

Building mindful crafting habits:

• Schedule weekly “memory sessions” as non-negotiable self-care
• Create monthly recap spreads as gentle documentation rituals
• Embrace process over product—imperfect pages still preserve stories
• Notice textures: the weight of cardstock, the smell of ink, the sound of scissors
• Treat your crafting space as a retreat, however small
• Release pressure for perfection; done pages beat perfect pages every time

Low-Waste & “Shop Your Stash” Approaches

Stash-busting challenges—using 2017–2022 paper pads in 2024 projects, completing no-spend months—reflect both environmental values and budget realities. For some makers, these projects also become a gateway to exploring paper crafts that sell well at markets or online shops. The move away from disposable plastic embellishments toward paper, wood, and fabric-based accents continues gaining momentum.

Mini-tutorial: Building a page with mostly leftover items:

1. Pull papers from old kits you haven’t touched in years
2. Grab packaging from recent online orders (tissue paper, cardboard inserts)
3. Cut journaling cards from outdated calendars or maps
4. Use buttons, ribbon scraps, or fabric swatches from other projects
5. Adhere one printed photo and mat it with a contrasting paper scrap
6. Journal on the back of junk mail or old notebooks pages
7. Finish with a stamped sentiment using ink you already own

Authenticity Over Perfection

The 2024–2025 push toward real-life photos—messy kitchens, unedited selfies, imperfect moments—extends to journaling and page composition. “Real talk” documentation includes small struggles, mixed feelings, and behind-the-scenes moments alongside celebration shots.

Embracing authenticity:

• Include photos you might normally delete—the blurry ones, the candid chaos
• Write about challenging experiences, not just highlights
• Let mixed handwriting styles and crossed-out words remain visible
• Use non-matching embellishments if that’s what your stash offers
• Tell the whole story, including parts that feel less “scrapbook-worthy”
• Remember that future generations want truth, not perfection

Your kids won’t care if your corners don’t align—they’ll care that you documented how you felt during their first week of school.

Looking Back to Leap Ahead: How to Refresh Your Style

The most excited scrapbookers in 2025 will be those who blend nostalgia with emerging trends. Revisiting old albums reveals personal motifs worth updating: maybe you always gravitated toward floral patterns, or your early pages featured clusters you could recreate with current techniques.

Consider remaking a 2004 layout in 2024 style. Take the same photos (or reprints), apply hybrid elements, eco papers, or bold geometrics, and see how your personal style has evolved while honoring what made that original page meaningful.

Mini-challenges for 2025:

• Create one monochrome page per month to practice restraint
• Complete one hybrid page per project, blending digital and physical
• Build one stash-only layout each season using no new supplies
• Revisit one old album quarterly and identify one technique to bring forward
• Document one “ordinary Tuesday” per month—no special occasion required
• Share at least one page on social media to connect with the broader community

The best scrapbook trends for 2024–2025 don’t demand you abandon what you love—they invite you to explore new materials, incorporate fresh ideas, and continue building a visual history of your life. Whether you prefer maximalist mixed media or minimalist grids, sustainable kraft papers or metallic accents, the common thread remains the same: preserving memories in ways that matter to you.

Grab your supplies, open an old album for inspiration, and create something this week. Your future self will thank you.