If you've been scrapbooking for a while, you know how easy it is to get burnout and lack of motivation to create pages. It seems we still tend to pile up a stack of photos just waiting to be placed in an album, but we haven't found just the right paper or embellishments yet, or maybe we can't decide what scrapbooking techniques to use on them. Here are a few ideas to help overcome scrapbooking burnout.



1. Learning a new technique can spark your creativity. Just find some photos and try out the technique. It's always best to try a new scrapbooking method as soon after you learn it as possible.

2. Ignore the backlog of photos and just scrap one photograph. Choose a favorite photo, and make it your focal point. Sometimes getting started is all the motivation you need.

3. Clean out your photos. Why are you hanging onto blurred or poor quality photos? Give yourself permission to toss them, and watch your backlog shrink.

4. Your supply stash can bring inspiration. Organize your supplies, and see if you are inspired to mix embellishments or papers in a new way.

5. Flip through scrapbooking magazines for inspiration. They are filled with great page ideas, techniques to try and information on the latest products.

6. Sign up for a scrapbooking class. The excitement of a class is a terrific boost to motivate you to get more pages done.

7. Gather your friends together for a scrapbooking crop. There's inspiration and motivation in numbers. If you prefer not to set up a party of your own, check out your local scrapbooking store for a group crop.

8. Browsing your local scrapbook or craft store may encourage you to start scrapbooking again. Try buying a scrapbooking kit that has everything you need to make a complete album.

9. Stop trying to be perfect. Thinking every page you create must be a work of art only stops you before you ever get started. Give yourself permission to make a less than perfect page layout.

10. Sell or giveaway some of your scrapbooking supplies. Scaling down can help you overcome supply overload. Sometimes too many choices can keep you from taking action.

11. Don't try to make an album tonight. Just make one single page layout. One page a night leads to many completed pages over time.

12. Take a scrapbooking challenge. Many online scrapbooking communities organize challenges. The participants all follow the same basic guidelines for a page, and then show off their creations in the community gallery.

13. Have you tried digital scrapbooking? Digital scrapbooking is becoming more and more popular among scrapbookers. It's certainly less messy than traditional scrapbooking.

14. Read online scrapbooking message boards and peek in their members' galleries. Just reading about the excitement of other scrapbookers may jump start your own creativity.

15. Show off your scrapbooks. When was the last time you pulled out your scrapbooks when family comes to visit or let your children read through your albums? When you see all the pages you have designed, you just may be motivated to create more.

Try just a few of these ideas, and chase away your scrapbooking burnout today.