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SMASH Books: The Un-scrapbook

Paper Crafts· Scrapbooking· Summer

I have been scrapbooking since about 1994. During this time, I have heard my fair share of people tell me that they want to scrapbook, but “don’t have time.” Or “aren’t creative.“

Enter the SMASH book.

Smash Book - Crafts UnleashedThe SMASH Book line, by K&Company®, is perfect for the un-scrapbooker.

I categorize an “un-scrapbooker” as someone who doesn’t want to spend hours with cutesy stickers and catchy titles, but would still like a place to cram ticket stubs, thoughts, and the occasional photo.

Memories are much easier to re-live when they are not stuck in a drawer.

I put the SMASH book to the test on our last vacation. We spent a week in England. It was “SMASHing!” (See what I did there?)

I took some very basic supplies:supply2

Everything fits into a large gallon zip-lock bag, and the zip-lock fit inside my carry-on/camera bag.

Attached to the SMASH book with a handy elastic loop is a pen/glue-stick tool.

Seriously, this thing is genius! One side, pen. The pen is a really nice permanent ink felt-tip pen. Other side, glue-stick.

Smash penAll the tools you will need for “un-scrapping” on the go!

We started out our trip on an airplane. I began documenting our vacation right from the plane. I included our boarding passes, itinerary, and  receipts. They all went into a SMASH pocket.

The SMASH pads are perfect for journaling your thoughts or facts about different sites you see on vacation.

During the vacation, whenever I accumulated ticket stubs, brochures or receipts, I would stuff them into the zip-lock in my bag, and every evening when the day was winding down I would take a few minutes to add those items to the book.

Along with the scraps of the day, I would use pages from the SMASH pad to document the day’s events. I recorded my thoughts and interesting facts, and added those to the book also. Since I knew how many photos I took that day, I  would leave as many pages as I thought I would need to add the photos when I got home.

Here I am working on the SMASH book in the garden of our English Cottage in Cheddar. Isn’t it beautiful?

7And my assistant Mikayla and I with the SMASH book on the Underground:

Here is a sample page of the SMASH book, where I added receipts and journaling- the journaling was done on a page from the SMASH pad. They pages in the SMASH pads are  all pre-printed and themed. The pre-printed made it easy for me to come up with a journaling topic. There are pages for a “Top Ten Things I Love About _______.” Or the one shown, “Favorite Restaurants.“

I left room on my pages for photos to be added later.

SMASHHere is a close-up of the receipt:

You can see that I literally just taped that receipt to the page. When you use SMASH tape, the items can be lifted up.

Later, I added the photos:

The pages in the SMASH book come pre-patterned. So the designs you see underneath my photos were printed already. I did not add patterned paper.

Each page is a different pattern. The patterns are very neutral, easy for any theme of album you choose.

You guys. Seriously. This was the easiest vacation album I have ever done!

Do you know how nice it was to come home, print photos, and glue them into the (practically) finished book? I really blew people away when we came home and they asked how our trip was and I was able to pull out this finished book and SHOW THEM!

The best part about this album, is that the journaling was done when my thoughts were fresh. I have wonderful details about this vacation documented as they happened. I even involved the kids, from their perspective:

I simply handed them a sheet from the SMASH pad, and told them to write what they thought about that event or place. It made the album much more personal for them.

Here are some tips I wanted to share with you, that helped me to get the most out of my album. I want you to know, that I was able to fit 150 photos into this book. 150! Can you believe that? Thank goodness for the SMASH bands, they help to hold it all in.

  • When I had several photos that I wanted to add to a page, I used this cascading photo technique.
  • Choose photos that are all the same orientation. (All vertical, or all horizontal.)
  • Begin by placing the bottom photo, lining it up with the bottom of the page.
  • Adhere the bottom photo in place. You can tape it, use photo corners like I did, or adhere the whole photo with the glue-stick.

Then place the next photo over the top of the first photo, leaving a portion of the bottom photo visible. Use SMASH tape across the top of the photo, so it will hinge, and lift.

Continue layering the photos as desired, use SMASH tape to attach the photos.

I like to add SMASH tape “tabs” to these cascading photos, to make it easier to lift the photo up, and see the photos underneath.

Take a section of tape, and tape it on the back, then fold it over to the top, to sandwich the photo.

Don’t forget the back of the photos!

Since the photos lift, the back of the photos are prime real estate for journaling or additional photos.

You can write directly on the photos with the SMASH pen. Just give it a few seconds to dry, so it doesn’t smear.

Here is a shot of a couple of typical pages in my book:

You can see the cascading photos, and a SMASH pocket. It is nothing fancy, but it is functional. And boy was it liberating!

I didn’t feel pressure to be perfect, or line things up straight. The charm of the SMASH book is the randomness.

I did not use my usual arsenal of tools. Just SMASH it all in! Slap some tape in it! Done! Simple.

I love the SMASH pockets for corralling little bits of memorabilia.

I used the date stamp to document the date, obviously, but the stamp also has some funny little words you can add to your pages.

“Happy Place“, “This Warrants a Fist Pump” and “Hot Mess.” Good stuff!

Remember the elastic that attaches the pen/glue-stick to the book?

When my album was finished, I no longer needed the pen to accompany the book.

I purchased a key chain in London, and added it to the elastic.

A cute way to personalize the book.

Okay, remember how many photos I told you I crammed into this thing? When I was finished there were still some empty pages in the SMASH book. I just carefully tore them out.

The back cover has a built-in pocket perfect for extra brochures or whatever. And I loved the final sentiment!

Do you want to see it finished?

I added a super easy glitter chipboard title, some SMASH tape stripes and some stickers to the cover: Darice® Silver Glitter Chipboard Alphabet Letters -2 inch & Martha Stewart Crafts™ Postcard Stickers

And then I called it good. Check it out!

Look how thick! Rest assured, the covers of the SMASH book are a heavy-duty chipboard, and the binding is really sturdy as well.

Smash Book - Crafts UnleashedA whole trip documented in record time. My “un-scrapbook.” I can’t recommend it enough.

You can use a SMASH book for whatever you would like.

I hope I have inspired you to give it a shot. Whether you are a seasoned scrapbooker or an un-scrapbooker, SMASH books are a fun way to push out of your comfort zone and unleash your creativity! Get inspired by the collection of scrapbooking supplies from ConsumerCrafts.

Shaunte

Shaunte is a 30-something, chocolate-loving, SAHM from Utah. She has been scrapbooking since 1997, the dreaded era of photos cropped with deco scissors. Since then, her work has evolved into a clean, linear, photo-focused style. Her favorite subjects to scrap are her husband and five kids (never a lack for subject material there).

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Comments

  2. You know how history repeats itself? Well, I must be quite a bit older than the folks who do the current blogging, especially about Smash books. Of course it’s a great idea! This is what SCRAP books really were, back in the 1950s! Scraps of remembrances and such. Someone got the idea to start making money on the idea and created all those aisles of tidbits in Joann’s and Walmart to commercialize the idea and make a fortune from it. Smash books are really the original SCRAPBOOKS. I still have mine from a few years of Girl Scout trips and exciting things of my elementary school days. Greeting cards from my grandparents, tickets, random photos, a newspaper article with my name it, you get the idea!

    Reply

  3. I love the tutorial on how you did but have one question where did you get that stamp of the date I don’t know where I should look to buy it.

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  4. OMG. Thank you. I never understood the plethora of fake tickets and items for scrap books! I have so much to put into them, why would i buy more faux stuff!
    Anyways..I am so glad you put this up..looking on how to create a book out of boxes and boxes of my 18 year old’s life 😉 Looks good..Thanks for your sanity 😉 I thought I was the only one that wasn’t into the “scrapbooking” style of today..

    Reply

  5. I can’t believe that this un-scrapbooking concept has been out for so long! Why haven’t I heard of this before? I have boxes and boxes of memorabilia that I’ve been wondering what to do with and how to organize. I’ve even contemplated throwing everything out, but yet I still collect ticket stubs, restaurant menus, maps and brochures. Thank you so much for your post. I am headed out now to buy my first book. I am so super excited! I spend a lot of time traveling on the train so I love your idea about putting everything in a plastic bag and then working on a page here and there. Thanks for sharing! Stacy

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  6. I love the idea of a smash book. So random but it’s great to just add all the daily bits and pieces.

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  7. Just beautiful, I am trying to get into this smashing books. I’ve bought 3 at Michaels yesterday and am trying to come up with ideas. Your blog helped thank you very much. Here’s to smashing good time. 🙂

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  9. Hi Shaunte, what a great post, just discovered it now on Pinterest. I have been researching, Project Life, Art journalling and Smash books and this post of yours certainly put me clear on what defines a Smash book. I love the idea for holidays, like you did on your trip. I always collect so much and this way you cannot only be creative while on holiday and linger in the good moments even longer but also be saved of the time playing catch up when you get home.

    Thanks for sharing,
    Jodie

    Reply

  10. I luved this info about your Smashbook, I am going to do exactly what you did for yours….thank you for the clear explanation

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  11. I really need help with mine… I have the red one… and its for my parents for Valentines Day! I have 6 pages that i have no idea what to do… please help!

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  13. Shay the: don’t you also need a stamp PAD? Going on a 5-week trip to New Zealand and just received all the supplies for this project!

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  15. First of all, love it! Thanks for sharing! Do you have any suggestions for organizing and “unscrapping” stacks of old keepsakes and photos? I’m notorious for keeping boxes of stuff to scrap book later and years down the road, it’s all scrambled. Then I get stuck on organize by year? By trips? By people? Ugh, such an over thinker! Thanks again for sharing your smashbook!

    Reply

    • Maria-
      Bless you. I have many boxes of “good intentions.” You really need to get them into books in a way that makes sense to you. I try to avoid scrapbooking my year- because down the road, if I find something I forgot, it’s not going to fit in the right book. The great thing about the SMASH books is that they can be completely random. I did a follow-up tutorial about my process with my diary. It is so random- just whenever a memory comes to me, I record it. http://www.blog.consumercrafts.com/paper-crafts/smashbook-un-diary/ This might be an easier approach for you. 🙂 Good luck! I think the most important thing is recording your thoughts with the memorabilia, so when you are gone, people will know YOU and why it was important to YOU.

      Reply

  17. Hello! I am an art teacher, but over the summer I worked at a Christian Camp in the craft cabin and we sold these SMASH books. I had no idea they were this awesome! Me and my mom are heading to London for Christmas, this year and I really want to make one of these SMASH books. You have inspired me! I am running out of space for giant scrapbooks, these days. Thanks for the idea!

    Reply

  18. Hi, Shaunte:

    I’ve just returned from a trip to Australia, and I decided to purchase a smashbook to keep all my mementos. Was just looking online for some inspiration for using the smashbook, and I discovered your site. Was thrilled to see you have the Pretty Darn Cute Designs’ Adorable theme on your site. I provide theme support for Lindsey at Pretty Darn Cute Design, and I love randomly seeing her sites online 🙂

    Great job with the smashbook, and your site!

    Reply

  21. i’m from Brazil and soon i’m going to Canada on an exchange program for 6 months! i got a smash scrapbook from my English teacher and i didn’t know how to make some creative stuff but now that i checked your blog i have crazyyyy ideas!
    thank youuuu so much!
    xoxo

    Reply

  22. I found a link to this blog on Pinterest – thank you!! We are heading to the UK for 6 weeks (from New Zealand) shortly. No doubt I will take 1000’s of photos – thanks to your post, I’m now taking the makings of a Smash journal (using an A4-sized blank notebook rather than a Smash album ‘cos it wouldn’t have enough pages!) with me, and will journal/scrap/smashbook as I go 🙂 All I will have to do when I get home is print the photos… I think I’ll use post-it notes to remind me which photos I planned to put on each page.

    Reply

  23. Hi Shaunte: Great smash book! I have a question about the tape. I recently purchased a Smash book for my daughter that came with the accessories, including tape. I checked out the tape the other night and found that it is practically removable — does not seem to stick permanently at all. I tried looking on the website but they don’t seem to mention any of their tapes being removable vs. permanent. Have you worked with any other Smash tapes and noticed this issue?

    Reply

    • Lauren-
      I haven’t used the tape that now comes in the kits. If you did a trial run, and it peels up- I wouldn’t trust it. Maybe they have changed the formula? Mine is still holding after almost 3 years. There are plenty of other washi tapes available now. Find a good, sticky one. It would be a bummer to have things start falling out of your book! Good luck! 🙂

      Reply

  24. I love this! I might do this over the summer for my honeymoon. I do have two questions:
    1. Is the black polka dot tape just washi tape?
    2. Are the cascading photos holding up well or could they fall out?

    Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply

    • @kathryn-
      Yes, the black and white polka dot is washi tape, any will do. The cascading photos are still holding strong! And my book gets a fair amount of flipping through! Have fun on your Honeymoon! 🙂

      Reply

  25. Hi there,
    I love what you’ve done with your scarp book its looks brilliant. Lovely to see little old england featuring in someones holidays.
    I have a big question, while looking at the pictures notices that you had normal sized photos presumably 6×4 and then i notices that you have smaller “square” ones. Where therse taken on the same camera? or where they taken on a polaroid/instant film camera?
    Im asking simply because i would love to have the square photos and other than buying a polaroid/instant camera i have no idea how to get them. Any help would be appreciated, as I’m hopping to figure this all out before i get on a plane and make my way to LA for my american road trip. Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Hello Alex! I am used to print my photos at wal mart… I don’t know if the walt mart in the united states have a “photo center” but it’s where I usually print them. At wal mart, you can choose the size of your photos, crop them and even add some decorations! If you want small squares photos, I higly reccomand you to print your photos here! I hope this will help you!
      Clara
      *P.S. please dont take a look at the mistakes… My firts language is french and my English is not perfect yet (im only 16 years old!)

      Reply

    • Alex- sorry for the late response. All of the photos were taken on the same camera, I just resized or simply cut down the smaller size you see. Have fun in LA!

      Reply

  26. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas. We are planning a trip to Turkey in the fall and I was considering taking a Smash book as journal for the trip. Your suggestion of bringing all the supplies in a ziplock bag is perfect. I keep all my ticket stubs, receipts, etc., but in my crazy purse things tend to get lost for ages! I’ll still finish with my traditional 12×12 album, but this will keep everything fresh for me til I can “do it right”.

    Reply

  27. LOVE THIS! The idea of a smash book has always fascinated me, but since I do traditional 12×12 scapbooks it has never really fit in. I just ordered up the same journal you used, to take on a week long trip I have coming up with my two boys, mom, and sister. SO excited to try it out and I think it will be so much fun for us all to work on together.

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  28. this is a great in the moment way of ‘scrapbooking’ and really takes it back to how scrapbooks were originally.. places to stash treasures… not places to be exact and uber artistic. thanks for the really inspirational article

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  29. Thanks so much for sharing. I’ve been journaling and art journaling for years. Could easily incorporate the memory book ideas without the commercialized expenses and all those supplies.

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  30. Found this on Pinterest. We don’t have Smash here in the Philippines, but I would like to do something similar. Thank you for the idea!

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  31. Found this on pinterest. Looks easy & is so visually different from the kind of traditional 12×12 scrapbooking I usually do! I am wondering: I will be scrapbooking a lot of concert tickets & scraps (mostly thin receipts…I like to use those to remember where I ate, shopped, etc.!). It seems that in a smash book none of the pages are protected in a plastic lining like a traditional scrapbook. Do you think that will cause photos and scraps to fade faster? I suppose if things become unglued they can fall out as well.

    Reply

    • Valerie-
      I think photos and scraps are going to fade at the same rate whether they are in plastic or not. The fade rate depends on the material they are printed on. I wouldn’t use a SMASH book for photos or memorabilia that cannot be replaced, since they are unprotected.
      That being said, my SMASH books have held up really well. I have five kids that love to look back at the vacations we have been on- and friends and family thumb through them as well. I have yet to lose things out of them. The only time that has happened was some photos that I slid into a pocket- one of the kids forgot to put them back.
      You should try one! They really are liberating! 🙂

      Reply

  32. Just want to thank you for this wonderful tutorial! I came across this on Pintrest and became instantly obsessed! Went out tonight and bought two books and a few other supplies. I want to use one book for our hopefully annual trip to Florida for Spring Training and the other for fun stuff we do through out the year. Can wait to get started! You made this seem doable for me and so exciting! Thank you again!

    Reply

    • @angela- it’s even more exciting when you get the photos printed and slap them into a book that is DONE. It sure beats “I should out those pictures in a book some day…” Have fun!

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  33. This article is fantastic! I’m just discovering smashbooks on Pinterest and wondered what exactly they are, then found this page and I really love it! I’m so inspired to make one of my own when I go with my bf to his home country of New Zealand in March 2014, and I might do a practice one when I visit my family during thisi Xmas. I won’t be able to get the actual smashbook supplies here in the UK (from what I’ve read on other comments on here) but I can use similar stuff and create my own version. Your smashbook is wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing all about it 😀

    Reply

    • @vikki- you certainly don’t *need* the SMASH book (although they are nice)! Happy traveling! I am glad you are inspired to start SMASHing!

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    • Hey, I realise you commented this ages ago, but just thought you should know that Hobbycraft sells these! Also you can order them from amazon, just ordered mine and I’m so excited! Hope that helps 🙂

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  34. This is a great article and explanation. I’d heard of SMASH books but had no idea what they were. They remind me of old-fashioned scrapbooks before scrapbooking became an art! (Shows my age). Thanks for the work involved.

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  36. That’s a very nice and easy scrapbooking idea. Unfortunately it is not available in Malaysia. How sad! Wish I could have one.. 🙁
    Anyway, nice tutorial! It makes me wanna make a scrapbook right away!

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    • Linda, I didn’t want to spend the extra on a Smashbook so I just bought a composition notebook. I decorated the front and I now have more pages for my longer vacation. Granted there isn’t pretty paper in it but it is nice to have all of those pages 🙂

      Good Luck

      Reply

    • Oh just get a long-distance friend here to send one to you:-) Crafters
      are some of the nicest people, and will usually help each other out in
      some way or another. Perhaps you have something to trade for the
      item. I’ve not seen the books here locally, but they must be about
      somewhere. Good luck!!!

      Reply

  38. This is such a lovely way to keep memories for my foster children without creating huge bulky books . Love love love it thank you.

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  39. Thank you SO MUCH for posting about your Smash book during your vacation! I just returned from a fabulous vacation in Paris with my daughter and thankfully I read your article before I went! My smash book is all done except for putting the photos in now that I’m home and getting them developed! It was great to have a way to capture each day’s activities and ticket stubs, etc. thank you so much for helping me capture our vacation without the hassle of traditional scrap booking. 🙂

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  40. Wow! Now that is the best example and explanation of a Smash Book ever! I think you’ve inspired me to actually finally open mine! Thank you so much!

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  41. I just wanted to say that this review SOLD me on Smash*Books forever! I had been searching for a way for my nieces to document their summer vacation with us and I cam across this review so I decided to give the Smash*Books a try and we absolutely LOVED them!! They were a total blast to make and the kids had so much fun collecting items and photos for their books! This was the perfect thing! Thanks so much for the fantastic review!! I’m writing my own review and I think I might start making Smash*Books for myself! 🙂

    Reply

  44. Hello from Denmark 🙂

    wow I think smashbooking is just something for me 🙂

    I will ask a friend of mine from CA to order me that book, I just got to try it.

    I would love to follow your blog, how do I do it ?

    Hanne
    Denmark

    Reply

    • Hi Hanne,

      Thanks for visiting and leaving us a comment!
      To follow our blog, just enter your email address in the turquoise box at the top right of the page that says “Subscribe to Crafts Unleashed via email.”
      You can also follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ConsumerCrafts
      Thanks!

      Reply

      • A friend of mine from CA got the book for me 🙂 In going to Las Vegas in November, what shops do I have to look for, I want to buy funny stuff to put inside the book with my writing and photos, you know stickers and so on.
        Thank you for helping, Im so glad I have found you 🙂

        Hanne

        Reply

  45. BEST smashbook example I have found!! I do not like “scrapbooking” and decided to try the smashbook. I took it along on our trip, but I still found it very daunting. I brought everything back home, unused. Thank you so much for the inspiration!! I have developed my photos. Now that I’ve seen yours, I need to get a couple more things, and then I think I”m ready to tackle the SMASH Book!

    Reply

    • Thank you, Jennifer! I have scrapped many a trip post-vacation. It goes pretty quickly! You just have to let go of the notion that it needs to be “pretty.” Good luck! For future trips- make sure you at least take a notebook or SMASH pad to record the events of the day- feelings, funny quotes, prices of things, etc. Makes it sooo much easier to SMASH it post-trip. Unless you have an amazing memory- I sure don’t! 🙂

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  46. Thanks for this! I scrapbook, but never could figure out what exactly a smashbook was (I suppose I really didn’t take the time to find out either lol). Now that I know, I might have to get one of these for my teenage daughter. She’s interested in scrapbooking, but doesn’t really have the motivation for all the work that goes into one. Seems like the perfect solution!

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    • My teenage daughter loves SMASHing. And her journal/SMASHbook is going to be a treasure when she gets older! (Lots of current teenage slang. 🙂 )

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  47. Just bought a smash book for my trip to New York! You gave me many great ideas that I hadn’t thought of! Thanks shaunte!

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  48. We’re going on a big family vacation to Williamsburg in a little less than a month, and I’m definitely doing this! I’m excited because we always take a million pictures on vacation, but they never make it off the computer.

    Reply

    • Alyssa, we just got back from Williamsburg on Friday. We only stayed Sun-Fri and didn’t visit all there is to do. Just between CW, Busch Gardens, and Water Country — oh, and one ghost tour — I took more pictures than I know what to do with!! Hope you have as much fun as we did!

      Reply

  49. This amazing kind of journal always makes me happy! I love the look and fell of the journal. I enjoy using stickers, die cuts, markers, etc. To personalize this type of journal!

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  50. This book is amazing. I know that when family/friends want to see pictures from a trip, hauling out a shoebox of photos that are mismatched and jumbled together is more of a hassle than anything else. I love the Smash books because they’re so easy to display the photos. Thanks for sharing this post and I love all of your photos!

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  51. I’m so happy to come across this. I have a SMASH book of memorabilia from high school and college. I love it. I’m working on a travel one soon. I had no idea that there were SMASH bands to hold it all together. I’d seen them one time at one store but didn’t know what they were for. Now I know! I love your pages and the layering. It’s beautiful. I also ripped out extra pages, and the key chain is a great idea. And I like that you showed what the tape can be used for. I really couldn’t grasp the concept until I saw it here.

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  52. i currently have 3 smash books ready to be filled with “stuff”… i’ve been waiting to get the courage on how to fit piles of photos & knick-knacks without a care. i’ve just been waiting to “let-go” because i am a very picky scrapbooker, it’s very difficult for me to randomly stick things on a page… i know i want to and i know that as soon as i do – i’ll have a blast… thanx for sharing! =)

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  53. Thank you so much! I am getting ready to build a house and wanted to document everything. I am the opposite of creative and this helps a ton. I have already picked out a book and several necessities. 😀

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  54. I`m looking into doing a few smashbooks and I was just wondering if they were pricey or not? Trying to decide if I should go with their products or try and find my own.

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  55. is the smash tape really strong and sticky? How well does it hold up on the “hinged” photos that are layered? Excellent idea btw.

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    • @lindsey- mine are still stuck down! 🙂 I found the tape to work pretty well as long as I didn’t reposition it. If I moved it, it curled up, and i stuck it back down with a glue stick- or removed it and used another piece. HTH!

      Reply

  56. I love this! This is actually the first blog I found where the principle of the Smashbook is properly explained. It appears I have been “smashbooking” during my last vacation (in a regular notebook, glueing in all kinds of stuff I found during the day). The only thing I did not include where photo’s and I really regret it. Thank you for your ideas of how to include so many photos (150? Really?!). This will go on my list for my next vacation (Vive la France!). And this time my vacation journalling book will have photo’s!
    BTW, you wouldn’t also have a YouTube vid with a browse through all these pages, would you …?

    Reply

    • @judith- no, I haven’t ventured into the world of videos- maybe one day. And yeah, it was 150 photos, between the pockets and cascading photo trick, I really jammed a lot in there. Some of the photos were re-sized smaller than a 4×6. Hope France is a wonderful adventure for you! Thank you for the kind words. 🙂

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    • I like to use the elastic hair bands on my smashbooks. Very inexpensive, come in great variety of colors, and can be found in drug stores, dollar stores, Walmart, Target, etc…

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  58. I started a Smash book last fall and found it so much easier to use than regular scrapbooking. I bought three of our granddaughters each a book and several of the accessories last year for Chrismas and they have fallen in love with it. I never thought about taking in on our vacations, but that is an excellent idea that I am definitely going to put to use. How nice to be able to write down your thoughts and where you visited while you are doing it. Thank you for the ideas!

    Reply

  59. hi
    i’ ve been keeping a travel journal for years which has become my travel scrapbook. i would love to try these new roducts they look fab. you have a beautiful smash album and i would like to tell you about a handy gadget i use. it called a Polaroid pogo printer. its small about the size of an iphone and you can print little 2X3in photos directly from your phone or camera. i got mine on Amazon.

    Thank you for sharing
    Katie

    Reply

  60. You have definitely inspired me to try this “un-scrapbook” approach! Bravo for your efforts and please keep inspiring the masses! 🙂

    Reply

  61. that is brilliant!

    i’ve never liked the precious perfection of the typical scrapbooking craze (and all the endless, expensive accessories to buy for them). this smash idea is awesome. what you’ve got is a real treasure and perfectly unique! thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  62. What an absolutely fantastic idea. Stops all those boxes and bags of brochures, tickets and receipts etc., laying around until we find the time. Absolutely love it!

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  63. Hey! I saw this on pintrest and seeing this got me excited to do one myself. I was wondering what camera did you use and i wanted to know how you print the picture vertically did you use a program? Oh and did you print the pictures during the holiday or when you returned home.

    Sorry for asking so many questions(:

    Reply

    • Hi Furzana-
      I used Photoshop for resizing my photos. I shoot with a Canon Rebel. I edited, resized and printed the photos after I returned home. I just left room for them on the pages. HTH!

      Reply

  68. LOVE your step-by-step walkthrough of how to use a Smash book! Your ideas were inspiring. Can’t wait to start using mine. Thanks!

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  69. Just found your blog thru a link on Pinterest. GREAT idea for the Snmashbook! I love them and have several at home for different reasons. It makes a great “on-the-road” scrapbook! Thanks for sharing.

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  71. This is soooo cool! I was debating buying one, but now I can’t wait to!
    Thanks for taking the time to do all this.

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  75. I think these would be perfect for my pre-teen nieces to get started on….would make an ideal book to document Summer 2013 or their middle school adventures. And using coupons from Michaels and ACMoore wouldnt sent their parents into heartattack mode…think I will message them on facebook and send them this link 🙂 thanks for the inspiration 🙂

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  77. Wallaaa!! So smart of you. I must remember to take my smash book with me next time we do something exciting. I can’t believe all the pictures you were able to put inside! Great idea, thanks for sharing!

    Carmen L

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  78. I do a lot of traditional scrapbooking. I also use Smash books. My whole family (me, kids, and hubby) all use Smash books, and we all love them! We use them for art journals, summer vacation documentation, trips, and many more things. You really can’t go wrong with them!

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  79. I’m an avid scrapbooker and card maker but I find myself doing fewer and fewer scrapbooks. As I watched Smash Book’s hit the shelves of my local craft store, I figured it was more of a trendy teen book. Now I’m convinced that I need to buy one for myself! I think I’m going to scrapbook the year since I don’t have any vacation plans for 2013. A month at a time, highlighting the photo opps and events in my life. Thank you for the inspiration! Love your book!

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  80. I got a Smash book for my wedding guest book and encouraged guests to write more than their names, after I print some of my wedding photos I plan to fill in the rest of the pages.

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  81. I LOVE this, have never heard of the smash products. I went to Germany and Austria and carried a little notebook with me to journal every night but THIS would have been perfect!!!!!!

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  83. I love the idea of using the tape to hold multiple pictures! I’m working on a scrapbook now and want to do a baby shower page with that(so I can use lots of pictures) but I have no way to keep the page in the scrapbook unless it is in one of those plastic folder things. Won’t work if I want to be able to flip pictures. 🙁 Other stuff on the page will come off if I keep putting the page in and taking it out. Any ideas?

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  84. What a great glimpse at smashbooking! I bought my 10 year old one for Christmas because I wanted het to have a place for all of her treasured notes/ pictures and whatnot.

    So you know….Michaels and AC Moore both carry smashbooks and take coupons!

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  85. I just bought me a smash book just the other day. Came across your post on pinterest and thought its Shaunte. Love how simple you have made using the smash book! Hope this finds you well!!

    Reply

  86. This is a fabulous post! The best walk through of a Smash book I’ve seen and I love how your book turned out!

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  87. I’m in love with this idea!!! I just started smashing a little bit ago… I’m planning on printing picture out later… I had a question for you though, how do you get pictures of smaller sizes? Like smaller than 4X6? I’m thinking this would help me to smash even more picture 😀 Please let me know 🙂

    Reply

  91. This is great! I Googled SMASH book b/c I saw a post on Pinterest and I’d never heard about them. Google lead me here and I’m so glad it did! What a great idea and I love how seemingly simple and efficient it is to document your days. I’m thinking of doing this for 2013…maybe one page every week or two. Thanks for a great post!

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  92. Wow, thank you so much! I’ve wanted a smash book for a long time, and now that I know how to use one, I’ll go buy one ASAP.

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  95. This is GREAT! I can’t wait to use it for my next trip! I love the idea to have something concrete to share when your are sharing your trip with others!

    I was wondering what the black and white polka dot tape that you are using is? Is it Washi tape?

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  96. This looks very similar to what we did when I was a kid. We called it a scrapbook but it wasn’t the cutsie, time consuming scrapbooks they do today. We just taped “memories” onto pages and wrote on the pages. Awards, ribbons, ticket stubs, pictures, whatever we wanted. I still have mine from when I was young. I am going to introduce my 12 year old daughter to smash booking!

    Reply

  97. @lisa- (I hope you are checking back, I have no way of contacting you-)
    The nail polish is a bottle I have had for a long time. It is Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in “Pop the Bubbly.” I love it cause you can wear it, and it is light enough that no one notices chips or dings. As you can plainly tell, I am super low maintenance. 😉
    @Jenny- I am not sure about the acid free aspect of the SMASH books, but I can say that the manufacturer (EK success) has been in the industry for a very long time, and are very aware of the archival aspect of scrapbooking. Most scrapbooking supplies now are fairly safe in that regard, but I would still be careful with irreplaceable photos and documents.

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  98. I love it, how exciting to actually FINISH scrapping a journey, and so quickly! Thanks for sharing! Do you know how acid free the Smash products and overall process is in general?

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  99. I have to agree— I love the look of scrapbooks and capturing memories, but as I told my mom in Hobby Lobby once as we were passing the scrapbooking aisle(s!), that’s a whole ‘nother demon from the art I do. I just don’t have the time or funds to dive into that ocean quite yet. But our local Target carries all the SMASH stuff, and I’ve already used a bunch for ATCs and whatnot. I’m loving this idea. It’s making me think I may tackle the entire SMASH line, book and all 🙂

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  100. Very nice & it’s done on the spot- no trying to piece it together 6 months later when you can’t remember things. Off topic question- what is that pale pink glittery nail polish you’re wearing in the photo showing layering photos? 🙂

    Reply

  103. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!
    I am so getting myself one of these in time for our 25th wedding anniversary next year. Wonderfully creative idea without all the effort of ‘scrap booking’ :o)

    Reply

  104. I tried using a smashbook but I just couldn’t do it. I love the idea!

    Also, your handwriting looks like a font.

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  105. I love this article. i was telling my boys ( 9 and 10 ) about the smash books and was thinking about getting them, we are going on a road trip from Ontario to Florida in Feb and I thought it would be a great idea to do but wasent sure how. now I see. Thanks so much. The boys are excited about getting them and they can work on them in the car and in the hotel. You ROCK!

    Reply

  107. After seeing your SMASH book, I’ve got to give it a try. I love that you were able to bring it with you on your vacation then come home and add photos. I love this idea. I often bring a ton of books to read while on vacation, but working on a SMASH book would give me another source of entertainment and any journaling could be done right away. Now that would be so cool!

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  108. @Kathy A: I also have a Kayla (Mikayala) she is the one pictured as my “assistant.” She turned nine in April, and LOVES her SMASH book. It is a mix of pictures, magazine clippings and notes from her friends. I love it! It will be a treasure when she is older.

    Reply

  109. Seriously this article came at the perfect time! Kayla who is going to be 9 at the end of June has asked for a Smash book for her birthday. I thought she might be too young but now Know I am wrong. I will be printing this blog article and adding it to her gift. Now I have an idea of what to start with for my shopping list for her. I will need to slowly pick things up as I am sure it could get expensive, but I know I can do this for her now. Thank you for such a great article, your Smash book is wonderful 🙂

    Reply

  112. Fabulous result! I have a SMASH book but I haven’t figured out how to use it- this is a great idea!

    Reply

  114. I love it!!!! I have 2 but have done nothing in either but a trip to Hawaii is on the horizon so I think that will be a good time to start. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  8. […] (FYI, I was also interested in making a “SMASH” book for a month or so this past year. That is why I’ve given by book a tweaked name from this somewhat similar foundational idea. If you’ve ever seen a Smash book, you know how creative and fantastic they can be! If you’ve never experienced one, I personally loved this description and how-to presented by Crafts Unleashed) […]

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  12. […] a great way to scrap on the go or when free time just isn’t that plentiful. I’ve seen beautiful SMASH folios done while on vacation (which I’ll totally be doing the next time we go somewhere!) but I’ve taken to using my […]

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  13. […] The ideas are endless. You could start one with ideas for your dream home, or keep one with thoughts during your pregnancy, or a travel one while you’re away on holidays. Here’s a great example of a travel SMASH*book. […]

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  16. […] seeing really cute Smash Books around and that piques my interest too. This example from Shaunte at Crafts Unleashed is really laid back and seems like this could be a fairly stress-free way to scrapbook. I love that […]

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  19. […] 7. Smash Book This is definitely one of my favorite items, and would be a great gift for anyone going on a trip soon! It’s a do-as-you-go scrapbook complete with pre-decorated pages and an amazing half pen/half gluestick (so smart, I always loose my gluesticks!). The Smash line has a bunch of accessories you can buy to use on your book and it can really turn out great! Here’s a fantastic example of a successful Smash Book: http://www.blog.consumercrafts.com/paper-crafts/smash-books-the-un-scrapbook/ […]

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