For years, my daughters and I studiously avoided the overflowing scrapbooking aisle at the local craft store. I knew that if we ventured into that land of colorful papers, shiny stickers, and other pretty things, we might never leave. But one day, its call proved too strong. Later, as my girls and I sat scrapbooking, we realized that this craft would be fun to do with friends. Little did we know that serious scrapbookers have a term for just such a gathering: it's called a crop. My daughters and I assembled some supplies and invited over a few of their friends. By the time our crop was through, all the girls had filled pages with photos and memorabilia -- and had helped me discover a number of tips to pass on to you.For our hand-delivered invitation, we created a tag with the party information and tied it to a pair of decorative-edge scissors (about $1 each). We asked the girls to bring both to the party, along with photos and supplies to share.
Tip 1: Decide on the size of your guest list by considering how much table space you have.
Tip 2: Before the party, cover your workspace with butcher paper. This will protect your table from glue sticks as well as provide a place for the kids to sketch ideas as they work.
Tip 3: To help create as much workspace on the table as possible, I strung a cord across the wall, then clipped shared supplies to the line, including stickers and photos of the girls from group adventures. At the party, the kids had a great time using the photos on their pages and remembering all those field trips, sports teams, kindergarten classes, and birthday parties.
Tip 4: Once all the girls had arrived, I used a digital camera to take a group shot. While they worked, I printed copies of the image on photo paper. The girls then used the photo and their invitations to make a page about the party.
Tip 5: Make sure workspace is separate from snack space (ideally in different rooms). One spilled drink can ruin a lot of hard work! Pretzels are a classic crop snack because they're not greasy.
