During our first road trip in 2014, I saved a ton of items intending to make a scrapbook when we got home. The items fill an entire storage tote. By the next road trip, I still had not made the scrap book. I did a lot of research before coming up with my travel scrapbook method. With this method I put items in my scrapbook as we go. Everything goes in it, receipts, cool small shopping bags, postcards, photos, journal entries, and more. The first time I used this method of scrapbooking I took way too much stuff with me. There's not a lot of space on our longer road trips so I've learned to take less.
Supplies
2"-3" 3 ring binder
cardstock
scrapbook paper
page protectors
tape
glue stick
glue all
binder hole punch
pen
optional: colored pens/markers/journaling cards/stickers/small jewelry bags/Instax Camera or photo printer
I started by designing a decorative cover and spine for my binder. Sometimes I do this before I leave and other times when I come back. An easy decoration is a printed map with a drawing of the route . This cover and spine was made on my Cricut Explore.
Next I printed our directions and any reservations that we have for our trip and place them in page protectors. I also print things like maps of campgrounds or other items which I think will be helpful on our trip. It's always a question if we will have good cell signal so we've needed maps of WMA and Nation Forest Road Use Maps besides or printed directions. We've discovered that page protectors keep our pages from tearing better than hole punching them. Page protectors from the dollar store are thinner and work well. Page protectors from other stores will be thinker and can hold heavier things and are less prone to tearing.
If you're traveling with pets, it is a good idea to include you pet's latest wellness exam. For dogs and cats this should include a shot record. For animals other than dogs and cats it is a good idea to include a Department of Agriculture Veterinary Inspection.
For the first time ever I also made dividers for the sections. They worked really well but I wish that they were slightly bigger so that they would stick out from the page protectors.
This trip I took a pack of double sided 8.5x11 cardstock. I had problems with this and the holes I punched are already tearing out. Also, as I turn the pages they are floppy and not holding things well. I've ordered clear hole punch reinforcement stickers. The better way to do your pages (and the way I've done it in the past). Is to glue scrapbook paper (or maps!) over one side of a piece of cardstock, then trim any excess to the size of the cardstock and then repeat with the other side. This makes the pages MUCH stronger this way.
While I'm on the road I scrapbook as we go. Everything goes inside. Receipts, travel guides, stickers, post cards, bottle caps, interesting small rocks (please do not take anything from a national park- check the rules wherever you go). Pockets can be made to hold things out of cardstock or postcards. I like to run a line of glue all around the edge of the pocket and then tape on top on 3 sides (I often fold my tape onto the other side). Below, is a page I made after driving from Sioux Falls to Badlands where I used a postcard as a pocket. Small jewelry bags can have small things put in them and taped. I also include a journal entry for each day on a postcard or journal card. When we stop at Walmart to resupply I will sometimes print photos to add to the journal (or leave space to add them when we get home).
Postcards and photos can also be taped in just on the top so that you can lift them up like I did below. It's a fun touch to add photos and things to the back of these. This flower we book pressed while on the road and I will be adding it back into the scrapbook when it's ready.
