Sign Here: Craft Your Own Autograph Book
12 March 2009
Author: Melanie Cantrell
I’m 43 years old and I still have my sixth grade autograph book! Now even though it dates back much further than I care to admit, it is fun to stumble upon that little book from time to time. When I see the signature of a boy named Danny, I remember when my parents had my whole class over for lunch one day and Danny spilled baked beans all over my mom’s brand new carpet. Then he spilled his drink trying to clean up the beans, which he was actually rubbing into the carpet deeper and deeper. I remember how my parents didn’t get mad because Danny was so cute, polite, funny and basically just accident prone. And I can’t help but chuckle when I see that most of the girls dotted their i’s with little hearts! Just seeing their names, in their own handwriting brings back dozens and dozens of fond memories.
Like photographs, autograph books automatically take you back to a different time. Memories of that time and the people who were in your life then come back to you as you look through them. They are a fun way to preserve memories that will trigger reflections of a special time, a special event, a special place or special people, and make wonderful gifts for coaches, teachers, students…anyone!
With the wide variety of paper crafting products available today, making an autograph book can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. You may want to start out with a blank book that comes to you already assembled and ready to decorate, or you may want to start from scratch to create your own book from beginning to end.
You can leave pages bare with a lot of room for autographs and notes, or you may prefer to decorate each page using patterned papers, embellishments, punches, stamps, and pockets to store pull-out cards for autographing. You may want to include photos in your autograph book…or maybe not. You might not even want it to be a book – consider this autograph clipboard. There are no rules!
However you choose to make an autograph book is the right way! They are fun to make, fun to give to others and fun to look back on…even when you are 43, just like me!