Pre-Planned Page Packets for Scrapbooking

What you need to set these up:

Clear page protectors 8.5x11 is what is usually available. I use this size album for five of my children as that is what I started using with them. For the 12x12 pages, I use clear 12x12 packs from Walmart that are about $1.97. They are in the scrap aisle. The page protectors, I buy in boxes of 100 at Hobby Lobby when they are 50% off (costs about $4 a box then).

And a notebook and dividers.

That's it. 

My Version of PPPP's (Pre-Planned Page Packets)

1. As soon as I bring my pictures home or receive them in the mail from order them online, I sort them into piles for that person or for the family album, or vacation/travel album.

In other words, what pictures will go in which album. Each child has their own album. We have a family album and travel/vacation album also that I currently work on when I have pictures for them.

I sometimes will order double prints (or quadruple), so I'd have pictures for each child's album, etc. and for my MIL's album that I made a few years ago and just keep making pages for her to add to it.  

2. When I have time, I take one set of pictures and match paper, stickers die cuts, etc for them. Working on one picture or a set of pictures (like birthday, Christmas) at a time. I will put whatever paper or papers I think I might want to use with that picture and any embellishments (brads, eyelets, stickers etc.) and put all that into a sheet protector thus creating a PPPP. I will also put a little note in the PPPP about any punches or stamps I may want to use as well as any journaling notes.  

3. That PPPP then goes into a 3 ring binder until I have time to work on them. I have dividers in the binder for each album. One divider for each album I am currently working on: one for the family, one for each child, and a travel & vacation one as well as one for MIL's album.

4. When I start to work on the PPPP's I can go into the binder and decide which album I want to work on and start working on a PPPP.

I do try to keep my pictures and PPPP's in chronological order and although I don't scrap that way, I do put them into the albums that way. So when I put the finished pages in the album I leave room for other pages that need to go in before or after.

Another note:

Being organized with your scrapbooking items helps tremendously.

Use a 3 ring notebook for PPPP's.  You can flip through them to see what you want to work on.

Use a Paper Taker to organize your cardstock. A Crop-In-Style Paper Taker Organizers 12"x12" works wonderfully

Use a separate Paper Taker for your vellum, pattern paper  and other specialty papers, like mulberry, etc.

Use a binder for ideas, die cut patterns, paper piecing, etc. Easily flipped through so you can see what you have or buy one of the  Paper Sticker Binders and use it to hold these items. A Crop-In-Style Paper & Sticker 3 Ring Binder works well for this. . If you're like me, you'll need lots of extra inserts. Crop-In-Style 3 Ring Binder Paper & Sticker Refills are available for the binder as well.

Store your pens in a Crop-In-Style BlackStand Up Pen Caddy

I have a Crop-In-Style NaNavigator Rolling Tote that I absolutely love. That thing keeps anything and everything, well to a point, but it's great to pack and take to a friend's house to crop.

Use floss organizer boxes to put little embellishments in such as brads, floss, wire, buttons, ribbon, etc. Sort by color and you can find anything you want in flash.  See this link Organizing Your Scrapbook Embellishments for more information.  That is an article I wrote for Scrapfriends.