Benefits of Creating a Memory Book

Making a memory book is an entertaining and creative project that can help you fight boredom. It's also an engaging activity that puts your brain to use. A memory book helps capture your stories so you don't forget them, and you can use the book to pass on those stories to your loved ones. If you start to show signs of memory loss, you can look through the book to help you remember those past experiences. It could even serve as an assisted living apartment decoration that you put on display.

What to Include in a Senior Memory Book

The great thing about a memory book is that you can customize it any way you want. Photos work well in memory books because they provide a visual that captures the story or memory. Your captions go along with the photos to tell the details of the story. You can also add little keepsakes that relate to the memory, such as a copy of the ticket to the event you're talking about or a hospital wristband from when your grandchild was born.

Select Your Focus

Do you want to cover all your memories in one book, or just focus on a select few? Your memory book might concentrate on a particular time, such as the child-raising period of your life. It could also focus on a particular type of memory, such as family vacations or holidays. You might create several smaller memory books, each about a different topic. Or you can make one large book with several sections, each one covering a specific time. Deciding what you want to cover in the book helps you gather items and memories to put in it.

Choose Your Book and Materials

You can use a scrapbook, photo album, journal or binder to create the foundation of your memory book. Look for acid-free materials when gathering the book and supplies — this helps protect your photos from deteriorating. You'll also need photo-safe glue, tape or other adhesive products to hold the photos and other items onto the pages.

Gather Your Memorabilia

Look for photos and other memorabilia that you want to include in the book. Dig through old photo albums or check your smartphone camera for good candid shots that might fit with the theme of the book. If you want to protect the originals of older photos, have copies made that you can include in the memory book.

Write Down Your Memories

Before you start creating your book, it can be helpful to write down the details of the memories you're including. Jot down dates, who was there, what happened and what impact the moment had on you. You might need to do a little research to figure out the details. For instance, if you know you took a trip in June 1995, you might need to calculate how old your kids were at that time if you want to include those details. When you create your captions, you can refer to this information and decide which details you want to include.

Collaborate With Friends and Family

The focus of the book might be your memories, but getting input from the people closest to you can enhance the details. Your friends and family might have different photos of the events than you have, which can add a different visual perspective. If your memory of the details is fuzzy, you might get clarification by reliving the moment with the people who were there. Chatting about what to include in the book can be a meaningful bonding experience as well.

Make Your Final Selections

Looking at all the photos, memorabilia and information you've gathered, decide what makes the final cut for the book. Do a test run of the layout by placing the photos on the page without gluing them down. Leave plenty of room for the captions and any embellishments you want to include. When you're happy with the layout, you can glue the photos down and write in your captions.

Include Other Embellishments

Head to the scrapbooking aisle of your favorite craft store to find extra little touches to make your memory book pretty. Stickers, gemstones, bows and pressed flowers are just a few examples. Another option is to write Bible verses on some of the pages that relate to the memories. This can add a spiritual touch to the book and incorporate praise as you reflect on your memories.

Alternative Memory Book Options

Creating a scrapbook-style memory book gives you a crafty, creative outlet, but you can choose other options. Several websites let you create photo books by uploading photos and adding captions. The company prints the book for you. Another option is a digital memory book that you look at on your computer or mobile device. You could also record yourself sharing your memories and holding up photos and keepsakes to create a video memory book.

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