Scrapbooking Styles Explained: Clean & Simple, Vintage, Shabby Chic, Mixed Media, and More

Scrapbooking is one of those creative hobbies where there’s no single “right way” to do it. Two people can scrapbook the exact same photos and end up with completely different pages—because scrapbooking is personal. Your style reflects how you see your memories, what you notice, and what you want to feel when you look back.

If you’ve ever scrolled through scrapbooking inspiration and thought, “I love this page… but I don’t know what style it is,” this article will make everything clearer. You’ll learn the most common scrapbooking styles, what makes each one unique, what supplies work best for each, and how to figure out your own style without copying anyone.

This is also helpful if you’re building a blog about scrapbooking, because style-based content attracts readers who want a specific look and need guidance.

What is a “scrapbooking style,” exactly?

A scrapbooking style is the overall look and feeling of a layout. It’s shaped by choices like:

• How many photos you use and how big they are
• Whether you prefer clean space or heavy decoration
• The types of patterns you choose
• The textures you include
• The color palette (bright, muted, neutral, pastel, bold)
• How you title and journal (minimal, story-heavy, label-based, decorative lettering)
• Whether your pages are flat or dimensional

Your style can be consistent across your entire album, or it can change depending on the story you’re telling. Many scrapbookers blend styles naturally over time.

The easiest way to discover your style

Before we dive into individual styles, here’s a simple method to find what fits you.

1. Save 20 scrapbook pages you genuinely love
2. Look for patterns: do most pages have lots of white space, or lots of layers?
3. Notice the colors: soft and muted or bright and bold?
4. Notice texture: mostly paper, or paint, ink, fabric, chunky elements?
5. Ask: do you love structure and order, or playful freedom?

Your style is usually hiding in what you consistently choose.

Clean and Simple (C&S)

Clean and Simple is one of the most popular styles, especially for beginners, because it’s easy to keep layouts organized. It focuses on clarity, white space, and strong photo storytelling without excessive decoration.

What it looks like

• Lots of open space (often white or neutral cardstock)
• Simple layering (usually 1–2 mats)
• One main photo or a small group of photos
• Minimal embellishments (a few accents only)
• Neat alignment and strong structure
• Titles often short and clean

Why people love it

Clean and Simple makes your photos the star. It also helps you finish pages faster because you’re not trying to use every supply you own.

Best supplies for C&S

• Neutral cardstock (white, cream, kraft, light gray)
• Simple patterns (thin stripes, tiny dots, subtle grids)
• Alphabet stickers or printed titles
• Labels and small word stickers
• One or two small embellishments (enamel dots, tiny hearts, stars)

Easy C&S layout formula

• Neutral base
• Photo mat (one solid, optional thin white border)
• Title near photo
• Small journaling block
• 2–3 tiny embellishments in a triangle pattern

If you want a “polished” look without stress, this style is a strong starting point.

Minimalist Scrapbooking

Minimalist scrapbooking is similar to Clean and Simple, but it often goes even further. Minimalist pages may have extremely limited embellishments and a more modern, graphic feel.

What it looks like

• One photo, often small or centered
• Very few layers
• Simple typography-style titles
• Very controlled color palette (often neutral with one accent)
• Lots of negative space
• Clean lines and geometric shapes

Who it’s perfect for

If you love modern design, calm pages, and you get overwhelmed by clutter, minimalist scrapbooking will feel like freedom.

Beginner tip

Minimalist pages look best when your photo is strong (emotion, composition, lighting). If your photo is busy, add a mat to separate it from the background.

Graphic / Modern Scrapbooking

This style leans into strong design elements: bold shapes, clean lines, modern color palettes, and intentional placement. It can be bright and playful or sleek and neutral.

What it looks like

• Geometric shapes (rectangles, circles, triangles, grids)
• Strong contrast
• Bold titles or typography
• Repeating design elements (like lines, dots, stripes)
• Layouts that feel “designed” like a magazine spread

Why it’s powerful

Graphic layouts are great for making everyday photos look visually interesting. Even a simple coffee photo can look amazing when paired with modern shapes and bold titles.

Best supplies for modern style

• Solid cardstock in bold colors
• Black and white accents
• Grid paper, stripe paper, color block papers
• Alphabet stickers with clean fonts
• Label stickers and simple icons

Quick modern trick

Pick one shape (circles, rectangles, triangles) and repeat it 3–5 times across the page. Repetition instantly creates a modern, intentional vibe.

Vintage Scrapbooking

Vintage scrapbooking is nostalgic and warm. It often uses aged textures, muted tones, classic patterns, and a “time capsule” feeling. It’s perfect for heritage photos, family history, travel memories, and sentimental storytelling.

What it looks like

• Warm neutrals (cream, sepia, brown, olive, dusty rose)
• Old-paper textures, maps, ledger prints, handwriting prints
• Layering with distressed or inked edges
• Tags, labels, frames, antique-style embellishments
• Decorative journaling cards
• Often a cozy, nostalgic mood

Best themes for vintage style

• Family history
• Grandparents and childhood memories
• Old travel photos
• Weddings and anniversaries
• “Back then” stories and traditions

Supplies that work well

• Kraft cardstock and cream cardstock
• Vintage paper pads (maps, old text, lace patterns, ledger prints)
• Distressing ink (optionaluf re? optional)
• Tags, twine, paper clips, faux stamps
• Black or brown journaling pens

Beginner tip for vintage pages

You don’t need to “distress” everything. Use one vintage statement piece (like a map panel) and keep the rest simple so the page doesn’t look muddy.

Simple Scrapbooking Projects for Beginners: Mini Albums, Cards, and Quick Wins

Shabby Chic Scrapbooking

Shabby Chic is soft, romantic, and decorative. Think florals, lace textures, delicate layers, and gentle colors. It often feels dreamy and sentimental.

What it looks like

• Soft pastel palettes (pink, mint, lavender, cream, light blue)
• Floral prints, doilies, lace-style patterns
• Lots of layering and pretty details
• Bows, pearls, delicate frames, butterflies
• Feminine, gentle mood

Common themes

• Baby albums
• Weddings
• Mother-daughter moments
• Spring memories
• Friendship pages
• Love story albums

Supplies that fit

• Floral paper pads
• Doily cutouts (paper doilies work too)
• Soft ribbon and twine
• Pearl stickers or enamel dots
• Soft word stickers like “sweet,” “love,” “forever,” “beautiful”

Beginner tip

Shabby Chic can become too busy if everything is layered. Choose one main floral pattern, then balance it with solid cardstock and keep journaling readable on a clean label or card.

Cute / Kawaii Scrapbooking

Cute or “kawaii” scrapbooking is playful, bright, and character-driven. It often includes adorable icons, smiling faces, bright colors, and fun captions.

What it looks like

• Bright or pastel colors
• Small characters, icons, and playful stickers
• Fun fonts or letter stickers
• Lighthearted journaling
• Lots of little details, but usually organized in clusters

Best for

• Kids’ memories
• School moments
• Friendship pages
• Everyday life with a playful mood
• Pet albums (especially if you like cute icons)

Supplies that fit

• Cute sticker sets
• Small icon die-cuts
• Colorful patterned papers
• Washi tape in playful designs
• Fun alphabet stickers

Tip to keep it from looking messy

Use a neutral base (white or cream) and keep bright colors in controlled clusters. Cute styles look best when the background stays calm.

Mixed Media Scrapbooking

Mixed media combines scrapbooking with art techniques like paint, ink, texture paste, stamping, splatter, and layering. It’s expressive and often imperfect in the best way.

What it looks like

• Paint backgrounds (watercolor, acrylic, ink blending)
• Texture and layers (stencils, paste, splatter)
• Handwritten elements
• Collage-style layering
• Pages that feel artistic and emotional

Why people love it

Mixed media is freeing. It allows you to express mood, not just document events. It can feel like art journaling with photos.

Supplies often used

• Gesso (optional base layer)
• Acrylic paints or watercolors
• Stencils
• Inks and stamps
• Texture paste (optional)
• Heat tool (optional)
• Brushes and palette knives

Beginner-friendly mixed media approach

If you want mixed media but feel intimidated:

• Start with one simple technique only: watercolor wash, ink blending, or splatter
• Keep embellishments minimal
• Add photos after the background is fully dry
• Use a neutral mat behind photos so they stand out from the art

You don’t need a million mediums. One background technique can transform a layout.

Art Journal / Scrapbooking Hybrid

This style is closely related to mixed media but often focuses more on journaling and self-expression rather than traditional photo-centered layouts.

What it looks like

• More writing than typical scrapbooking
• Emotional reflections, lists, and prompts
• Paint, doodles, stamps, collage elements
• Photos may be small or optional
• Pages may feel like personal diary entries

Great uses

• Self-growth scrapbooks
• Gratitude albums
• Healing journals
• “Life lately” documentation
• Creative memory keeping when photos are limited

If you enjoy writing and reflecting, this style can be extremely meaningful.

Pocket Scrapbooking Style

Pocket scrapbooking is a format and a style. Instead of designing a full page from scratch, you use pocket protectors with spaces for 3×4 and 4×6 photos/cards. This style is popular because it’s fast and organized.

What it looks like

• Photos and journaling cards placed into pockets
• Repeating formats across pages
• Clean, structured design
• Often uses simple embellishments directly on cards

Why it’s perfect for beginners

• The structure is built in
• It helps you scrapbook regularly
• It’s easy to keep consistent across a whole album
• It works well for everyday memory keeping

Tips for pocket pages that look cohesive

• Choose one accent color per spread
• Use the same pen for journaling
• Repeat a simple title style on journaling cards
• Don’t overfill every pocket; leave some cards simple

Travel / Adventure Scrapbooking Style

Travel scrapbooking can be done in any style, but many scrapbookers develop a recognizable travel look: maps, tickets, stamps, location titles, and story-heavy journaling.

What it looks like

• Map patterns and travel icons
• Neutral base with bold accent colors
• Strong titles with city names or dates
• Layered memorabilia (tickets, brochures, tags)
• Journaling that describes experiences and feelings

Easy travel styling without expensive supplies

You can create travel vibes using:

• printed maps (even small pieces)
• tickets and receipts
• a label that includes location + date
• one photo collage strip
• one bold title like “NYC” or “Weekend Escape”

Travel style is mostly about storytelling and small details.

Seasonal / Holiday Scrapbooking Style

Holiday pages often use themed colors and icons, but they can easily become overcrowded. The key is controlling theme supplies so they enhance rather than overwhelm.

What it looks like

• Classic holiday palettes (red/green, black/orange, pastels for spring)
• Seasonal patterns and icons
• Dates and traditions
• Often a cozy or festive mood

Beginner tip

Use one themed paper and one neutral paper. If you use five different holiday patterns, your page can become visually loud. A calm base keeps holiday pages readable.

How to choose the best style for you

You don’t need to pick one style forever, but having a “home style” makes scrapbooking easier. Here’s a simple guide.

If you like calm and tidy pages:
Clean and Simple or Minimalist

If you love bold design and structure:
Modern / Graphic

If you love nostalgia and warmth:
Vintage

If you love soft, romantic details:
Shabby Chic

If you love playful icons and bright fun:
Cute / Kawaii

If you love artistic freedom and texture:
Mixed Media or Art Journal Hybrid

If you want fast memory keeping:
Pocket Scrapbooking

If you want story-driven albums:
Travel-focused style (with elements you love)

How to mix styles without your album feeling chaotic

Mixing styles is normal. The trick is using “anchors” so your album still feels cohesive.

Use one consistent anchor across pages

Choose one or two anchors like:

• the same album size
• the same neutral base color (white or cream)
• the same journaling pen
• similar title placement
• repeating photo mat style

Even if one page is clean and another is vintage, those anchors help the album feel unified.

Use style shifts intentionally

You can also use style changes to match the mood:

• Clean and Simple for everyday calm moments
• Shabby Chic for baby or wedding pages
• Vintage for family history
• Mixed media for emotional reflections

When you choose style based on story, it feels intentional, not random.

A quick “style starter kit” for each look

If you’re building supplies slowly, here’s a beginner-friendly starter kit concept per style.

Clean and Simple starter kit

• white/cream cardstock
• one small dot or stripe paper pad
• black pen
• alpha stickers
• labels + enamel dots

Vintage starter kit

• kraft + cream cardstock
• map/text/ledger patterned paper pad
• brown/black pen
• tags + twine
• label stickers

Shabby Chic starter kit

• pastel cardstock
• floral paper pad
• lace-style doily cutouts
• soft word stickers
• pearl stickers

Mixed Media starter kit

• neutral cardstock
• watercolor or acrylic paint set
• one stencil
• black pen
• basic adhesive + photo mats

Cute/Kawaii starter kit

• white cardstock
• playful paper pad
• cute stickers
• colorful pen set
• small icons (stars/hearts)

You don’t need everything—just enough to start practicing the look.

Final thoughts: your style will evolve as you create

Most scrapbookers don’t “find” their style in one day. They grow into it by making pages, noticing what they enjoy, and letting their preferences become consistent.

The best way to discover your style is simple:
Make more pages.

As you create, pay attention to what feels fun:

• Do you love clean space or lots of layers?
• Do you like strong titles or minimal words?
• Do you want soft emotion or bold energy?
• Do you enjoy paint and texture or clean paper cuts?

Your answers will guide you naturally. And remember: your style doesn’t have to match anyone else’s. The most beautiful scrapbooks are the ones that feel like the person who made them.