There’s something about old beach photos that instantly brings back that nostalgic childhood feeling—the sand, the water, family gathered together, and those ordinary days that didn’t seem particularly important while you were living them.
This Beach Days page is another layout from the throwback album I’m creating with childhood photos of both my husband and me.
The idea behind this album is to tell a little bit of each of our stories before there was an us. I’m starting with our baby and childhood photos, eventually moving into our teenage years, and then into the years when our lives finally came together.
I love seeing these completely separate pieces of our childhoods slowly becoming part of one album.
Scrapbooking My Childhood Beach Memories
For this page, I chose several photos from a childhood beach day.
Rather than choosing only portraits, I wanted the layout to show more of what the day actually looked like. There are family photos, pictures of me as a little girl, and photos that capture the beach itself.
I love including those wider scenery photos in my scrapbooks.
When we’re taking pictures, we naturally tend to focus on people. But years later, seeing the surroundings can bring back just as much of a memory—the coastline, what the beach looked like, what everyone was wearing, and all those little details happening in the background.
Together, these photos preserve more than one moment. They give me a little glimpse back into an entire day from my childhood.
Creating This 12×12 Scrapbook Layout
I had several photos that I wanted to keep together, so the challenge with this page was fitting everything onto one 12×12 layout without making it feel crowded.
I started by arranging the photographs into one loose cluster rather than spacing them evenly around the page.
Some photos overlap slightly, while others have small pieces of patterned paper tucked underneath. Keeping everything connected helps several photographs feel like one design instead of a collection of separate elements.
I also mixed portrait and landscape photos. I love doing this on multi-photo scrapbook layouts because the different orientations naturally create movement across the page.
The finished layout holds quite a few photographs while still leaving some open space around the edges.
Mixing Soft Patterns and Textures
Because the photos already contain plenty of color and detail, I kept the papers relatively soft.
I used a muted background and layered in cream, subtle stripes, and a delicate floral pattern. Rather than using one large piece of patterned paper, I tore smaller sections and tucked them around the photographs.
This is one of my favorite ways to use patterned paper.
You still get the color and personality of the pattern, but it doesn’t take over the layout.
Repeating small pieces of the same papers in different areas also helps guide your eye around the page and makes all of the layers feel connected.
I especially like using torn edges with older photographs. They give the page a softer, handmade look that feels appropriate for a nostalgic childhood album without making the layout feel overly vintage or themed.
A Simple Stamped “Beach Days” Title
For the title, I kept things simple with “Beach Days.”
I stamped the words onto watercolor paper and tore around the edges rather than cutting out a perfect rectangle.
Watercolor paper has become one of my favorite materials for scrapbook titles. It has a subtle texture and thickness that makes a simple stamped word feel like its own little embellishment.
I also love that no two torn pieces look exactly the same.
The imperfect edges fit naturally with the other torn papers throughout the layout and give the page a handmade feel without needing a lot of additional embellishments.
What I Used to Make This Page
You don’t need a huge collection of supplies to create a layered scrapbook page like this. For my Beach Days layout, I used:
- 12×12 cardstock
- Five childhood beach photos
- Cream and neutral paper
- Soft floral patterned paper
- Striped patterned paper
- Small gingham details
- Watercolor paper
- Alphabet stamps
- Black ink
- Corner rounder
- Adhesive
Most of these could easily be substituted with supplies you already have.
I especially like mixing scraps of patterned paper on layouts like this. You only need a small amount of each pattern, so it’s a great way to use leftover pieces from other scrapbook projects.
How to Customize This Layout
Even though I used childhood beach photos, the basic layout could work for so many different memories.
You could recreate it with:
- A family beach vacation
- Childhood summer photos
- A lake or pool day
- Vacation pictures
- A family outing
- Camping photos
- Everyday summer memories
- Old family photographs
- Current photos of your children
You also don’t have to use exactly five photographs.
If you have four photos, you could enlarge one to create a stronger focal point. If you have six, try adding another smaller photo to the cluster.
The basic formula is simply to group several photos closely together, layer small pieces of coordinating paper underneath, and leave some open space around the cluster.
Then finish it with a simple title.
Creating an “Our Story” Album Before There Was an Us
One of the things I’m enjoying most about this album is that it isn’t really a traditional baby book or childhood album.
It’s the beginning of our story—even though we hadn’t met yet.
Some pages show my husband’s childhood. Others, like this Beach Days layout, show mine.
Eventually I’ll move into our teenage years, and then the album can begin documenting the years when our separate stories finally became one.
There’s something really special about putting those photographs beside each other in the same album.
Our daughter knows us as Mom and Dad, but we had entire childhoods before we became those people. I love the idea that she’ll someday be able to flip through these pages and see us as babies, little kids, and teenagers—and see the families and experiences that helped shape us.
It also gives all of these old photographs a purpose again instead of leaving them tucked away in boxes.
Don’t Forget the Ordinary Vacation Photos
When you’re sorting through old photographs, it’s easy to gravitate toward the obvious favorites.
But I think some of the best scrapbook pages come from combining those favorite portraits with the less-perfect pictures around them.
The wide shot of the beach.
Someone walking away from the camera.
The slightly blurry family snapshot.
The photo that mostly shows the scenery.
Individually, those pictures might not seem important enough to scrapbook. Together, they tell a much fuller story.
That’s what I wanted this page to feel like—a little collection of memories from one ordinary childhood beach day.
And decades later, ordinary doesn’t feel ordinary at all.
See More of My Scrapbook Layout Inspiration Series
This Beach Days layout is part of my ongoing Scrapbook Layout Inspiration series, where I share completed scrapbook pages along with the stories behind them, the supplies I used, simple design ideas, and ways you can customize each layout using your own photographs.
If you’re looking for more scrapbook layout ideas, browse the rest of the series for inspiration for childhood photos, family memories, heritage albums, and the everyday moments that deserve a place in your scrapbook too. 🤍
