It's so tempting. Your little star made the local newspaper! You want to clip that article and add it to your scrapbook to cherish forever. But should you?
A lot of time, effort, and expense go into creating scrapbooks. It's always best to use high quality, or acid and lignin free, materials. (Read our previous post on Ways to Preserve Your Scrapbook for more tips to prolong the life of your albums.) Both the paper and the ink used to make newspapers are usually of a lower quality and are more acidic. This acid can not only turn your newspaper clippings brittle and yellow within a couple of years, but it will also damage the other items in your scrapbook.
A better alternative is to digitalize or copy the newspaper article and print it out on photo safe paper. (This method is also my preferred method for other memorabilia such as ticket stubs, travel brochures or even children's artwork and school reports.) You can complement the copied article with a photograph of your child holding the newspaper clipping to give your page an added touch and "include" it without doing extra damage to your scrapbook.
If you simply must include memorabilia of a high acidity in your scrapbook, seal it in a clear mylar envelope to slow the acid from spreading. Another method is to use a neutralizing spray (I like Krylon's "Make It Acid Free" spray) to coat the item. This will create a protective seal, however it's strength will decrease over time and will need to be reapplied every few years to ensure the best protection. Mount it on cardstock before adhering it to your scrapbook page to provide a little extra protection and change out this paper if needed when you re-spray your memorabilia in the future.
Though the mylar bags and the spray will help, I still recommend using the "digitize or copy method" as this will best preserve your photographs and memorabilia. And after all, isn't that the main reason you're creating the scrapbook in the first place?
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Scrapbooking with Newspaper Clippings
Read this article before scrapbooking with newspaper clippings
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