I have been scrapbooking since about 1994. During this time, I have heard my fair share of people tell me that they want to scrapbook, but “don’t have time.” Or “aren’t creative.“
Enter the SMASH book.
The SMASH line, by K&Company®, is perfect for the un-scrapbooker.
I categorize an “un-scrapbooker” as someone who doesn’t want to spend hours with cutesy stickers and catchy titles, but would still like a place to cram ticket stubs, thoughts, and the occasional photo.
Memories are much easier to re-live when they are not stuck in a drawer.
I put the SMASH book to the test on our last vacation. We spent a week in England. It was “SMASHing!” (See what I did there?)
I took some very basic supplies:
- K&Company® Mod Black SMASH Folio
- K&Company® Travel SMASH Pad
- K&Company® Like This SMASH Tape
- K&Company® SMASH Bands
- K&Company® Red & Blue SMASH Stickies
- K&Company® Flag SMASH Clips
- K&Company® Date SMASH Stamp
- K&Company® SMASH Pockets
Everything fit into a large gallon zip-lock bag, and the zip-lock fit inside my carry-on/camera bag.
Attached to the SMASH book with a handy elastic loop is a pen/glue-stick tool.
Seriously, this thing is genius! One side, pen. The pen is a really nice permanent ink felt-tip pen. Other side, glue-stick.
All the tools you will need for “un-scrapping” on the go!
We started out our trip on an airplane. I began documenting our vacation right from the plane. I included our boarding passes, itinerary, and receipts. They all went into a SMASH pocket.
The SMASH pads are perfect for journaling your thoughts or facts about different sites you see on vacation.
During the vacation, whenever I accumulated ticket stubs, brochures or receipts, I would stuff them into the zip-lock in my bag, and every evening when the day was winding down I would take a few minutes to add those items to the book.
Along with the scraps of the day, I would use pages from the SMASH pad to document the day’s events. I recorded my thoughts and interesting facts, and added those to the book also. Since I knew how many photos I took that day, I would leave as many pages as I thought I would need to add the photos when I got home.
Here I am working on the SMASH book in the garden of our English Cottage in Cheddar. Isn’t it beautiful?
And my assistant Mikayla and I with the SMASH book on the Underground:
Here is a sample page of the SMASH book, where I added receipts and journaling- the journaling was done on a page from the SMASH pad. They pages in the SMASH pads are all pre-printed and themed. The pre-printed made it easy for me to come up with a journaling topic. There are pages for a “Top Ten Things I Love About _______.” Or the one shown, “Favorite Restaurants.“
I left room on my pages for photos to be added later.
Here is a close-up of the receipt:
You can see that I literally just taped that receipt to the page. When you use SMASH tape, the items can be lifted up.
Later, I added the photos:
The pages in the SMASH book come pre-patterned. So the designs you see underneath my photos were printed already. I did not add patterned paper.
Each page is a different pattern. The patterns are very neutral, easy for any theme of album you choose.
You guys. Seriously. This was the easiest vacation album I have ever done!
Do you know how nice it was to come home, print photos, and glue them into the (practically) finished book? I really blew people away when we came home and they asked how our trip was and I was able to pull out this finished book and SHOW THEM!
The best part about this album, is that the journaling was done when my thoughts were fresh. I have wonderful details about this vacation documented as they happened. I even involved the kids, from their perspective:
I simply handed them a sheet from the SMASH pad, and told them to write what they thought about that event or place. It made the album much more personal for them.
Here are some tips I wanted to share with you, that helped me to get the most out of my album. I want you to know, that I was able to fit 150 photos into this book. 150! Can you believe that? Thank goodness for the SMASH bands, they help to hold it all in.
- When I had several photos that I wanted to add to a page, I used this cascading photo technique.
- Choose photos that are all the same orientation. (All vertical, or all horizontal.)
- Begin by placing the bottom photo, lining it up with the bottom of the page.
- Adhere the bottom photo in place. You can tape it, use photo corners like I did, or adhere the whole photo with the glue-stick.
Then place the next photo over the top of the first photo, leaving a portion of the bottom photo visible. Use SMASH tape across the top of the photo, so it will hinge, and lift.
Continue layering the photos as desired, use SMASH tape to attach the photos.
I like to add SMASH tape “tabs” to these cascading photos, to make it easier to lift the photo up, and see the photos underneath.
Take a section of tape, and tape it on the back, then fold it over to the top, to sandwich the photo.
Don’t forget the back of the photos!
Since the photos lift, the back of the photos are prime real estate for journaling or additional photos.
You can write directly on the photos with the SMASH pen. Just give it a few seconds to dry, so it doesn’t smear.
Here is a shot of a couple of typical pages in my book:
You can see the cascading photos, and a SMASH pocket. It is nothing fancy, but it is functional. And boy was it liberating!
I didn’t feel pressure to be perfect, or line things up straight. The charm of the SMASH book is the randomness.
I did not use my usual arsenal of tools. Just SMASH it all in! Slap some tape in it! Done! Simple.
I love the SMASH pockets for corralling little bits of memorabilia.
I used the date stamp to document the date, obviously, but the stamp also has some funny little words you can add to your pages.
“Happy Place“, “This Warrants a Fist Pump” and “Hot Mess.” Good stuff!
Remember the elastic that attaches the pen/glue-stick to the book?
When my album was finished, I no longer needed the pen to accompany the book.
I purchased a key chain in London, and added it to the elastic.
A cute way to personalize the book.
Okay, remember how many photos I told you I crammed into this thing? When I was finished there were still some empty pages in the SMASH book. I just carefully tore them out.
The back cover has a built-in pocket perfect for extra brochures or whatever. And I loved the final sentiment!
Do you want to see it finished?
I added a super easy glitter chipboard title, some SMASH tape stripes and some stickers to the cover: Darice® Silver Glitter Chipboard Alphabet Letters -2 inch & Martha Stewart Crafts™ Postcard Stickers
And then I called it good. Check it out!
Look how thick! Rest assured, the covers of the SMASH book are a heavy-duty chipboard, and the binding is really sturdy as well.
A whole trip documented in record time. My “un-scrapbook.” I can’t recommend it enough.
You can use a SMASH book for whatever you would like.
I hope I have inspired you to give it a shot. Whether you are a seasoned scrapbooker or an un-scrapbooker, SMASH books are a fun way to push out of your comfort zone and unleash your creativity!
Hi, great idea. Could you tell me what is the strap you used to hold the book closed? Thanks,
I started a Smash book last fall and found it so much easier to use than regular scrapbooking. I bought three of our granddaughters each a book and several of the accessories last year for Chrismas and they have fallen in love with it. I never thought about taking in on our vacations, but that is an excellent idea that I am definitely going to put to use. How nice to be able to write down your thoughts and where you visited while you are doing it. Thank you for the ideas!
hi
i’ ve been keeping a travel journal for years which has become my travel scrapbook. i would love to try these new roducts they look fab. you have a beautiful smash album and i would like to tell you about a handy gadget i use. it called a Polaroid pogo printer. its small about the size of an iphone and you can print little 2X3in photos directly from your phone or camera. i got mine on Amazon.
Thank you for sharing
Katie
You have definitely inspired me to try this “un-scrapbook” approach! Bravo for your efforts and please keep inspiring the masses!
that is brilliant!
i’ve never liked the precious perfection of the typical scrapbooking craze (and all the endless, expensive accessories to buy for them). this smash idea is awesome. what you’ve got is a real treasure and perfectly unique! thank you for sharing.
What an absolutely fantastic idea. Stops all those boxes and bags of brochures, tickets and receipts etc., laying around until we find the time. Absolutely love it!
Hey! I saw this on pintrest and seeing this got me excited to do one myself. I was wondering what camera did you use and i wanted to know how you print the picture vertically did you use a program? Oh and did you print the pictures during the holiday or when you returned home.
Sorry for asking so many questions(:
great book! i’d love to link you to my blog!
I really love this idea. I am going to do tis one next vacation! Thanks
That looks awesome. I really need to get back into paper crafts.
very cute! thanks for sharing this! i need to try very soon!!
LOVE your step-by-step walkthrough of how to use a Smash book! Your ideas were inspiring. Can’t wait to start using mine. Thanks!
Just found your blog thru a link on Pinterest. GREAT idea for the Snmashbook! I love them and have several at home for different reasons. It makes a great “on-the-road” scrapbook! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your inspiration and idea for the tabs on the pictures! I linked to your blog in my blog post about my SMASH book! http://gardenmamagrows.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-smash-holiday-vacation-book.html
This is soooo cool! I was debating buying one, but now I can’t wait to!
Thanks for taking the time to do all this.
Oh that is such a cute way of keeping memories alive! Thank you for sharing
Warm Regards
How awesome is this. I’ve been wondering what the smash was all about. So inspiring,
who this is really awesome! I love it, thank you so much!
I think these would be perfect for my pre-teen nieces to get started on….would make an ideal book to document Summer 2013 or their middle school adventures. And using coupons from Michaels and ACMoore wouldnt sent their parents into heartattack mode…think I will message them on facebook and send them this link
thanks for the inspiration 
I love this!!! I am soooo not a fan of PL of Simple Stories. But I LOVE the smash book stuff!
Wallaaa!! So smart of you. I must remember to take my smash book with me next time we do something exciting. I can’t believe all the pictures you were able to put inside! Great idea, thanks for sharing!
Carmen L
I do a lot of traditional scrapbooking. I also use Smash books. My whole family (me, kids, and hubby) all use Smash books, and we all love them! We use them for art journals, summer vacation documentation, trips, and many more things. You really can’t go wrong with them!
I’m an avid scrapbooker and card maker but I find myself doing fewer and fewer scrapbooks. As I watched Smash Book’s hit the shelves of my local craft store, I figured it was more of a trendy teen book. Now I’m convinced that I need to buy one for myself! I think I’m going to scrapbook the year since I don’t have any vacation plans for 2013. A month at a time, highlighting the photo opps and events in my life. Thank you for the inspiration! Love your book!
I got a Smash book for my wedding guest book and encouraged guests to write more than their names, after I print some of my wedding photos I plan to fill in the rest of the pages.
I LOVE this, have never heard of the smash products. I went to Germany and Austria and carried a little notebook with me to journal every night but THIS would have been perfect!!!!!!
Thanks for the ideas. I love what you did using the washi tape as tabs. I really like your handwriting too
I love the idea of using the tape to hold multiple pictures! I’m working on a scrapbook now and want to do a baby shower page with that(so I can use lots of pictures) but I have no way to keep the page in the scrapbook unless it is in one of those plastic folder things. Won’t work if I want to be able to flip pictures.
Other stuff on the page will come off if I keep putting the page in and taking it out. Any ideas?
What a great glimpse at smashbooking! I bought my 10 year old one for Christmas because I wanted het to have a place for all of her treasured notes/ pictures and whatnot.
So you know….Michaels and AC Moore both carry smashbooks and take coupons!
I just bought me a smash book just the other day. Came across your post on pinterest and thought its Shaunte. Love how simple you have made using the smash book! Hope this finds you well!!
This is a fabulous post! The best walk through of a Smash book I’ve seen and I love how your book turned out!
I’m in love with this idea!!! I just started smashing a little bit ago… I’m planning on printing picture out later… I had a question for you though, how do you get pictures of smaller sizes? Like smaller than 4X6? I’m thinking this would help me to smash even more picture
Please let me know 
Very cute. Thank you for your clever ideas.
Love.This very good !!!!!!!!!!!!
cool love !!!!!!
This is great! I Googled SMASH book b/c I saw a post on Pinterest and I’d never heard about them. Google lead me here and I’m so glad it did! What a great idea and I love how seemingly simple and efficient it is to document your days. I’m thinking of doing this for 2013…maybe one page every week or two. Thanks for a great post!
Wow, thank you so much! I’ve wanted a smash book for a long time, and now that I know how to use one, I’ll go buy one ASAP.
Awesome, great job. Found you through Pinterest.
omgosh!!! I love. this looks amazing and very professional .
you did a great job. thanks for sharing.
This is GREAT! I can’t wait to use it for my next trip! I love the idea to have something concrete to share when your are sharing your trip with others!
I was wondering what the black and white polka dot tape that you are using is? Is it Washi tape?
This looks very similar to what we did when I was a kid. We called it a scrapbook but it wasn’t the cutsie, time consuming scrapbooks they do today. We just taped “memories” onto pages and wrote on the pages. Awards, ribbons, ticket stubs, pictures, whatever we wanted. I still have mine from when I was young. I am going to introduce my 12 year old daughter to smash booking!
@lisa- (I hope you are checking back, I have no way of contacting you-)
The nail polish is a bottle I have had for a long time. It is Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in “Pop the Bubbly.” I love it cause you can wear it, and it is light enough that no one notices chips or dings. As you can plainly tell, I am super low maintenance.
@Jenny- I am not sure about the acid free aspect of the SMASH books, but I can say that the manufacturer (EK success) has been in the industry for a very long time, and are very aware of the archival aspect of scrapbooking. Most scrapbooking supplies now are fairly safe in that regard, but I would still be careful with irreplaceable photos and documents.
I love it, how exciting to actually FINISH scrapping a journey, and so quickly! Thanks for sharing! Do you know how acid free the Smash products and overall process is in general?
I have to agree— I love the look of scrapbooks and capturing memories, but as I told my mom in Hobby Lobby once as we were passing the scrapbooking aisle(s!), that’s a whole ‘nother demon from the art I do. I just don’t have the time or funds to dive into that ocean quite yet. But our local Target carries all the SMASH stuff, and I’ve already used a bunch for ATCs and whatnot. I’m loving this idea. It’s making me think I may tackle the entire SMASH line, book and all
Very nice & it’s done on the spot- no trying to piece it together 6 months later when you can’t remember things. Off topic question- what is that pale pink glittery nail polish you’re wearing in the photo showing layering photos?
this is by far the best smash book article i’ve read. i feel truly inspired now. many thanks.
Interesting. I’ve been kamakazi journaling this way for years. Now it has a name.
LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!
)
I am so getting myself one of these in time for our 25th wedding anniversary next year. Wonderfully creative idea without all the effort of ‘scrap booking’
I tried using a smashbook but I just couldn’t do it. I love the idea!
Also, your handwriting looks like a font.
I love this article. i was telling my boys ( 9 and 10 ) about the smash books and was thinking about getting them, we are going on a road trip from Ontario to Florida in Feb and I thought it would be a great idea to do but wasent sure how. now I see. Thanks so much. The boys are excited about getting them and they can work on them in the car and in the hotel. You ROCK!
Love it! Thanks for sharing.
After seeing your SMASH book, I’ve got to give it a try. I love that you were able to bring it with you on your vacation then come home and add photos. I love this idea. I often bring a ton of books to read while on vacation, but working on a SMASH book would give me another source of entertainment and any journaling could be done right away. Now that would be so cool!
@Kathy A: I also have a Kayla (Mikayala) she is the one pictured as my “assistant.” She turned nine in April, and LOVES her SMASH book. It is a mix of pictures, magazine clippings and notes from her friends. I love it! It will be a treasure when she is older.
Seriously this article came at the perfect time! Kayla who is going to be 9 at the end of June has asked for a Smash book for her birthday. I thought she might be too young but now Know I am wrong. I will be printing this blog article and adding it to her gift. Now I have an idea of what to start with for my shopping list for her. I will need to slowly pick things up as I am sure it could get expensive, but I know I can do this for her now. Thank you for such a great article, your Smash book is wonderful
Wow…it´s so cool. I love it <3
LG Simona
A smashing success with this project! You made it look so fun!
Fabulous result! I have a SMASH book but I haven’t figured out how to use it- this is a great idea!
Love it Shaunte! This would be great for a summer of little roadtrips. Thanks for the great ideas!
I love it!!!! I have 2 but have done nothing in either but a trip to Hawaii is on the horizon so I think that will be a good time to start. Thanks for sharing.