Memory Keeping Trends: What’s In and What’s Out Right Now
As I have been thinking about my last post, I decided I wanted to write about how trends in memory keeping have changed. I have found that my scrapbooking, journaling, and photography styles have evolved over the years and I like how they have come together for me right now.
Memory keeping changes, but the core idea stays the same. We want to remember our lives. But how we do that shifts over time. Tools change. Styles change. And the way people approach documenting their lives continues to adapt. If you have been scrapbooking or memory keeping for a while, you have probably noticed this yourself.
Here is a look at what feels current right now, along with a few things that are becoming less common. I list my sources at the end of this post, but I will also add that my own opinions and experiences are a big part of what I’m sharing here.
What’s In Right Now
These are the general trends I’m noticing, but there’s always room for your own style. The most important thing is to keep it fun.
1. Simpler, Photo-First Layouts
Instead of heavily decorated pages, many memory keepers are using cleaner layouts with fewer embellishments. The goal is to make the photos easier to see and the story easier to follow. This shift shows up across digital scrapbooking, Project Life-style pages, and traditional albums.
2. Everyday Life Over Big Events
People are capturing routines, small moments, and day-to-day details instead of waiting for big milestones. Things like what you ate, what your space looks like, or how your day felt are becoming part of the story. I especially love this “document your life” approach. If you are doing roundups, this will be easy for you.
3. Digital and Hybrid Memory Keeping
Digital tools and apps make memory keeping a lot quicker these days. More than ever, scrapbookers are using digital kits, or a mix of digital and printed elements. This makes it easier to keep up with documenting, especially for people with limited time.
Phone photos, screenshots, and quick notes are now a regular part of memory keeping.
4. Functional Pages and Lists
Lists are showing up more often in scrapbook pages.
Things like:
what you watched
what you read
what you ate
what you were doing that month
These simple formats make documenting faster and more consistent. It also helps take the fear out of journaling. So many people feel like they aren’t good writers, but if you ask them to make a list, that is something that is manageable.
5. Meaning Over Perfection
I love the focus on getting the story down instead of spending hours on design. A simple page that captures a real moment is often valued more than a highly styled layout. This is something I really value in my own memory keeping.
What’s Becoming Less Common
1. Heavy Embellishment
yPages filled with stickers, shapes, and decorative elements are less common than they used to be. This style was popular in earlier scrapbooking trends, especially as scrapbooking became a very popular hobby. Now, many people prefer a cleaner look.
I love embellishments, but I view them as complementary accessories to the photos and story. If you loves lots of “goodies” on your layout, that’s totally fine. Just make sure they don’t overwhelm the memories.
2. Chronological Pressure
There is less focus on documenting everything in strict order. People are more comfortable jumping around, documenting what feels important, and filling in gaps later.
3. Saving Everything for “Later”
Waiting until the end of the year to document everything at once is becoming less realistic for most people. Instead, there is a shift toward capturing small pieces along the way. Notes, screenshots, and quick photos help make the process easier later.
4. Calling it “scrapbooking”
This is an interesting one for me, because I used to call myself “Katie the Scrapbook Lady” here on my blog and in my design business. I changed it to “Katie the Creative Lady” several years ago because I wanted to expand my reach and also focus on the making and keeping of memories as an act of creativity.
However, I have noticed that younger generations often shy away from the word “scrapbooking” because they view it as an older hobby that their moms were interested in, with a heavy focus on decorative techniques.
The modern memory keeper is heavily influenced by the way we share moments on social media.
I also want to clarify that there is nothing wrong with calling memory keeping “scrapbooking”. That’s the term that is often most applicable. For me, my albums really are the scraps of my life!
5. Guilt-tripping
I think it’s more than time to be done with the guilt that comes with being a memory-keeper. We will never be “caught up” and we won’t be able to capture all the memories we want to share. Let’s just enjoy the process of documenting and sharing what’s important to us. However that looks and whenever it happens.
What Hasn’t Changed
Even with all these shifts, the purpose of memory keeping is still the same. You are telling the story of your life. Or perhaps you are telling someone else’s story. Either way, it’s a highly personal and rewarding activity.
Whether your pages are simple or detailed, digital or printed, the goal is to remember what this season of life looked like.
A Simple Way to Think About It
If you are wondering how these trends apply to you, you do not need to follow all of them. Instead, pay attention to what makes documenting easier and more meaningful.
That might be:
simpler pages
more photos
quick notes
or just focusing on everyday life
Trends can be helpful, but your process should work for you. At the end of the day, trends will keep changing, but your memories are what matter. Focus on what helps you document your life in a way that feels doable and meaningful to you.
Sources:
These trends are based on a combination of industry reports, creator communities, and what I see in the memory keeping space right now.
1. Creative Industry Trends
Craft Industry Alliance
Reports on crafting and scrapbooking trends
2. Pinterest Trends
Pinterest publishes annual trend reports based on search data.
3. Adobe Creative Trends Reports
Adobe Creative Trends
4. Etsy Trend Reports
Etsy Trend Reports
5. My Experience
I’ve been a memory keeper for more than 40 years. Ive been blogging about this topic since 2005, and I’ve a wide range of related experiences.
