By Kirk Blad
BYU’s Campus Craft & Floral is pasting families lives back together through scrapbooking.
“It’s a unique means of fulfilling prophecy,” said Lori Jenkins, manager of Campus Craft & Floral. “Scrapbooking helps to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers.”
Jenkins said she considers scrapbooking an important part of family history.
“Scrapbooking tells a story with photos in a fun and creative way,” she said. “It’s more exciting than pedigree charts because it helps people remember lives, not just names and dates.”
Scrapbooking is about preserving legacies, Jenkins said.
“If our records and objects are to survive, it is vital for us to know and apply proper preservation principles. Ignore them, and our treasures will not survive. Guaranteed,” said William G. Hartley, LDS church historian.
In order to teach proper preservation principles, Campus Craft & Floral is offering a series of scrapbooking classes.
“Scrapbooking is huge here in Utah and the classes are an opportunity to expose students to it,” said Stacy Snyder, the scrapbook class instructor.
Snyder said the classes help people realize that anyone can be creative and successful at scrapbooking.
“We start with the very basics and take the students to where they are teaching others,” she said.
Snyder said she believes the scrapbooking craze is here to stay.
“It’s a hobby that won’t end up in Deseret Industries in 10 years,” Snyder said. “It’s an addiction to the preservation of memories.”
Part of the fun of scrapbooking is getting together with others, said Michelle Virtue, assistant manager of Campus Craft & Floral.
“We want to provide an atmosphere where people can enjoy scrapbooking and each other’s company,” she said. “We have ladies that come in and laugh and have the greatest time doing it.”
Most of the attendees are mothers, daughters and sisters, but men are welcome, Virtue said.
Scott Ethington, 25, a first year graduate student from Salt Lake City pursuing a degree in information systems, is a supporter of his wife’s scrapbooking hobby.
“I think scrapbooking is good because it gives people a chance to get together and socialize, outlet creativity and have a way of remembering things,” he said.
Ethington said his wife has been attending the classes for about a year, but that he doesn’t attend the classes himself.
“I’ve thought about it,” he said. “But there aren’t any other guys there.”
Ethington said he does help out with the scrapbooking at home, but that his wife doesn’t put him in charge of much.
The classes are offered on Thursday nights during the month of November. The classes cost $8 and include supplies and instruction.
