Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Put on a pair of cotton gloves. According to the "Collecting Paper Memories" website, the oil on your hands and fingers can damage the cards.
Separate the cards from the envelopes, where applicable. Collector Deanna Dahlsad says that the glue that lines the envelope can damage the paper. Remove any paper clips or staples in the cards, as the metal can leave rust marks.
Check for mildew or moisture on your cards before storing them. You can remove light moisture by putting a hair dryer on its lowest warm setting and waving the hair dryer back and forth over the damp surface of the card. Remove mildew by submerging the card in a pan of cat litter overnight.
Brush away dirt on the card's surface with the soft brush. When brushing around or over a tear, brush in the direction of the tear to avoid further ripping the card.
Peel away any tape fragments by using a slow, even pull. Ripping the tape off can pull away some of the underlying paper. Scrape off any remaining glue from the tape with the vinyl eraser.
Print any information on the alkaline backing paper with the marker to indicate the card's history or details about the sender and recipient.
Peel back the transparent film on one page of the archival quality scrapbook. Place a piece of alkaline backing paper on the page underneath the film.
Place the birthday or Christmas card on the alkaline backing paper. Lay the film back on top of it and smooth out any bubbles or creases. Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for the remainder of your cards.
Store the scrapbook in an archival quality storage box. These boxes have metal corners that prevent structural damage to the box and consist of material that prevents air and moisture from entering the box. Place the storage box in a dark room with a cool temperature less than 70 degrees. Larger collections will require multiple scrapbooks and storage boxes.