Scrapbooking. In one form or another, it’s been a way to hold on to memories.

Once simply photographs glued onto rough pieces of cardboard, tied together with cord, scrapbooking has become a way to let the creativity spirit soar. All the while using whatever odds and ends are available.

On Saturday, Lori Shafer, adult services librarian at the Briggs-Lawrence Library, showed off a variety of ways to scrap book during one of the classes she holds every other month.

“It’s been around for a century, but has really picked up over the past 20 years,” Shafer said. “It helps people celebrate different events in their lives. It is better than a photo album and it becomes addictive.”

Basic materials, including paper and stamps, are available at hobby stores.

Images can be found on the Internet and downloaded. Designs and lettering from holiday cards can be cut out and pasted on pages. What counts is building a design three-dimensionally.

“You keep layering it,” Shafer said. “If you are good with scissors, you can use scissors. But if you are like me and can’t cut straight, you can use a cutting board.”

A scrapbook page can be a combination of images and other pieces of cardboard. Or handwriting can be added to a page to give it a more personal touch, resembling journaling.

Besides using stamps dipped in a variety of colors, a stencil can be used to emboss letters onto the page.

“Then you can paint on it or use glitter,” she said.

With more people using digital cameras and storing those images on a computer, they can be more selective about photos used in scrapbooking.

“Now they are focusing on the ones they really want,” Shafer said. “It is whatever you want to do. You can’t mess it up.”