Proudly in Season: Cut, Paste, Celebrate

Lindsy Cummings
Lindsy Cummings

Scrapbooking offers a glorious way to celebrate the love we feel for our countries, wherever we call home. Whether it’s through colours, symbols, landscapes, or traditions, the stories we tell honour our heritage and shared pride. From national holidays to everyday moments that reflect local culture, our projects help us preserve what makes our homes special.

Canada’s my home turf (there’s no doot aboot it)! But I’ve visited my USA neighbours to the south more times than I can count, and also spent two months in Australia following my University graduation (where they say “G’day” faster than I can say “sorry”). In this patriotic post I’m taking a bit of an unconventional approach, blurring borders to celebrate a multitude of countries, without needing a passport for every page!

I have LOADS of example layouts I’m excited to share with everyone. I’ll start with a few more – dare I say, traditionally patriotic – pages for the three nations I’ll be highlighting. Then, in the latter section of the post, I’ll showcase ways to think outside the box when it comes to paying homage to the land(s) that you love!

🎶 Canada's Really Big 🎶

There’s a lot to love in the Great White North. Canada is a land of friendly faces, breathtaking landscapes, and a flair for saying “sorry” even when we don’t need to. The heart of our nation often shapes the stories we tell.

Oh, Canada! I incorporated a lot of iconic Canadian imagery on this layout, celebrating Canada Day in 2020 (social distancing sure made for a uniquely distinctive experience). *
A simple digital page using the Project Life App helped me document Canada Day while on vacation in 2016.
Canada's 150th birthday was such a huge deal it dominated my weekly digital layout that year.
If you're lucky enough to attend a World Sporting Event, nothing is sweeter than being able to cheer on your national team in person! Fun fact about me...I LOVE watching curling, both on television and in real life.*
The symbolic maple leaf and poppies - as well as the red & white colour palette - perfectly complement the Canada Day photo in this layout my mom created.

🎶 This Land Was Made For You & Me 🎶

The United States is steeped in a history of cultural traditions, bold ideas, and diverse representation. Every detail tells a piece of the American story worth preserving.

July 4th celebration in Missoula, 2008 (double-page layout left side). Note how I used gems to circle the number four on the number strip.
I love how I used photos of the fireworks along the bottom of my project, a creative way to use up those developed photos (double-page layout right side).
Using the traditional colours of the United States flag can be an obvious choice when scrapbooking Independence Day (double-page layout left side). ^
Even my clothes screamed "Happy July 4th!" This outfit got me through a number of years when traveling in the US in July (double-page layout right side). ^

🎶 I Come From A Land Down Under 🎶

Australia is a sun-soaked land of stunning coastlines, quirky wildlife, and bustling city life. The charm and “no worries” spirit of Oz makes every day feel like an adventure.

Nothing says patriotic more than a national flag! This is the cover page in my Australia album. I even included actual coins on the layout! And a Koala road sign?! Doesn't get much more Australian than that!
Documenting more sombre aspects of a nation can provide an outlet for honouring history. In this case I've highlighted the Hyde Park Barracks, an extraordinary record of the living legacy of colonial Australia (double-page layout left side).
Even though I wasn't as good at journaling back when I created this, thankfully I did include the pamphlet from the World Heritage in the album (double-page layout right page).
Such a stunning coastline within a hop, skip, and a jump from Sydney's bustling city-life is worth celebrating! *

DIY Your Own National Pride

Looking to shake things up? Here’s a few out-of-the-ordinary ways to sprinkle a sense of patriotism into your projects – perfect for any country – without relying on the typical flags and fireworks approach.

  • Everyday Icons: Scrap pages featuring items that scream home to you—think local snacks, street signs, favorite shops, or public transit tickets.
  • Color Outside the Lines: Use your country’s colours in non-traditional ways.
  • Sounds Like Home: Dedicate a page to music, slang, or sayings unique to your country. Handwrite quotes or include song lyrics that make you feel a sense of national pride.
  • Natural Glory: Highlight native plants and animals, local gardens or parks, or unique locales.
  • Local Legends: Create a spread inspired by quirky folklore, beloved celebrities, or national icons (from sports heroes to legendary creatures).
  • Tasty Morsels: Document traditional meals, holiday treats, or even grandma’s secret recipe.
  • Mini Moments: Capture those tiny, quiet moments that feel deeply local (like morning coffee on the balcony, neighbourhood walks, or weekend markets).
  • A Human Tapestry: Showcase the mix of cultures, subcultures, or regions within your country to highlight what makes it vibrant and complex.

Did you spot any of these on the layouts already showcased? Let’s take a look at more ways I’ve used some of these ideas to celebrate Canada, The United States, and Australia!

Traditional afternoon tea celebrating Canada's British heritage (double-page left layout). **
The iconic Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC provided a stunning backdrop for our tasty treats (double-page layout right page). **
You can document iconic places, like the Sydney Opera House (double-page layout left page). **
Journaling facts about the location can make the locale feel even more special (double-page layout right page). **
Even though you might be documenting a famous location, it doesn't mean you can't get creative with colours and textures (double-page layout left page).
If you have lots of photos - like I did of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC - consider adding pocket pages to your album (double-page layout right page).
Sometimes you come across a patriotic locale while travelling. Consider sharing about it on a page, which is exactly what I did when we visited my cousin during his Internship at the Canadian Embassy in DC.
World Famous events - like the iconic Calgary Stampede held in Alberta, Canada - are most definitely worthy of our crafty time. Especially when your cousin was a Ranch Girl, riding in the opening of the rodeo each day. *
Visiting historical locations can sometimes feel heavy emotionally, but they are important places to document about so as never to be forgotten (double-page layout left side). *
You can share facts, use quotes, and even add symbols - like I did with the stars in the cut file strip - to pay homage to the historical event you're honouring (double-page layout right side). *
Don't be afraid to showcase a variety of hot spots all on one layout. You can also use country's nickname, like I did here with "Oz" (double-page layout left side).
When you do have a number of locations to share about, add journaling for expanded details (double-page layout right side).
Sporting events celebrating teams from across your entire nation can be fun to share about (double-page layout left side). Of note: This layout is so old I had to DESIGN my own curling sheet and rings because themed papers for Canada weren't a thing.
Jennifer Jones (in yellow) is one of Canada's most successful female curlers ever, and The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is Canada's women's curling championship (double-page layout right side). Of note: I also had to draw, cut, and layer my OWN curling rocks!
This layout from Australia also celebrates a sporting event...the Sydney to Hobart yacht race (double-page layout left side).
The race starts on Boxing Day, and is one of the most popular sporting events in Australia (double-page layout right side).
Even pop culture can inspire a patriotic page. When I visited DC I made a point of photographing specific locations represented in the TV show Bones (double-page layout left side). *
You can highlight iconic national locations, while also feeling playful and kind of 'nerdy' (double-page layout right side). *

Go Forth and Wave Those Flags!

With Canada Day (July 1st) and Independence Day (July 4th) right around the corner — sorry, you’ll have to wait until January 26 to celebrate Australia Day — I hope I’ve helped inspire your patriotic crafting. 

I’ll leave you with two final layouts, featuring an iconic Lin-Manuel Miranda quote from Broadway’s Hamilton and an iconic coffee brand (double-double, anyone?!).

I love the vintage vibes of this layout showcasing The Jefferson Memorial. I wasn't giving "away my shot" at capturing these gorgeous photos. ***
Did you know...if you order a "Regular" coffee at Tim's it will come with one cream, one sugar? The infamous "Double-Double" means two cream, two sugar. *

We’d love to see your projects in the Circle Gallery (if you’re a ScrapHappy member). Be sure to tag ScrapHappy, if you share on social media (@scraphappyorg on Insta), so we can comment!

I’d also love if you tagged me  – Lindsy Cummings on Circle & Facebook or @migimon2002 on Insta – as I love to interact online. Until next time…stay fun and fantabulous, scrappers!

DESIGN CREDITS:

* Layouts using sketch designs by Jennifer Edwardson

** Layouts using designs by Charlene Byrd, of Byrds Nest Paperie

*** Layout using a design by Brande Davidson

^ Layout from a Scrap Jammies subscription kit

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