Experienced crafters have eternally been inclined to give handmade gifts, but in these tough economic times even novice crafters are trying their hand at giving gifts from the heart .

One of the most precious  gifts to give or receive at any time is a mini scrapbook or memory album. In the past this might have meant using a small, standard  scrapbook album and adding some meaningful photos . But today there are even more fun  and creative  ways of giving the gift of memories.

There are an amazing number of mini scrapbooks you can create yourself using standard  scrapbooking papers and supplies. For example, imagine making a scrapbook out of paper lunch bags! These are quite popular and absolutely  charming. You can include pullouts for additional pictures  and tags in the pockets created when making these scrapbooks.

Another fun scrapbook album is the exploding box scrapbook. It looks like a small paper box, complete with a lid. When you take the top off an adorable  little scrapbook with several layers is waiting to be explored.

Or how about a mini scrapbook  made out of envelopes? Or one made out of shipping tags? Or CDs, or CD cases? There are several different ways you can integrate the bones of a book from all of these items.

Another popular mini album is the star book that looks like a star when it is opened up. Or open it the other way and it looks like a flower. And yes, you can add pictures and journaling to these too.

The square around, triangular around and circle around books are all basically the same, except they come in the obviously different shapes. These books, when opened up, open into sections or rooms where your photos are displayed.

For the beginner, try a rubber band book or an accordion album. Both of these are very easy to create, yet once again when you add your pictures  and memory journaling they become utterly wonderful  gifts.

For the most experienced crafter, how about a tunnel book? These books are 3-dimensional in nature and quite the attention getters.

There are so many fun album ideas out there including flip books, piano hinge books, library pocket books, flag books, Jacob's ladder books, and on and on. People love the uniqueness of these gifts, and once you add your pictures  and journaling, well, you just cannot go wrong. There are many free scrapbook tutorials on the internet on making mini scrapbooks. Enjoy!