A scrapbook can be a family's history book.

"Scrapbooking is a way to tell your story or your family's story. It shares moments of your life that otherwise may be forgotten about or lost," said Trina Coppett, the owner of Cropp-it Designs and the instructor for Scrap'n & Stamp'n workshops at area libraries.

Mrs. Coppett began creating scrapbooks as an activity for her and her daughters. However, when she found out her great-grandmother was Irish, she decided to turn the scrapbooking into a business and introduce others to the activity.

"When I found out, I realized that there was a chunk of my family's history and heritage that was lost," she said. "Just that thought motivated me to encourage and help others record their history through pictures and words so that theirs won't be lost."

During the free Scrap'n & Stamp'n workshop at the Augusta Headquarters Library on Saturday, several people began that process by learning what scrapbooking is and creating the first few pages for their scrapbooks.

"I give these free workshops because many people feel overwhelmed and usually aren't sure where to start," Mrs. Coppett said. "This gives everyone the opportunity to scrapbook without the stress of trying to figure out where to start, and it makes it simple."

She told participants that there are four steps to creating a scrapbook: Crop the images, mount the images, journal and enhance the page.

"You never want to forget to journal in your scrapbook, no matter what it's about," she told them. "It will tell your story behind the pictures when you are not there."

The workshop is one of several free programs offered by library branches in the East Central Georgia Regional Library. For a list of upcoming events at the libraries, visit www.ecgrl.org.

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.