REMEMBER WHEN ... ? HELP YOUR KIDS PRESERVE SUMMER'S SWEETEST MEMORIES.

Byline: Chris J. Parker Correspondent

THE END OF SUMMER is just around the corner.

Before it comes, why not pull out the crafts table for one last family project? Now's the perfect time to preserve this summer.

Whether it's by putting together a scrapbook, making a picture-covered box, or even painting a rock, crafts are the best way to lock in the memories of summer 2002. Do it before the first school bell rings.

``We do so many things every day and they're just gone and we forget them,'' says Bev Kirschner Braun, author of ``Crafting Your Own Heritage Album'' and ``New Ideas for Crafting Heritage Albums.'' ``But if we can relive it, you remember it. ... It gives you a sense of belonging.''

There are dozens of crafts families can do to lock away the joy of summer. Here are a few ideas:

DECOUPAGE: This centuries-old art technique is a perfect family activity. All it takes is glue, varnish, an object and some colorful images.

The possibilities are limitless. Children can paste flower pictures to the matting of a picture frame to create a summer garden frame. Or paste pictures of baseballs and footballs on a shoe box and store trading cards inside. Or paste colorful pieces of paper on a shopping bag that's been cut into the shape of a text book cover.

Follow these steps to create your own decoupage object:

1) Select an object you don't mind covering with glue, pictures and varnish. Some ideas include a clipboard, shoe boxes or small wooden objects. Beginners should stick to small, disposable items.

2) Collect pictures from a magazine or catalog. Most decoupage artists stick to a theme, such as flowers, animals or sports. But there are no rules; just cut out what looks good.

3) If you're using your own photos, make color copies of them and use the copies. Once a photo is glued down, it won't come off without a fight (and a lot of tearing).

4) Glue the pictures on the item, covering every visible part of it. If you don't like the look of all those pictures on the item - or don't have enough pictures to cover it - you can glue colored paper on the item first and then glue the pictures down.

5) Coat with Mod Podge (available in most craft stores). Let it dry thoroughly.

6) To protect your object, coat with varnish or polyurethane.

LAMINATING: This craft used to be exclusively for classrooms, since only schools had the large laminating machines needed to finish the job. But now that there's a 24-hour copy center on nearly every street corner, laminating has come to the masses.

Like decoupage, the possibilities for laminating are limitless. For example, families can create place mats out of summer vacation pictures. Or draw a picture on a small rectangle of paper and turn it into a bookmark. Or glue pictures, drawings and mementos on a large piece of cardboard to make your own poster (just double-check with the local copy shop on how big a piece of paper can fit in the laminating machine).

Experienced laminators say original pictures should be color-copied because the heat from the laminating machine can warp the original pictures. Once you've decided what to make, just glue the images onto the paper and wait for it to dry before running it through the laminating machine.

Once it's cooled down, finish it off. For example, a place mat can have yarn tied around the edge, a bookmark can have ribbons tied on one end, and a poster can have a hole punched in it for hanging on a hook.

MEMORY ALBUMS: Probably the most popular home-based hobby to come along in a decade, memory albums are the quilting bees of the new millennium. Across the country, album makers gather regularly to share pictures and ideas.

Although the vast majority of album makers are women, this can be a great family activity.

``It just depends upon the child's interest level,'' says Julie Morris, who has been helping people make memory albums for seven years. ``I have kids as young as 6 years old that have their own albums, with parental supervision because of the tools.

``Children 4 or 5 can help pick out the pictures and they can tell the stories. It's a great activity for learning.''

Memory albums are more than snapshots glued to a page. Most memory albums are designed to tell stories that will be enjoyed years from now, whether it's a summer trip or a ``day in the life.'' Photos are cut - or cropped - and arranged on pages with postcards, tickets and other mementos. Journaling on the pages is encouraged.

The industry leader is Creative Memories. The 15-year-old, Minnesota- based company sells albums, cutting tools and materials for memory books via independent consultants across the country, including Morris of Camarillo. Information on consultants and products may be found at www.creative-memories.com.

There are also dozens of other books, magazines and Web sites with information and ideas. In addition, craft stores and specialty scrapbooking stores, such as Scrapbook Safari in Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade in Woodland Hills, carry supplies for making memory albums, from die-cut figures to the acid-free albums.

Experienced memory album makers say beginners should start out small, working with a single photograph or one small batch at a time. ``So it doesn't become overwhelming for an adult or child,'' says Maureen Taylor, author of ``Preserving Your Family Photographs.''

Also, to preserve the photographs for years to come, buy quality products - including acid-free albums, construction paper and die cuts - and treat the photos gently. Most experts recommend storing unused photos in interior closets, away from any light or heat sources.

PAINT ROCKS: There are only so many walls in a home for children's artwork. It's time to decorate outside, too.

Painting rocks is a great way to teach children about artwork. Another benefit: It's literally dirt cheap.

``The thing about rock painting is, even if you don't feel like you're artistic, if you paint on something with a shape, it gives you a shortcut to success,'' says Lin Wellford, author of six rock painting books including ``Painting on Rocks for Kids.''

Wellford's book includes projects to make rocks look like fish, cars and even a hamburger with pickle slices. But she says parents and their children shouldn't be intimidated by artsy rocks.

``You really can't make a mistake,'' Wellford says. ``You can't ruin a rock.''

A few tips:

1) Scrub the rocks clean and let them dry before painting them.

2) Rinse the brush between colors, unless you want brown-on-brown images.

3) Wear old clothes (or clothes you don't mind getting dirty) and cover the painting area with newspapers to prevent a mess.

4) Use a pencil to draw the design on the rock first.

PLANT A GARDEN: Now that the summer produce has been harvested, it's time to plant a fall garden. Not only can this be a fun activity now, but the reward of a full garden in the fall makes for a double bounty.

Local garden experts say now is the ideal time to plant fall vegetables, including peas, lettuce, broccoli, onions and squash.

``Talk with your kids about what vegetables they like the best, and plant those,'' recommends Calvin Wright, who's worked at Green Thumb Nursery in Canoga Park for nearly 40 years. Wright says the fall vegetable planting season is one of Green Thumb's busiest, and popular among families with small children.

Families that are growing veggies in a garden should use a soil conditioner such as Earth Rich, mixing it into the garden bed and then planting the seeds in additional soil enhancer. Gardeners using pots need to use potting soil.

The benefit of a fall planting, according to Wright, is that the vegetables grow quickly. That's important when working with children who traditionally have a short attention span.

``A lot of this stuff grows fast, and before you know it, it's ready to harvest,'' Wright says.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1 -- 3) Eight-year-olds Bethany Doherty and Caleb Litten assemble their scrapbooks during a class taught by Julie Morris, a consultant for Creative Memories. A page from Bethany's scrapbook, picturing her family and birthday party, is showing on facing page. At right, scrapbooking becomes a family project for Nancy Patrick and daughter Katie, 14.

(4) decoupage

(5) laminating

(6) painted rock