I love to create gift albums for several reasons. First, it is a project that is usually finished quickly and I an able to hold the finished product right away. Also, I love to give something that I have made to someone else. It is also a great way to use supplies that I might not get around to using on a layout.
This past month I created a mini album framework for my sister to give to her boyfriend. She added the photos and journaling, but I gave her a start.
I started with a blank Heidi Swapp 6 X 6 chipboard album. These albums are great because the covers are totally customizable and the inside is filled with 20 page protectors. That will hold 40 scrapbook pages! You can easily remove some of the pages protectors if you do not want that many.
Album Cover
Next I went to my stash of Basic Grey paper and decided on the Fusion paper line. I choose this paper because my sister requested that it was not “girly” but the paper was still beautiful with a bit of a masculine touch.
The covers were covered with paper and attached using Mod Podge. I put a layer of the glue between the album cover and paper to adhere the paper and then a coat over the top to seal the paper and make the album more durable.
For the inside pages, I just cut the 12 X 12 paper into 6 X 6 inch squares. Then using other paper from the same paper line, I cut stripe of 6 X 2 inch paper to use as a border on each paper.
A few of the inside pages:
This came together very quickly. All that had to been done once I sent it to my sister was add the photos. The 2-inch borders were a perfect place to add some journaling.
Keeping the project simple and uniform allowed me to create a nice framework for a very meaningful album without spend too much time on the project.
Related Articles:
Creating a Theme Album – Friends