Who says you have to stick with traditional 12×12 albums in order to showcase scrap worthy memorabilia?
There are many ways you can put together a memory album without having to purchase expensive scrapbooks. In fact, customized scrapbooks made from unconventional items often make the sweetest showcases for personal collections. For example, if you are on the road and your child is screaming for a boredom buster, you can whip out a three-ring binder and some paper or just a bunch of loose-leaf rings and a hole punch. Your child can draw pictures of scenes he sees out the car window on plain tags with pre-punched holes or on plain paper that you can punch holes in later. Another option is to have your child record the day’s highlights on postcards from every stop along your journey, and then string those together to make a unique scrapbook.
Personally, I love to create envelope scrapbooks when I am away from home. To keep things organized, before you leave home, collect a series of envelopes and color code them by town. As an added feature you can mark each city with a sticker on a map, and then add a matching sticker to the envelope.
Once you collect all of your envelopes, round up some cardstock, paint or markers, a hole punch, ribbon, photos, stickers, stamps, and other embellishments. Carefully cut open the right-hand side of each envelope to create little pockets. If you’d prefer a distressed, informal or vintage look, you could just tear each envelope open and ink the edges. Next, use some paint or markers to decorate the outside of the envelopes. Cut a cardstock cover for your album that is the same size as your envelopes. Use the hole punch to create binding holes along the side of the envelopes and the cardstock cover. Tie the envelopes and the cardstock together with some pretty ribbon. Finish by adding photos and embellishments, though keep in mind that bulky decorations don’t work well with envelope scrapbooks, as their size compromises the overall look of the album.
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