52-Weeks of Book Binding, Journals and more...

Week 19

"MOTHER'S DAY PHOTO ALBUM"

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  Sunday May 10th to be exact.  I wanted to create something special for Mother's Day.  I thought, what better way, than with a beautiful photo album to keep all her treasured memories. Although, most people are into taking digital pictures, we can still print out our favorites photos to display.

Supplies: two pieces of chipboard, paper for outside covers, black cardstock, 1 sheet of suede paper, ribbon, grommets.

Additional supplies: inside cover papers, paper cutter or scissors, awl, glue,

Crop-A-Dial.

Cut your chip board to the size you want your album to be.  Cut off 1" (this will be your spine). Do this for both the front and back cover.  For both spines, punch 1-1/2" holes from the top and bottom, centering the holes in the spine.   Mark a "T" for the top.  Set aside.

If you want an opening for your front cover, draw a square in the center and cut out.  The opening can be as big or as small as you would like.  Set aside.

PREPARE YOUR PAGES 

Decide on how many pages you would like in your album.  I chose 15 pages for mine.  Line up the spine with your papers.  Mark and punch out the holes. Mark a "T" for the top.  Cut 2" pieces of cardstock, score down the middle and fold.  These will be your shims that you will insert between the pages.  Using the spines once again, mark and punch holes into these also. Mark a "T" for the top.  

NOTE:  Keeping everything align will help your album fit together better.

PUTTING THE ALBUM TOGETHER

Measure your covers and cut your cover papers about 1" larger all the way around, than your covers. Glue these onto your covers, folding the edges over to the inside, on all four sides.  If you chose a window for your front cover, cut diagonal lines, fold over and glue to the inside of the front cover.

Cut the papers for your binding 4-1/4" wide and 2" longer than the spines.  On the inside, mark 1" along the long side. Place your front cover up to that marking, leaving 1" on both top and bottom of the paper.  Now glue your cover down.  Do the same for the back cover.  Take your spines and glue them next to your covers, leaving a 1/4" gap in between.  Now fold over the other side of the binding cover and glue in place.  Trim the top of the inside of the spine papers, both top and bottom, fold over the flaps and glue them down.

Top is back cover/Bottom is front cover

Choose your paper to cover the inside of the covers, and cut 1/2" smaller than the covers. Center the paper and glue in place.  If you have an opening for your front cover, mark and cut the opening out just slightly larger than the opening of your front cover, center and glue.  Find the holes you made in your spine early and punch through using a awl. 

Using the Crop-A-Dial, put grommets through all four holes in the spine.  Take your ribbon and run it first through the front cover, the first page, a shim, the next page, et cetera, until you have gone through all your pages and shims. Now go down through the back cover, up through the back cover and through all your papers and shims.  Go through your front cover and tie a pretty bow.

Add some photo corners and you have a beautiful gift for Mom.