Memories in an album

By Spotlight

Keep photographic memories and keepsakes in an album with this fun cut out box.

Exclusive design from Helen Bradley.

Final Result

Materials

• lunchbox tin & chipboard album
• pattern papers
• co-ordinating cardstock sticker hearts, dots, paisley & book plate shapes
• shipping tag
• gaffer tape
• string
• assorted buttons
• glitter pen
• black permanent marker
• spiral metal clip
• folder tab
• photos
• keepsake (light bulb)
• 22 gauge wire
• chipboard alphabet
• black ink pad
• foam adhesive dots
• ruler
• wire cutters
• corner rounder
• craft knife
• scissors
• adhesives
• pliers
• pencil

Step 1

To prepare the hole for the keepsake, measure the size of the keepsake item and add a little extra to the measurements to allow room around it. Draw a rectangle this size on the album cover. Use a craft knife to cut out the shape. Mark the next page down and cut the same shape from this. Continue cutting the same shape out of the next two or three pages until you have a hole as deep as you need. Glue the cut pages together then glue one uncut page to the back so you have a thick cover and a small box cut into it. On another page in the album, cut out a large rectangular frame from the page - this will be used as a dimensional frame later. Cover all pages (except back and front of the first page) with pattern paper, alternating colors as desired. This is how we decorated the book.

Step 2

Cover - page 1
Cover with a sheet of patterned paper. Cut the paper where the box is and adhere the cut pieces to the insides of the box. Affix a small piece of patterned paper at the bottom of the box. Affix the keepsake object in the space. If necessary wire it in place by poking holes in the page underneath and threading wire through the holes and around the object to secure it.

Cut a long photograph in two and affix both pieces to a sheet of pattern paper. Affix photo corners to the edges of the topmost photo. Cut a faux file tab of contrasting pattern paper and place it on the cover with the photograph on top. Cut a narrow strip of paper and hand journal the title on it. Tear the paper and affix.

Step 3

Page 2 - inside cover
Don't complete until you have wired the keepsake in place on the cover. Cut a narrow strip of paper and adhere to the right edge of the page. Affix a cardboard sticker to another sheet of paper and cut around the edge. Adhere the photograph to the page, adhere the mounted sticker to the page and add a button with a piece of string knotted through it.

Step 4

Page 3
This is the page with the cut out. Place a trimmed photo between the frame and the next page and place a small cardstock circular sticker at the top between the pages. Adhere the pages together taking care to ensure that there is glue under the photo and between the frame and the backing page. Add cardboard sticker hearts and dots to the bottom left corner of the frame and draw around them with a glitter pen. Add a small cardstock bookplate with a strip of paper journalling behind it.

Step 5

Page 4
Cut a contrasting piece of paper and adhere to the right edge of the page. Affix photo to the page and add photo corners. Affix three complementary colour buttons down the left edge of the page first knotting each with a piece of string. Handwrite journalling on the page.

Step 6

Page 5
Repeat the pattern from the previous page by adding a small contrasting piece of paper to the left of this page. Affix a wider strip of paper to the right hand edge of the page and draw black lines around it using a ruler. Mount a large photo onto a sheet of contrasting paper, trim around it and then draw lines around the edge of the paper with a black marker. Affix photo to the page and over the top affix a trimmed bookplate highlighting a portion of the photo. Write journalling on a strip of paper torn at each end and adhere to the page.

Step 7

Page 6
Affix a folder tab over the edge of a photo and affix photo to the page. At the right end of the photo affix a strip of paper and then add a cardstock flower with dots on top. Affix journalling written on strips of paper over the photo and the page.

Step 8

Page 7
Draw a faux border around the photo using a black pen and a ruler to line it up. Affix the photo to the page, write journalling on a strip of paper, tear it and affix the strips over the edge of the photo.

Step 9

Page 8
Take two similar photos and leaving a small border top and bottom trim and adhere them over each other on the page. Affix journalling written on a narrow strip of paper with torn edges to the page. Affix a cardstock flower sticker to the page and add a button with string knotted through it.

Step 10

Page 9
Affix a narrow strip of contrasting paper to the right hand side of the page and line its edges with a black marker. Affix photo on the page and hand draw a border around the outside of it using a black marker. Write journalling on small strips of paper, tear them and affix to the page. Affix a cardboard circle, flower stickers and buttons and a metal clip in a small arrangement on the left of the page. Use foam adhesive dots to raise some of the shapes higher than others.

Step 11

Page 10
Write journalling on a series of strips of paper and adhere only one end of each strip to the page. Cover the adhered end with a strip of pattern paper on which you have attached a series of smaller cardstock stickers. Affix a photo which is taller than it is wide to the page.

Step 12

Page 11 - journalling page

Write the journalling on a shipping tag and affix the tag to the page.

Step 13

Back cover
Affix a cardstock frame to the page and a trimmed photo inside it. Write journalling on strips of paper, tear and affix to the page. Affix a bookplate over one of the pieces of journalling. Affix cardstock paisley shapes over the bottom right edge of the photo.

Finish the book by affixing gaffer tape over the spine and onto the front and back of the book.

Handy Hint

If the album has too many pages for your needs, cut frames into every other page and glue two pages together around a photo to create a dimensional effect for the pages.

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