My mom isn’t a super crafty person, but she does enjoy making her own greeting cards. It’s something we enjoy doing as a mother/daughter activity, so when I had the idea to turn a photo album into an organizer for my cards, I knew I had to make one for her too! This would make a great gift for any paper crafter (my mom loves hers); you could even go a step farther and fill it with cards before gifting it to make a correspondence kit. (Such a thing would be great as a going away present or graduation gift.) Or make one for yourself and be the envy if all your crafty friends!
Project estimate:
- 4×6 photo album, $1
- Paper, on hand
- Ribbon, on hand
Total: $1
Start with a plain, brag book style photo album – the kind you would carry around in your purse. Slide the paper inserts out of the covers of the album and use them as a guide to cut new covers out of the paper of your choice. I used double-sided scrapbook paper so that a different, coordinating pattern shows on the inside of the cover.
Decorate the covers however you want. I kept things simple and used some stickers out of my stash to put our names on the front covers. When you’re done decorating and any glue you might have used is dry, put the new cover inserts into the album.
When you start putting cards into the album, the extra bulk will make the book want to pop open. Solve this problem by adding a ribbon to tie it shut.
Cut two piece of ribbon about 12 to 15 inches long. You’ll want them nice and long so that even when the album is completely full, you will have plenty of ribbon to tie a big bow! I used Amazing Goop to glue my ribbons in place, but hot glue would work as well. Once the glue is dry/cool, it’s ready for action!
6 Comments
Sherry
I love this idea! I make all my own cards as well and I just have them in a Ziploc bag. This is so much nicer! Thanks!
I need to look for a larger photo book because some of my cards are larger than 4×6.
Cindy
I like to make card kits for a girls group at church to make their own cards, this would be a wonderful way to package them…awesome idea.
Piers @ Unique handmade directory
This is a fabulous idea, certainly great for craft groups, storage and also as a portfolio of ones designs to promote. Thanks for posting.
fran
I love this idea. Was trying to think of something to give my 91 year old mother for Mother’s Day. This will be perfect. Intending to make cards to fill it up for her and will add stamps, too.
Sally
I use these $1 albums to show off all the crafts I make. It’s a brag album, right? So I brag. I take pictures of every card I make and every other crafty gift I make and when I get a coupon for really cheap photo printing, I take my little card to the store, print, and fill my little brag book. It’s also helpful when I want to repeat a card that I made on a whim and have no direction to follow. And it helps me not send someone the same design twice.