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photo album getcrafty.com  Before I make an album, I think about what it will hold and who will use it about feelings and memories, colors and textures. Then I choose paper and a cover design that reflects these feelings. For my circus-loving friends, I found a beautiful harlequin-patterned paper in primary colors for the cover and sprinkled the red pages with circus stickers. My Costa Rica pictures were mounted on natural, unbleached paper, decorated with a map and a post card I brought back. The pages don't all have to be the same, either. I like to slip a decorative sheet in randomly to keep things interesting. Your album can be any size and shape you'd like, but remember that snapshots are usually 3 x 5 or 4 x 6. Each page should easily accommodate one or two pictures. I like my albums to hold about one roll of film -- 12 to 24 pages. Also, since rubber bands and hair elastics have stretch limitations, small to medium sizes tend to work best. That said, I usually let my vision dictate the size, shape and number of pages. If you have a great idea, go with it. Gather your ingredients Several sheets of medium-weight paper: acid-free is best for photos and available in most craft stores, thanks to the current scrapbook trend. Cardboard about the weight of a notebook cover, although any weight will do; manila folders and shirt boxes work well. The front cover should be flexible so you can open it without creasing. A rubber band or ponytail elastic: rubber degrades over time, so use a coated ponytail if you want your creation to last. Besides, you get much better color choices. A stick, dowel, chop stick or pencil: or anything else with this general shape as long as it doesn't bend and is almost as long as the spine of your album. A hole punch, paper cutter or scissors, and glue or spray mount. Fabric, fancy paper, stickers, post cards, fun and decorative stuff. Follow these six easy steps to build your rubber-band-and-stick photo album. 1. Trim two pieces of cardboard so they are slightly longer than your interior pages. 2. Decorate your covers any way you'd like. Here's your chance to let your imagination go wild. I'm a paper hog and save wrapping paper, magazines, postcards and all manner of scraps just for this type of project. If you're recycling old cardboard, be sure to cover both sides. 3. Measure and punch two holes in each cover. Your holes should be about one to two inches from the top and bottom and a half-inch from the outside edge. Make sure your holes match up from front to back. 4. Measure and punch two holes in each page. Use your cover as a guide, making sure the spine and pages are flush, with the excess on the outside edge. A two-hole or three-hole punch (with the middle punch removed) will make short work of this task. 5. Thread the rubber band through the top hole from behind and slip your stick into the loop. 6. Stretch the rubber band, threading it through the bottom hole, and slip your stick through the bottom loop. It can be a little tricky to do this without creasing your covers and pages, but a large crochet needle can help. |
