How to make an album using scrapbooking technique with your own hands?

Creative personalities with a romantic disposition have long been accustomed to creating extraordinary crafts from the most ordinary things. If earlier this work was a simple hobby, now the creation of decorative masterpieces allows you to get a good profit.

The fair sex is mainly fond of the artistic technique of scrapbooking, because not every man has the patience and skill to create an unusual applique from scrap materials, let alone minimalist works.

Scrapbooking, as a term, translated from English means "to create a book." This type of artistic direction involves the creation of special decorations for photo albums, notebooks, and memorable cuts. Each individual craft is unique in its execution. It is not possible to make an identical work, even picking up similar decor elements will not work.

Even in the days of Pushkin, ladies kept memorable things for themselves in albums, decorated with their own hands. Their pages kept dried flowers from fans, the first drawings of children, a curl of a loved one. At the same time, each individual page was supplemented with verses of his own composition, the texts of which were displayed in clear calligraphic handwriting using ink and pen.

The essence of the scrapbooking technique is to convey the impressions of a short period of time with the help of various decorative elements contained in a whole book. Such albums are often presented to young parents, newlyweds and anniversaries. The colorful pages are filled with photographs, small gizmos, memorabilia, allowing you to remember the bright moments of the days gone by.

The scrapbooking technique was originally used to decorate photo albums. Now experienced craftsmen are able to add variety to notebooks, prepare unique postcards, and decorate various objects. It is important to note that in modern scrapbooking, craftsmen begin to use an interactive approach, where the finished craft is not only voluminous, but also as mobile as possible. Today, scrapbooking is used even when decorating interiors.

Despite the seeming complexity of execution, scrapbooking technique requires a minimum set of tools and materials.

• Paper. In principle, this is the main element of making a craft. Special thick printed sheets and cardboard are sold individually or in one piece. It is this material that is taken as the basis for a photo album and other types of products.

• Scissors. Working in the scrapbooking technique involves the constant cutting of certain decorative elements from cardboard, paper, fabric and other similar materials. They can be of different sizes, always sharp, in order to perfectly cut decorations and designs.

• Double sided tape. Quite convenient and very useful material when working in the scrapbooking technique. It is used when creating three-dimensional decorations. A distinctive feature of double-sided tape is its high strength when compared with adhesives.

• Glue. It is almost impossible to do without this material. With its help, small elements are added.

• Hole puncher. According to its characteristics, it is a multifunctional tool, especially when it is necessary to create a special decor. Quite often, holes are made with its help, contributing to the connection of pages. And when using carved hole punches, it turns out to create a special pattern.

• Stamps. This tool makes it possible to create different inscriptions with an unusual pattern.

• Stationery knife or cutter. Items are used depending on the experience of the master. It is important that the blade of the cutting object is sharp, since the scrapbooking technique quite often involves cutting thick cardboard into several pieces or creating a carved photo frame.

• Decorative items. In this case, any things and objects that have gone out of use, but never made it to the link to the dump are meant. It can be buttons, beads, flowers from blouses, various patterns, napkins and much more. If you cannot find the necessary elements, you will have to contact a specialized boutique, which offers separate sets with many decorative elements.

Preparing the necessary tools and materials is one thing. But before you start creating a masterpiece, it is important to decide on the design style.

This style implies the creation of album designs with a mention of the past. The predominant color scheme is rather muted. Mostly pastel shades are used. Scuffs are visible on many elements of the decor, reminiscent of antiquity. Old black-and-white photographs are used as images; newspaper clippings from the last century are ideal for a vintage album design.

In addition to the effects and color palette, you should consider the decor elements that are suitable for the style. For example, lace, various types of stamps that resemble an old drawing, beads of different sizes. Each individual page is saturated with sophistication and high cost. The finished vintage album is ideal as a gift for any occasion.

This style involves the use of various decorative elements with the image of polka dots or stripes. He is characterized by uncomplicated background of the base with layering in the form of laces of different sizes, patterns, beads, pictures. According to the color scheme, it is assumed the use of romantic and light shades.

In the modern world, it is a classic design option for scrapbooking techniques. Each page of the created albums is compiled in the form of a collage. According to the rules, American-style photographs must be present that correspond to the theme of the album. These can be paper clippings depicting buildings, clocks, and any elements related to the theme of the craft, as well as inscriptions.

Each separate sheet of the whole album has its own specific flavor and reflects the mood of the day being described. A rather interesting and modern addition will be the placement of tickets in the album, thanks to which the recipient of the gift was able to go on an exciting journey and experience a lot of pleasure.

In comparison with American style, it is considered more restrained and minimalistic. Most often used when creating mini-albums. When composing a composition, each page is decorated with a minimum amount of decor.

European style pays special attention to drawings created with a pencil or pen. The finished graphic pictures are pasted into the album, presenting the visual volume. Some parts of the pages are supposed to be decorated with a curly hole punch or a pattern cut out along the contour of the sheets.

According to its characteristics, it is more considered a masculine style, since it does not allow the use of flowers, beads, ribbons, lace in the creation of compositions. Steampunk prefers brutal design, where decorative elements in the form of gears, miniature mechanisms from old objects, drawings are used. The main part of the decor is laid out on the cover, the inner sheets are decorated to the very minimum. The colors are dominated by gray and brown tones.

For the last couple of years, it has been in first place among the creators of crafts using the scrapbooking technique. Its main idea is to create a voluminous composition of each page of the album. In general, each person has come across a similar design in his childhood. For example, it is proposed to recall books where images of animals or objects came to the fore.

In the modern world, people are often faced with the search and selection of a unique gift. Walking through the shops and boutiques, it becomes clear that all the objects and things laid out in the windows are no different from each other.That is why the idea comes to mind to create something unusual with your own hands, so that it will be remembered for a long time and represent a special memory. It should be not just a postcard, but a real photo album with many illustrations and spreads, which will reflect the most memorable and vivid moments from the life of the recipient of the gift.

The first step to creating a custom composition from scratch is the selection of tools and their distribution in the workplace. It should be noted that the art corner should not be clogged with unnecessary items. All necessary items should be at hand. Then you can start creating the album itself.

• To begin with, it is important to decide on the theme of the album. It can be a gift for young parents or a special souvenir for the bride and groom.
• Having dealt with the theme, it is necessary to understand the style of the future album, thanks to which the colors and decor elements are selected.
• It is very important to decide in advance whether ready-made photos will be used in the album or whether you will need to leave empty spaces for inserting them. Although decorating an album with ready-made photographs is much easier, since the process of selecting jewelry becomes easier.
• Next, you need to decide on the total number of images used. The number of sheets and the binding itself depend on this.
• The size of the photos completely determines the dimensions of the album. So, the standard photo sizes 10x15 are ideal for creating mini-albums and clamshells. For a book in A4 format or more, you can prepare large-sized images or arrange several photos on one sheet.
• Binding selection is extremely important. Assembling the album is much easier on the rings, but this will require special tools, namely a hole punch and the rings themselves. If you do not want to create the basis of the album with your own hands, you can contact any scrapbooking store that sells sets of different sizes. The rings can be easily replaced with a satin ribbon, or you should decide to create a book binding yourself. By the way, when choosing book bindings, it is better to use beer cardboard, which is the basis for the pages.
• The last stage of visual preparation requires deciding on the type of cover: whether it will be fabric or paper, whether the cover should be tied with a ribbon or closed with a fastener.

After the master has decided on the main criteria for creating a unique album, you can start studying the master class.

• First you need to make a blank for fixing the cover. A pre-conceived book binding involves the design of the outer part of the album only after the completion of work with the inner pages. Thanks to this, it will be possible to calculate the exact size of the binding.
• A volumetric decoration should be added to the cover at the end of the creation of the craft, when the inner part is already dry and does not require adjustment. If the artist decides to create an album on rings or with tape, the restrictions on the time of creating the cover are removed. Nevertheless, experienced craftsmen advise to deal with the design of the outer part of the album only after the pages are ready. They already give out the mood of the whole book, so you can perfectly match the color and decor elements for the cover.
• Thanks to the pre-selected style and knowledge of the subject matter, you can safely select paper for the pages. Next - decorations and stamps.
• After that, you need to start laying out photos and other images on sheets.
• Further, all the elements are laid out, so far without glue, so that you can move the details of the compositions or change the photo. Starting from the sketches of the pages, you can start gluing the compositions of each separate sheet. First of all, flat images and decorations are placed.
• After gluing them to the page, you need to put a tangible press. A stack of thick books will do.It is important to note: when fixing elements that play the role of pockets, there should be free space inside the decoration. Its three sides are fixed as much as possible with glue, and the fourth part remains free.
• The final stage of work - all elements of the album are collected in a pre-planned order and fixed.

After studying a master class on creating an album using the scrapbooking technique, you can proceed to the step-by-step execution of commemorative books with photographs collected in binding. First you need to prepare some materials:

• thick paper;
• sharp scissors;
• adhesive composition;
• gauze cloth;
• inlay;
• finished cover and pages.

Having prepared the necessary material, you should start creating a masterpiece. It is important not to deviate from the instructions presented, otherwise the album will not receive a unique image, evenness and density.

• Prepared paper is cut according to the intended page dimensions, for example, 20x20. This will be the basis for the finished sheets. In some cases, it is suggested to use cardboard, but not required.
• To connect the prepared paper bases, it is necessary to cut strips of the same paper 20 cm high and 3.5 cm wide in the amount of 11 pieces.
• On the upper and lower parts of the prepared strips, it is necessary to bring out the middle, so that there is an indent of 1.5 cm on the sides, and the central part is 5 mm.
• On the set pencil marks, you need to make fold lines. To do this, use a sharp needle or knitting needle. Using a ruler and a sharp object, draw a line of the slot along the pencil sketches. In this way, it is necessary to process all the strips. Thanks to this action, the paper will bend easily.
• The edges of the prepared strips on the upper and lower sides must be cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
• The finished strips are folded according to the outlined contour.
• The next step involves gluing the elements. One side part from the inside of the prepared strip must be coated with glue and the first page must be glued to it. The same strip is glued to the second sheet.
• A second outlined strip is glued on top of the second sheet, and a third sheet is glued to it. The entire album is assembled in a similar way. After gluing the workpiece, it is important to dry, after which it is necessary to check that all sheets are tightly fixed.
• To complete the beauty of the binding, it is necessary to cut off a piece of gauze so that the fabric has a margin of 1.5 cm on all sides. The prepared binding is coated with Moment glue with an indent of 1 cm from the upper and lower parts, after which it is applied to the fabric.
• While the glue is drying, you need to cut off two small pieces of bias tape, preferably in harmony with the color scheme of the album.
• The upper and lower parts of the fabric binding, extending beyond the album, are glued to the inside. That is why they left a margin of 1.5 cm. To create a beautiful contour, an inlay is glued on top of the fabric material. In a similar scenario, it is necessary to process the underside of the binding.
• Next, you need to prepare a paper spine. Its width should be 3 cm more than the binding itself, and its length by 0.5 cm.On the prepared spine, in the lower and upper parts, basting is made with an indent of 1.5 cm and a slot for easy bending. At the same time, the entire middle part is lined up by 0.5 cm, after the lines are pressed through to get a smooth fold. The finished spine can be decorated.
• Pre-purchased colorful sheets are glued over white substrates.
• The self-made spine is applied to the binding, but not glued, the cover is laid out on top. If there are no comments on the part of beauty and aesthetics, you can start gluing the composition.
• The rest of the gauze is coated with glue and applied to the album. It is also necessary to do the same with the spine, gluing it to the gauze.
• On top of the inner side of the cover, where the fixed fabric is visible, one of the selected sheets of decorative cardboard must be glued. The back of the cover is processed in a similar way.
• Having prepared the base, you can start decorating.

The wedding is considered one of the most significant dates in the life of any person. Among the huge variety of gifts, wedding albums created using the scrapbooking technique are in great demand. To present the newlyweds with this masterpiece, it is suggested that you familiarize yourself with the step-by-step instructions for drawing up the craft. First you need to prepare the tools:

• ruler;
• knife;
• cutting mat;
• glue;
• Scotch;
• cardboard or paper purchased from a scrapbooking boutique;
• colored pens;
• hole puncher.

With your workplace ready, you can start creating your masterpiece.

• First of all, it is necessary to decide on the size of the future album. Most often, square options are used in the size of 20x20 or rectangular, in A4 format.
• In this case, the option of binding in the form of rings is considered. Using a hole punch, you need to make holes that allow you to connect the sheets and the cover together. It is necessary to work extremely carefully, to correctly measure the size of the sheet so that all the holes turn out to be the same in distance from each other.
• The most interesting thing is the design of the pages. Each separate sheet should tell about the life of the bride and groom before entering into a marriage. To present a consistent love story, you need to make a small sketch of the future album, arrange the pages for the pages in the intended sequence. On them to expand the photographs of the beloved intended for use. As an additional decor, it is proposed to glue in a special thick cardboard with grooves, reminiscent of photo books of the last century.
• Having arranged the images, you can start decorating the album. First you need to glue flat decorations and pictures on all sheets.
• The photographs are located in the central areas of the compositions, and a volumetric decor is fixed on top.
• It is important to remember that the volumetric image is glued relative to the page on which it will lie. It is necessary to immediately make some notes so that when folding the album, the volumetric decor does not come into contact with the counter image - otherwise, bumps will appear that will spoil the integrity of the craft.
• Having glued and folded all the elements of the album, it is necessary to fix the resulting beauty with fasteners.

A mini-album for the most part involves placing special photographs of a small format, for example, family members or images of children. To create it, you need a few tools:

• one sheet of thick paper;
• glue "Moment";
• scissors;
• ruler;
• decorations.

Once you've arranged your workspace, you're ready to get started.

• The prepared paper is lined with squares of about 8x8 cm.
• It is proposed to make the cover a little larger. For careful use, it can be tied with a ribbon or secured with a button. A spring is supposed to be used as a binding connector.
• On the prepared sheets, it is necessary to make holes for the spring. To do this, you need to use a mini-hole punch, which allows you to create holes of the same size that are close in distance.
• The sheets are laid out according to their location in the book-album. A photograph is attached to each separate sheet. The decor is placed on top. Thanks to this sketch, it will turn out to change the arrangement of the page elements or change the concept altogether.
• According to the laid out composition, you can start gluing images and decorations. Finished pages need to be set aside for some time until they are completely dry.
• Now you can work on the cover. When decorating it, it is proposed to use not only a paper surface, but also a fabric material. In this case, you will need to put a small piece of foam rubber in the inner part of the cover, allowing you to make the surface of the cover soft. Further, the prepared base is decorated with voluminous elements that are fixed with double-sided tape. If necessary, a stamp is placed for the inscription.
• A satin ribbon or lace is placed on the inside of the cover, glued to the glue. After drying, another decorative sheet is placed over the glued fastener, thereby masking the closing system. In a similar way, it is necessary to work out the second part of the cover, located on the back side. Set aside the finished option for a while to dry completely.

To learn how to make a wedding photo album using the scrapbooking technique, see the next video.