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Are you looking for a creative gift to give? This DIY photo album is perfect for anyone because it can be customized to fit each person’s interests.

This DIY photo album or scrapbook pattern has been around for a while, but I still make it for people, and they have never seen it.

It can be used for pictures, quotes, autographs, recipes, or just memorabilia.

 

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DIY Photo Album Variations

The patterns I’m giving you are for two different sizes: small (5″ x 5″) and large (6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″).

Most of the scrapbooks are made from cardboard and scrapbook paper, but I have also made ones with fabric.

You will be able to choose which materials you would like to use depending on what you are using it for.

This is the outside and inside of the fabric album I made:

 

DIY Photo Album Supplies

• cardboard or foam board
• card stock
• scrapbook paper or fabric
• tacky glue
• sticky tabs (or another type of adhesive)
• scissors
• ruler
• paper cutter (optional)
• embellishments (optional)

 

DIY Photo Album Instructions

 

Step 1: Choose Your Materials

To start, you will need to choose which size album you are going to make.

 

Small Album

If you are making a small album, you will need 2 pieces of 5 inch by 5 inch corrugated cardboard or foam board.

Use a ruler to measure to make sure that the cardboard is perfectly square. Cut the cardboard with scissors or a knife.

You will also need 2 pieces of 8 1/2″ x 11″ scrapbook paper for the album covers. It looks nice if they are the same paper, but you could also choose 2 that are different as long as they match each other.

For the inside of the scrapbook, you will need 3 pieces of 8 1/2″ x 11″ card stock that are all the same color.

Depending on what you want the inside to look like, you will need to pick out 3 pieces of 8 1/2″ x 11″ scrapbook paper that will look good with each other.

 

Large Album

For a large album, you will need 2 pieces of 6 1/2″ by 6 1/2″ corrugated cardboard or foam board.

Use a ruler to measure to make sure that the cardboard is perfectly square. Cut the cardboard with scissors or a knife.

You will need 2 pieces of 12″ by 12″ scrapbook paper for the covers. I usually choose two of the same kind of paper, but you could use different ones as long as they match.

The inside of the photo album is made up of 3 pieces of 12″ by 12″ card stock that are all the same color.

To decorate the inside, you will also need to choose 3 pieces of 12″ by 12″ scrapbook paper that match each other. I typically pick three different sheets of paper, but you could choose all the same if you would like.

 

 

Step 2: Cut the Paper

Covers

Cut the 2 pieces of scrapbook paper for the covers.

You can use scissors and a ruler, or you can use a paper cutter.

For a small scrapbook, you can cut the paper into an 8 1/2″ by 8 1/2″ square.

If you are making a large album, you can just use the 12″ by 12″ paper as it is.

 

Pages

If you are making a small scrapbook, you will have to cut the card stock into 8 1/2″ by 8 1/2″ squares.

The large album just uses three 12″ by 12″ pieces of card stock, so you will not need to cut them.

 

Decorations

For the inside of the album, you will need to cut the scrapbook paper into squares and triangles.

Cut your 3 pieces of scrapbook paper into 7 1/2″ by 7 1/2″ squares if you are making a small photo album. For a large scrapbook, cut the paper into 11″ by 11″ squares.

You will need to cut all 3 of the squares into 4 smaller squares each (you will end up with a total of 12 squares).

Four of those squares will be used as is, but 6 of the other squares will need to be cut in half diagonally to form 12 triangles.

There will be 2 small squares left over that you will not use.

Step 3: Glue the Covers

You will need the 2 pieces of cardboard that you cut and the 2 pieces of scrapbook paper for the covers.

Glue 1 piece of cardboard to the middle of the back of 1 piece of scrapbook paper. Do the the same with the other piece of cardboard and piece of paper. Make sure the glue is in very thin layers so it isn’t lumpy.

If you cut out the corners like the picture below, it makes it easier to fold.

Next, you will need to glue and fold the paper. I usually use tacky glue because I’ve found that glue sticks don’t stick as well.

 

Step 4: Fold the Card Stock & Attach It

Fold each of the 3 pieces of card stock in half. Then, open them back up and fold them in half again the other way so that you have creases in the shape of a plus sign. Next, fold the card stock in half diagonally. Each piece of card stock should look like the one pictured below.

Now, you will need to glue the 3 pieces of card stock together.

Flip the middle piece over so that the folds are going the opposite way.

Glue or use sticky tabs to adhere the squares of the middle piece to the squares of the other two pieces (see pictures below).

After the 3 pieces of card stock are adhered to each other, you will need to attach them to the covers.

Fold them, and then attach one square to the inside of one of the covers. Then, do the same on the other side.

 

Step 5: Attach the Decorative Paper

Take the four small squares and the 12 triangles that you cut out and decide where you want them attached.

Use glue or sticky tabs to attach them to the card stock. I usually use sticky tabs to prevent lumps.

 

Step 6: Embellish the Photo Album (Optional)

After everything is dry, you can tie a ribbon around the outside to keep it closed. You could also use a string or elastic hair tie as well.

You can add a button or charm decoration to the ribbon.

Stickers also look nice on the outside covers.

 

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Did you make this DIY photo album?

We would love to see your creations! Tag us on social media @nowthatsthrifty and we will check it out!

 

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