Mini Album Tutorial for Sounds Easy

                                                          Mini Album Tutorial
By Andrea Merlin for Sounds Easy


Here is a quick and easy mini album that can easily be made with our stash supplies. To me the best part of this album is the audio journaling created with the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder.

Depending on the paper and supplies you use - you can get a totally different feel to your album.

Here is how to make the album:

Supplies:

-12 x 12 cardstock or heavy patterned paper (I like double sided) – quantity varies depending on size of album

-coordinating cardstock and/or patterned paper

- Ribbon

-Binding: binder rings, brads, ribbon or Bind It All Coil

-Circle punch
- Adhesive - I prefer scor-tape
-bone folder (optional)

Directions:

1. Take a sheet of 12 x 12 cardstock/patterned paper. Have the side you want to “show” facing up.

2. Put adhesive along the entire bottom edge – I run a strip of ¼ scor-tape along the edge.

3. Carefully fold the paper so that the wrong side of the opposite edge gets adhered and you end up with a “tube” of cardstock with the correct paper showing.

4. Flatten and score your edges well – I like to use a bone folder.

5. You will now have approximately 5 ¾ inch by 12 inch piece. Fold and score in half lengthwise at 6 inches so you have a 5 ¾ x 6 inch piece with 2 pages and 2 pockets.

6. Create as many of these as you want pages in your album.

7. For interior pages (not the cover) I often use a circle punch to make a half circle along the open edge. This allows for easier pulling in and out of the tag. But this is optional.

8. I like to bind the book at this time. I’ve found that if I wait and bind it when I’m done I sometimes end up binding the tag inserts so they won’t come out!

Stack your pages together

You may have to trim a few of the inner edges.

Once you decided how you’re going to bind the album – just punch the holes (with a hole punch, crop-a-dile or binding system) and use the ribbon, brads, rings or coils to bind.

9. Cover treatment – I don’t like my covers to have a pocket (not sure why). Take a 6 x 3 inch piece of coordinating cardstock/patterned paper. Score at 1.5 inches and adhere to cover the opening in the “tube”. Trim as needed.

This isn't the easiest picture to see what I mean - but look at the left hand page and see the pink strip? Thats the 3 inch piece scored at 1.5 inches. I wish I had taken a better picture for y'all but I've already mailed the album to Judy at Sounds Easy for the CKC Manchester show.

Also in the Mom album pictures above - I decided to make a flap that goes from the pocket on the back cover all the way over the book and closes onto the front cover with Velcro

Super easy to do - Just take a piece of coordinating cardstock as wide as you think your album will be thick - adhere it well to the inside of the back cover pocket and fold it over to the front and press the Velcro in place.

10. Tags – make as many tags as you have open pockets. Depending on how you adhered your base page together – your pocket size may vary in size a bit. I usually cut my cardstock/patterned paper to 5 ¾ x at 6 inches and trim till it fits right. I put ribbon on the ends of most of my tags to look pretty as they stick out of the album.

11. Have fun decorating the pages and tags!

12. If you're making this for use with the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder you need to put an envelop to hold the memory card. I usually put mine on the back cover. Also, on each page with a sound you will put the number that corresponds with the sound for that page.

The Sounds Easy Recorder comes with an acrylic envelop but sometimes I like to make mine out of paper or in this case - ribbon. You can put a ribbon inside the slot of the card for easy access.

 Some ideas for mini albums:

School Days or Teacher Gift• Graduation • Favorite Things • Brag Book • Heritage • Vacation •Birthday • Holiday

Thanks for visiting!! Please drop me a note if you have any questions!!

Andrea