DIY Mini Envelope Album
/Looking for a unique way to showcase your memories? Try making a DIY album using mini envelopes.
DIY Mini Album - Using Mini Envelopes.
One of my favourite things to make are notebooks or mini albums. I've never met a mini album or notebook I didn't love. I always like to have one tucked away in my bag to jot down notes or save receipts in.
I've made and shared quite a few here on the blog but I think this mini envelope album might be my favourite.
Have you seen these envelope mini albums before? They're so clever. I made a similar one the other year but it folded like an accordion instead (you can find my accordion folding album here).
Each page of the album doubles as a pocket so you can store photos, tickets or other memorabilia inside. Such a cute idea.
Supplies:
Patterned cardstock or mini envelopes
Martha Stewart score board and envelope tool or an envelope punch board
Washi tape, stickers and embellishments to decorate.
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How to make an Envelope Mini Album.
1. To begin with you need to make your mini envelopes. I trimmed my card down to 5½ x 5½ inches to make a finished envelope measuring 3¾ inches x 2¾ inches (or 9½ x 7 cm).
2. If you're using a Martha Stewart scoreboard like I did you need to place the envelope template in the top left corner and then place your paper alongside the edge of the template.
The template has measurements on you can use as a guide to make the envelopes. I scored at the 2-inch mark, rotated 90 degrees, scored at the 2½ inch mark and repeated.
Another alternative is to use an envelope punch board like this one, use an existing envelope as a template like I did here or pick up a pack of mini envelopes from your local craft shop.
3. Use a pair of scissors or a craft knife and a ruler and cut away each of the corners where the 2 scorelines meet.
4. Fold along the scorelines and use some glue or double-sided tape to stick the side flaps down.
5. Repeat until you have enough envelopes.
6. The next thing you need to do is start connecting the envelopes. Take your 1st envelope and fold back the flap. This will be the cover of your mini album.
7. Take a 2nd envelope and apply glue or double sided tape to the inside (the plain side) of the top flap.
8. Flip the 2nd envelope over and slide it into the 1st with the sticky side facing down. Make sure to press down firmly.
9. Repeat adding more pages until you're happy with the size of your mini album.
10. When you get to the end you should be left with only the 1st envelope flap showing. Wrap it around to the back of your album to finish the cover.
I found it helped to measure and score the flap where it naturally folded to help make a neat spine.
11. Use some strong double sided tape to stick the flap down. I like to use this wonder tape roll. It's super sticky and holds forever.
Now for the fun part. Decorate and fill your mini album to your heart's content.
I love how this project turned out. For my envelopes, I used some glittery patterned card I picked up from the craft department in The Range. It was only £3 for a pad of 32 sheets (4 x 8 in) by a company called DecoTime.
I used some die cuts from My Minds Eye, some pretty paper washi tape strips and letter stickers both from Simple Stories to embellish my cover. It's hard to show in a photograph but I love the combination of matte and glossy.
I already want to make another one, this time a little bigger. I think they'd work great as a recipe book. Each recipe could have a photo on one side and the recipe on a card in the opposite pocket.
What do you think?
