Crafted DIY: Decorative Photo Album

There comes a time when you're tired of the way some things look and you've been dreading for a makeover or a change. This change is specifically dedicated to a photo album. I have this plain green photo album that LITERALLY says "photo album" and is as old as I am. Catherine Woram coincidentally had a tutorial for decorating a photo album so I had this grand plan that gave me the chance to decorate the album and do required school work at the same time! It's a win-win situation.

STEP 1: Gather materials

Ideally when starting a project you'd want to gather all materials to make sure you're suitable for the job and ready to start building without any problems in the future, whether it may be not enough materials or not having this specific item that is needed for time purposes.

STEP 2: Wrap the album 

Wrap the photo album completely in desired 

fabric or paper. I decided to use gift wrapping paper (not the most efficient) and attempted to clear the air bubbles by using a straight edge against the grain to smooth the surface. It's okay if your cover did not look perfect because from here, this is where the creativity comes from and you can hide your flaws.

STEP 3: Practice placement

I strongly advise you to gather your materials or props that you've decided to put on your album and practice placing the items before it becomes permanent, and that way you don't regret anything in the near future and you'll have it placed where you please.  Here are a few spots I decided to put the items

STEP 4: Attach objects

After mapping out all of my intended placements I used hot glue to assemble the masterpiece and help attach the pieces to the book. I'd say it's best to use hot glue because if you were to use tape or Elmer's glue, than the items wouldn't stick and would slip right off.

BEFORE AND AFTER:

Before

After

Overall this project has been productive and  I finally decorated the album.. Not gonna lie, kinda like the outcome, kinda don't. But that's okay, it gave it some character.. If you attempt this DIY, make sure to find flat objects to stick on for easier storage.. Learn from my mistakes. other than that-

Was this DIY a poop or woop?

Let me know in the comments below (:

CITATION:

Woram, Catherine. "Chapter 2: Special Occasions." Homemade Gifts with Love: Over 35 Beautiful Handcrafted Gifts to Make and Give. London: Cico, 2010. 7-115. Print.