Often scrapbooking is considered an expensive hobby. That’s what I had thought for long time. There are so many scrapbooking supply designs out there to choose from, but unless you’re right there when they just put on the clearance price tag, you will likely end up spending a lot of money just to create a page in your scrapbook, depending on your preferences. One day, I realized that I could easily create my own design without spending so much and it would be unique. There are always things at home that I can re-use to give them “new life”.
DIY Scrapbook Design:
Gather whatever brochures, flyers, old magazines, or even a menu paper from some restaurant.
Supplies: Kraft stock paper, your preferred magazine, scissors, piece of fabric, hole puncher, yarn (or ribbon or leather string), eyelets, white acrylic paint or gesso, photos and whatever you want to add to your pages (for example, sequence, buttons, beads, yarn, etc).
In this example, I used a restaurant menu. Blur the typed prints with white gesso.
Then, leave it to air dry, or if you’re in a hurry like me, use a heatgun or hair dryer to blow it dry.
Tear the paper to whatever shape you desire to create the look you want and glue it on the page. Here, I also glued cut-out fabric pieces and hand-sewn a button to add color to my scrapbook page.
In another example, I cut out parts of the pages that I liked from the magazine and glued them to my Kraft stock paper.
To create blotches of white as part of the design, I mixed white acrylic paint with some water to make it slightly runny and let it drip from my brush.
Here I used cut-out round pieces from brown paper bag, topped with yellow fabric to create a flower, and secured it all together using needle and thread.
To add text, I typed out my descriptions (here it’s in Korean) and print it on recycled brown paper.
For the cover of my scrapbook, I recycled my kids’ cereal box. I cut it into the size I want, then I sewed part of an old pair of jeans over it. I hand stitched the red plus-signs across the page, as well as sewed on the little pieces of fabrics and buttons.
I do the same for the back of the scrapbook cover. I snapped on the eyelets for a cleaner look where I hole-punched, then tied the covers and pages together with red leather strings (or you can use yarn or ribbon). Ta-da! Done!
Well, hopefully I have inspired you to use whatever you have at hand to make a beautiful creation today. You don’t have to spend a whole lot of money to make your own unique scrapbook that you can pass on to your kids one day. Thank you for visiting my blog! 🙂
Minki
I agree with Susan. The book is darling (love the menu!) but I would make sure I had additional copies of the photos I used. I learned the hard way that Elmer’s glue and materials that are not acid and lignin free are the death knell for photographs!
Hi Tina, Thanks for the comment. I will keep that in mind. 🙂
Your pages are delightful, but one factor that you are not taking into consideration is that you are not using archival quality materials. You may not care, but I know that I want my scrap booking, which is mostly about ny daughter, to be preserved at least long enough for her to share with her children, and through out her life span.
Hi, Susan!
Thanks for the tip. that will save my scrapbooking pages from now on. xo
Hello. Thanks for your ideas .I try to free stitch after found your blog. Now the album will do. Sorry for my English. I am Ukrainian. ))
Hi, Nastya.
Thank you so much for your comment. I am pleased to hear that my idea inspired you a bit. As I am a Korean, English is hard for me too. Have a good weekend! 🙂
Your work is always inspirational. What a lovely example of recycling. Awesome!
hi you. It is always good to talk to you. have a wonderful day today!!
Love this! I’m working on a scrapbook for a vacation right now, so this is very inspirational. Thanks!
Hi TracyRay. Thank you for your comment and I am so glad to hear that. Happy scrapbooking!
Hi there,
I have discovered your blog since a little while & you are simply amazing 😉
You’re great with fabrics & you’re also great with papers, I love your creations.
Thanks for sharing.
(Hope my English is Ok, as I am French)
Edith.
Hi Edith,
It was such a joyful comment that I enjoyed reading over and over. Thank you so much for finding me and being my regular guest. 🙂 English is hard for me too since I am a Korean. 🙂 your English is good enough.
This message is super cute of you.
Thanks.