Dare to Make It: Holiday

How to Make a Custom Photo Album

comments (3) October 16th, 2008

Lee Meredith, contributor

4 users recommend

A plain 4x6 photo album becomes something really special with some simple sewing and creative embellishment.

Abstract appliqué with scraps of recycled T-shirt fabric can make a really cool look.

If you find a T-shirt with graphics or text that match the subject of the album, you dont even need to worry about embellishment!

A plain 4x6 photo album becomes something really special with some simple sewing and creative embellishment.

Photo: Lee Meredith

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Being a life-long photographer, I have a special love for photos and the bookshelves full of albums to prove it! I think a photo album (or scrapbook) filled with memories is a fantastic gift, but you can't just put them into a boring store-bought album, oh no! If the album itself is a beautiful, handmade, personalized part of the gift, the whole book will be so much more special. So, in continuing with my recycled-crafting theme I just can't seem to break away from, I'm here to show you how to use old or thrifted T-shirts to make a custom album cover.

You'll need:

Photo album of your choice with a hard cover (I recommend no larger than two photos per page)
Multiple T-shirts of different colors or one T-shirt with a graphic that will become the album cover
Scissors
Sewing machine or needle and thread
Optional embroidery floss or other embellishment materials of your choice
Photos to fill the album
Optional nonphoto items for inside the album (ticket stubs, postcards, etc.)

Open up the album, and cut T-shirt pieces so that when placed together the fabric height is about an inch more than the album and the width is a little less than twice the album. Imagine that this strip of T-shirt pieces is divided into four equal segments. The two end segments will be on the inside covers of the album, while the third segment over from the left will be the cover. So, if you are using a T-shirt with a graphic that you want on the cover, the graphic should be positioned in that third segment over. This will all make more sense as you scroll down to the next steps . . .

I like to use hemmed edges of T-shirts for the two sides for a clean look on the inside covers.

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posted in: embroidery, recycle, scrapbook, t-shirt, embellish, photos, album

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Comments (3)

Eternal_Clouds writes: thats cool love the idea
Posted: 10:24 am on March 8th

granitatogo writes: you are a woman after my heart! I can't wait to start! I have big manila envelopes with stuff from my vacations, just waiting for such a good idea!
And I know how I'm going to decorate the photo album for the photos I'll give my mom for Christmas this year! Your directions are very easy to follow.
Posted: 8:10 am on October 31st