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How to Make a Custom Photo Album

comments (3) October 16th, 2008     

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leethal Lee Meredith, contributor
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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.

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

Photo: Lee Meredith
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Now sew all those pieces together to make your strip whole, with right sides facing. If you want to make a more interesting design, such as with diagonal lines or triangle shapes, you can make the strip too tall, leaving the top and bottom messy and uneven, and later cutting it straight across after the strip is sewn.


 Use a zigzag stitch so the fabric can stretch; if sewing by hand, use a stitch that will allow for stretch.

If you want to do appliqué on your cover, this is the time to do it! Hand embroidery is pretty easy to add after the cover is finished, but any kind of embellishing that's best done with the fabric flattened out like this should be done now. Other ideas ideas you can try are decorative machine topstitching, freezer paper printing, linocut printing, and reverse appliqué.


 Remember which segments of the strip will be visible when doing your embellishments—you wouldn't want all your work to end up on the inside flap!

When you're ready to finish sewing the cover together, try it on the album to see where the flaps should go. For a good-looking cover, the fabric should be stretched. Try to judge the positioning with the album opened so that when the cover is on and the album closes, the cover will stretch.


 My example ended up fitting perfectly with the flaps all the way to the center.

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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
pinsandneedles writes: That is very clever! Thanks for sharing!
Posted: 8:59 am on October 16th
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