Let Them Judge Your Album By Its Cover: How to Make Your Own Photo Album
There are lots of photo album options on the market, but if you want something extra-special, you might consider making your own photo album. There's nothing complex about it - and making your own album allows you the freedom to create the type of book you want so that your memories are displayed in an extra-special way.
Creating the book
There are all sorts of ways to create a photo album, but you'll need to start with the book itself. If you're really crafty, learning basic bookbinding can allow you to create a real book with hand-sewn pages and a bound cover. If that's a little too much for you, you can still create your own photo album by using a basic blank book. Check your local art store for ideas. Consider things like extra-large sketchbooks, with sturdy covers that will keep your photos safe. Make sure that any book you choose is archival-safe and has acid-free pages, meaning the paper won't degrade the photos. Just about any book designed for drawing or painting should suffice.
Designing the cover
Once you've chosen or created the book itself, you can design a cover for your photo album. This is where you can really have some fun. If you're creating a themed photo album, design the cover based on the photos you'll be placing inside. If the book is for wedding photos, use lace and sequins for the cover, and personalize it with the names of the bride and groom. If the photo album will be holding photos of a child, get the child involved in designing the cover by letting them put tempera-paint handprints all over the front.
Decorating the pages
It's up to you whether you want to decorate the pages of your photo album. If you're using a fairly large book, you should have room around the borders of the pages to add decorations such as stickers or small drawings. The key here is to take your time on each page, so that the designs you create will be a beautiful border for the images you place inside. Make sure that the decorations won't interfere with the placement of the photos... other than that, use your imagination. You may also want to get the photos out and start deciding where they'll be put on the pages, so you can decorate around them appropriately.
Adding the photos to the album
Now that you have a beautifully decorated photo album, it's time to add the photos. Purchase some photo corners from an art supply store. That will make it easy to add the photos to the book's pages, and it's also the safest way to store photos. If you'd like to add other souvenir items such as postcards, menus or ticket stubs, intersperse them with the photos for an artistic effect.
And there you have it. You've just created a totally personalized, custom photo album that you can enjoy for years. It also makes a fantastic gift for special occasions. Simple, fun, and crafty!
