It is so easy for our most treasured moments to stay on our phones and our hard drives. Ever wonder how you can archive your memories in a way that looks and feels like 2022 (and not like your scrapbooks from ten years ago)? Keep reading to learn how to make a scrapbook easy to keep up with and have a new relaxing creative outlet.
Making Memory Keeping Modern
My preteens were the height of the scrapbooking era. I’ll admit to spending all my extra money on We Are Memory Keepers magazines and dollar store stickers. And I can’t forget the rubberstamps and inkpads, chalk, brads, and more! I credit scrapbooking with teaching me SO much about design…typography, hierarchy, contrast, and more.
If you’ve swooned over Artifact Uprising‘s photo albums (I definitely have!), this new Gilded Stork modern memory-keeping series is for you! Armed with a Cricut, free SVG designs for your pages, and a hand-bound scrapbook with this easy binding tutorial, your photo albums will look as swoon-worthy, if not more, than the trendiest boutique ones.
Materials you will need to make your scrapbook:
Illustration board
Double-sided tape
White glue
Linen or other fabric
Duck tape
Double-sided adhesive sheets
Card stock or watercolor paper
Ribbon
How to Make a Scrapbook Easy Binding Tutorial
Cutting your 10×10 inch scrapbook covers
Begin by cutting your illustration board to be exactly 10×9 7/8 inches.
Next, cut 1 inch off the shorter width of this board. When the 1 inch piece is placed an 1/8 away from the larger piece, you will have a square that is perfectly 10 by 10 inches, as shown above.
Creating the Hinge of Your Scrapbook Cover
To secure the 1 inch piece and create a hinge, place double-sided tape along the open gap or “seam”. Repeat along the backside of your scrapbook’s cover as well. This will firmly secure the two pieces together but allow for a bend, creating a hinge.
Prepping Your Cover for the Linen Wrap
Begin by cutting a piece of fabric to be approximately 12×13 inches. Iron your fabric until it is smooth with no creases.
Along the inside edges of your scrapbook cover, place double-sided tape as shown above.
Next, cover the outer side of your illustration board with a thin layer of white glue (the side without double-sided tape on each edge). You want to be sure that the entire board is covered in white glue, to do this, lift a d tilt your board to a light source. You will be able to see where there is shine (glue) and where there is no shine (where glue is needed).
Work quickly so that the glue does not dry.
Before adhering the linen wrap, remove the plastic off of the double-sided tape on the outer spine.
Wrapping your scrapbook cover with Linen
Firmly place the glue-covered side down onto your linen. Place it so that there is approximately 1 inch on either side, but 2 inches of excess fabric to the edge where the scrapbook’s spine/hinge is.
Flip the cover over so that the fabric side is touching your work surface.
Next, remove the plastic from your double-sided tape on the top and bottom of the inner cover. Stretch your fabric up over the edge and smooth it down onto the tape.
Following the above steps will ensure a cover that has no air pockets and clean edges, as shown above.
Continuing on, remove the double-sided tap plastic from the inner spine and right edge. Again, stretch your fabric up over the edge and smooth it down onto the tape.
Fold the edges in and secure with duck tape. You may find it helpful to cut out some of the excess fabric to create as thin/less bulky a fold as possible.
Next, to secure the fabric edges smoothly to the inside of your cover, use duck tape along each edge. Be sure to stay within the crease of the hinge, about 1.5 inches away from the cover’s edge.
Making the Scrapbook End Papers
End papers are the inside papers that are pasted over the ducktape and create a professional feel. To make them, cut from your card stock or water-color (feel free to get creative with using patterned cardstock!) paper a piece that is 8.5×9.5 inches.
Line the card stock with a double-sided adhesive sheet and secure it neatly over the duck tape, while not going over the cover’s hinge.
Repeat the above process for your second cover, to create a front and back cover.
Binding Your Scrapbook to Allow for Removable Pages
Use a screw punch to make holes 2.5 inches apart from one another centered along the 1-inch spine.
Thread ribbon through the holes and tie with a bow. These ribbons can be removed and re-tied as you add your scrapbook’s pages.
Scrapbook Page Inserts
Grab these modern free Cricut scrapbook layouts (downloadable SVG designs) to insert into your hand bound scrapbook here.
