Hi crafty friends. It’s Kristine and I’m back today with one last project featuring the beautiful Magic Love collection by Prima Marketing. I will be showing you how I decorated a pre-made album, and the one I used is also made by Prima. Handmade mini albums are my absolute favorite craft project and I don’t normally use pre-made albums. However, I have an idea and I want to share it with all of you today. Like any double-sided papers, it is often difficult to choose which side to use in a project. If you’re anything like me, you hate to cover such beautiful paper. In this project, I have a solution! Read on to see what I’ve come up with.
What is a Pre-Made Album?
If you’re new to the world of mini albums, or just don’t want to make the base album, then pre-made albums are for you! They are made by several companies including Prima and Graphic 45, both of which are sold at FotoBella. They come in several different sizes and types. Prima’s pre-made albums feature thick chipboard pages whereas Graphic 45’s albums feature cardstock pages with pockets, flaps, and tags.
There are both pros and cons of these albums. For example, you may prefer not having to take the time to create the base pages, which saves you time for decorating and enjoying the book. However, you will not be able to customize the size of your book. Second, the book is already assembled so you have to be careful of the bulk between the pages. However, if you are careful about embellishments and add-ons, you will be fine. Finally, the pages in these albums do not turn the same as a handmade album. This can be a pro or con, depending on your personal preference.
Decorating with Double Sided Papers
Double sided papers can sometimes be difficult to use simply because both sides are so pretty! It can be a struggle to decide which side to use and which side to hide. My solution to this problem is to use both sides! Instead of using cardstock to create my flaps and pockets, I will be using a decorative border punch on my double sided papers to decorate my pre-made album pages. The advantage of this is two fold: both sides of the paper will show, and it adds less bulk to the album pages.
TIP: when scoring the tabs for the flaps, score and fold so that the tab is on the top of the page rather than tucked under. This will allow for less bulk, but also the flaps will lay flat without having to use magnets or tabs to hold them closed.
Once you have flaps and pockets on the pre-made album pages, add some embellishments using the chipboard stickers, wooden stickers, trim, flowers, and ephemera. These full extras are perfectly coordinated and make it easy to decorate an album.
The pre-made album does offer ease of use to the crafter new to making albums this way! I hope you will head over to the FotoBella online store and pick up one for yourself today.
Happy crafting!
~Kristine, FotoBella Design Team
