The next step is to make the inside covers. Cut 2 pieces of poster board approximately 1/8-inch smaller (on all sides) than the inside covers of the photo album. Make sure to lay them in the photo album after you cut them to make sure they're the right size. You want to make sure the album can still open and close easily when they're in place. Cut 2 pieces of fabric to be 1/2-inch bigger (on all sides) than the pieces of poster board. Using spray adhesive, glue each piece of poster board to a square of fabric. Fold over the remaining 1/2 inch of fabric on the top, bottom, and sides, and glue to the back of the poster board. You should now have completed inside covers with no exposed fabric edges. Using spray adhesive, glue the inside covers into the inside front and inside back of the photo album, again making sure the album can open and close easily. You're done! Now you can add the pages for the photos.
For Mother's Day, however, I found some mini photo albums on sale 2 for $3. They hold up to 4 x 6 photos. I'm going to find a photo to cut down a bit to fit on the front cover, one for my family, and one for my husband's. If I get in a bind for time I will try to find some fabric on sale (should only require approximately 1/2 yard each for the small albums). If I have time I'll do a little yard sale shopping and try to pick up some fabric that way. If you sew or do many crafts, you may already have some fabric on hand. It's also a good idea to stock up on different sized albums when they're on sale. Keep on the lookout for extra trimmings on sale and at yard sales. Don't forget the unconventional, like sequins and buttons. These thoughtful albums make great gifts for all occasions.
Would you like to personalize your quilts by adding a printed label or a photo? Do you like to make your own fabric foundations, such as Inklingo? Do you need just a little bit more of that long out of print fabric? It's easy to make it yourself using your home computer and ink jet printer. (A laser printer cannot be used with the techniques shown on these pages because it gets too hot.)
The first is Iron-on Transfer Paper . You print on these, then iron the resulting transfer onto fabric. Results tend to be a bit stiff. Choose photos that are clear and the background not too dark. Attach them to a piece of typing paper and have a color photocopier copy the pictures onto the paper. Use color no matter if the pictures are in color or in black and white. Copy them in reverse so any written images will come out in the right direction when they are ironed onto the material. Use a high thread count white cotton muslin. DO NOT PREWASH THE FABRIC!!! It will make a big difference in the quality of the final image. Finally, iron the image onto the muslin using a steam free iron and a strong arm. Refer to the package for more directions.
