Mini Album Tutorial

Time for another mini album. If I didn't take so many photos, I wouldn't need to make so many separate mini albums, but I can't help it. With a digital camera, I snap like crazy and tell myself I'll delete later, but I seem to keep most of them, anyway. Kids are so cute, how can you 'can' a picture of your own kiddo?

Plus, I like the change of pace, so mini albums are great for me. 

 This one was made using photos of Miss Gracie back when she was about 8 months old, just before she started walking. I think my mom and I were both taking pictures, so there were plenty to choose from. 

Fall on the Farm

Since I've done so many lately, I'm doing a quick tutorial on making your minis look cohesive. All of the pictures are usually focused on one topic, so it's nice to have the pages look like they 'go' together, as well. Here's a few tips to make sure your albums look polished.

Step one:

 Start with a set of papers and embellishments that go together. They don't have to be from the same line, but they should utilize similar colours and themes. Most of these papers are from one line by October Afternoon, but I added in a few extra papers from American Crafts and Creative Imaginations. The embellishments are from a number of different companies, but are in the same colour family and are simple, light-hearted, and autumnal, like the papers. 

Step two:

Ground every page with a commonality. I used kraft cardstock as a  background on all of my pages. Some have a pattern, and some are plain, but they all have a kraft border. 

Step three:

Either keep one layout as the basis for your design or keep aspects of your design the same. For this mini, I didn't use one sketch to draw from, as I did here, but I did focus on leaving a similar amount of white space on each page. I used 1-3 photos per page, and varied the sizes so that they would each take roughly the same amount of space. I also kept the embellishments simple, so the focus stayed on the photos. 

 Step four:

Repeat elements as much as you can. You don't have to do the exact same thing with every page, but as you look through, you'll notice I use twine on nearly every page. I also use a lot of ruffles, either made with tissue paper, paper or ribbons. Sometimes, the ruffles have been twisted into flowers, but they're there. 

 Step five:

Add personal touches. Don't be afraid to introduce something new to a page, or vary the design. While you want your book to be unified, you want your personality to show, as well. 

 Hopefully these steps will help ensure that when you flip through your next mini album, you have a beautiful keepsake.

I'll share the rest of this mini album tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!