These days when our plans can be summed up as being at home, the best thing we can do is take advantage of them to make all those things we always let go of due to lack of time. And one of them is to finally give shape to that photo album that we never got to do. Is there anything better than memories? Computers can break down, mobiles can be lost, but albums last a lifetime. Don’t put it off and get on with it.
Step by step homemade photo album
Although we can always buy an album, doing it with our own hands will make it more charming and much more special. How to do it? We´ll tell you everything you need:
Materials for a homemade photo album
- Cardboard
- Carton
- Ropes, ties or rings
- Colored sheets or pretty papers (printed papers, for wrapping gifts…)
- Stickers to decorate
- Pens or markers
- Scissors or cutter
- White glue for paper and cardboard
- And most importantly: photos
How to do it step by step
1. To bind
- For the covers we need cardboard (any you have at home from a box is worth). We make two cuts of 20×15 cm (or the size you prefer, if you like it bigger, just add centimeters).
- To cover the cardboard you can choose to line it with some colored cardboard or with some nice printed paper (even with a fabric to make it even more special). The size? 2 cm bigger on each side. In this case it would be the following: 24×19 cm.
- For the covers (the back cover), we must cut two pieces of cardboard 0.5 cm smaller on each side. In this album it would be: 19×14 cm.
- Once we get this, let’s go get the inside pages. For this we need 6 sheets of 38×14 cm cardboard folded in half. We like them in light colors (beige, ecru, gray…) so as not to steal the prominence of the photos, but you can choose the color you want.
- When we have all the materials cut, it’s time to glue. We have to start with the outer cards of the covers. This step has to be done carefully and evenly trying not to form bubbles; to do this, go over each part of the surface with force so that everything is well glued (remember to do it with kitchen paper as direct contact with your hands can make it dirty).
- After that, it’s time to make the holes in the covers and inside pages. The best way to do this is with a special binding machine (if we have children at home, we will surely have a machine to make the holes in the school pages). To make this photo album (20×15 cm) it is necessary to make 7 holes (leaving 1.5 cm of margin at the ends).
- Finally, all the pages and covers must be joined together with string, ribbons or rings, whichever you like best.
2. To put the photos
Once the binding is finished, we have done the hard part! Now it’s time to place the photos in chronological order. We love them in Polaroid format because it gives them a more vintage touch. If you also like this type of photo, there are many apps such as Cheerz to print them this way. Of course, the most common format is always valid and it looks great too.
Our recommendation? Write next to each photo (or on each page) with a pen or marker the date and place you took it, along with some nice detail of that moment; you’ll love to remember it again every time you open the album.
3. To decorate
And the last step, decorate it! This is a step that, if you think less is more, you can skip. But if you like to fill everything with details, this is your moment to give rein to your imagination! Are you looking for ideas? You can put up stickers that match the moment in the photo, or you can include all sorts of things that are meaningful to you and relate to the snapshots (a movie ticket, a plane ticket…).
Now that you know how to make a homemade photo album you just have to look for a little while to do it. And don’t forget that if you are looking for more ideas for these days at home, in our blog we give you several proposals such as, for example, making a home garden or renovating your house inspired by the best Instagram decoration profiles.
