With the school year rushing to an end,
I thought it would be fun to take a look at a vintage school themed mini album.
I used a new, but retro looking Crayola crayon box for the cover.
To give it extra stability, I added a wooden ruler to the binding.
The title block consits of a piece of notebook paper,
topped with a library card,
topped with a piece of cork paper,
topped with a mini file folder.
Once I fill this album with photos and memories, I'll add the name to the front of the mini file folder.
This is what it looks like when you open it up.
I used two office rings to bind this album.
That gives me the opportunity to switch around pages or add more pages if needed.
Here's the backside of the crayon box.
I added a strip of pattern paper along with
this awesome book "sign out box" (not sure what it's really called).
When my boys were learning to read in elementary school, they came home with small paper books that had these on the first page. After they were done with them, I cut them out to use for projects.
I also turned vintage Dick and Jane images into buttons and added one here.
To do that, I just adhered the image to a piece of chipboard, then used a circle punch to make the button. I finished them off by adding two small "buttonholes."
In keeping with the school theme, I used a lot of office/school items throughout this album.
This page is a file folder that I trimmed down to size.
On the background, I added a piece of handwriting paper that I had crumpled and inked.
The "My Name Is" sticker is only adhered in the bottom outer corner
so that a photo can be added behind it.
On the back of the file folder, I just added a strip of paper from an old dictionary.
Notice the clip at the top: it was a plain black office clip
that I covered with a small piece of vintage book text.
I love how this page turned out.
It's actually an old flashcard attached to a page out of a children's picture dictionary.
I taped the two together, then covered up the tape with a strip of old map.
Here's the backside.
I used a bit of pattern paper to cover where the pages joined.
This next page is actually extra long with a flap folded at the right edge.
I added two stacked floweres that I punched from an old map.
A brass brad holds the two together.
The page opens to allow room for more photos
and shows a strip from another children's dictionary.
I left the backside of it blank.
This page is actually two office envelopes fastened together to make a page.
I placed a bit of adhesive on the back of the smaller envelope and overlapped it on the large.
Then I added the strip of pattern paper to reinforce the page itself.
This flower is punched from a piece of old ledger paper and attached with a brass brad.
I remember using those old brads when I was in elementary school.
Here's the back of that page.
I added an image from an old reading textbook which is cute,
but it also adds stability to the page itself.
The next page is very simple.
It's just part of an old handwriting page with numbers stamped along the outer edge.
I used part of a page from a children's encyclopedia here.
I added a bit of ribbon to the bottom.
Here's the back.
I think these old images add a lot to the vintage feel of the album.
Here I used yet another file folder.
I covered it with a strip of paper from a Dick and Jane book.
In the lower left corner is a pair of star stickers.
I remember getting those in elementary school, too.
For this file folder, I left it the full length, then folded a bit of it to make it two pages.
I left the second page shorter that the first for a little variety.
I used a tiny paper sack for this page.
I got this sack from a gas station. You know how they keep the small ones that hold just one can?
Whenever I go into a gas station, I always ask if I can take one with me:)
This page incorporates some of the pattern papers that I've used on the previous pages.
Notice the silk flower: I used Staz On ink and stamped letters onto it.
The backside is pretty simple with just a strip of pattern paper across the top.
The last page/back cover is part of a manilla envelope cut to size.
I used a random letter stamp along the edge to try to keep it in the school theme.
I happened across this awesome vintage stamp in my collection.
I thought it was the perfect end to this album!
It's been awhile since I put this book together,
but it was so much fun going through it again looking at all the details.
I think I'll use it to document some of my mom's memories- either from her school years
or from when she was a teacher.
Thanks for stopping by and God bless.
Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Cor. 15:58
