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| Start with one square for the pages. |
I've been doing all sorts of scraps books and memory books for years at home, at camps, with scouts, 4-H, and through theater things and am always looking for new ideas and non-traditional memory keeping ideas. I stumbled across this site, that had a number of things I had already seen, done, and even taught, but this
Maze Book was one that inspired me. I used the ideas as a base, changing the size to make it larger and adding my own touches.
Armed with a map (that I cut down and used for the pages), pictures, and a few bits from a recent trip to my cousin's wedding I decided to try one. (I always bring back a collection of things from a trip... pictures, maps, and other little objects, bits, & pieces. In this case confetti from the wedding, shells, and sand that I used part of in a
Memory Jar project from a previous post.)
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| Fold into 16 even squares. |
Supplies:
1 sq. sheet for pages (map in this case)
pictures (I printed them smaller to fit my size needs)
cardboard (for the cover)
assortment paper
stickers & other decorations
embellishments (stick on gems, shells, etc.)
yarn, ribbon, etc.
glue, tape, or other preferred to secure and attach
I cut the map in a square shape, folding it diagonal and cutting off the excess, making sure to include our hotel and the beach where the wedding & reception where held. Then folded it in half twice, both horizontal and vertically to create 16 even squares.
Then cut rows, leaving one square on end attached to fold out as in a one long piece.
Then folded to form a book.
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| Fold |
Cut board (I used cardboard from a box of veggie burgers). I used one piece that was wide enough for the cover and long enough for both covers and the spine. Then cover the board with decorative paper. (I chose something that would go with their wedding colors.)
Attach folded pages to front and back cover. Secure
to covers.
Attach pictures, decorative paper, stickers, labels, to pages. (I used some butterfly and flower stickers that I had on hand that went with them theme.)
Decorate cover. (I included stick on gem flowers, a few tiny seashells, glitter paint, and a picture from the beach. On the back cover is a picture from the trip home.)
Add any attachments for pockets. I attached a piece of yarn to the spine that was linked to a picture attached to board and a small plastic bit of confetti from the reception.
Embellish, decorate, ENJOY! (And using things I brought back with items I recyled or hand on hand, I spent on nothing.)
I starter with cards for my mother and grandmother - a multiple folded card spanning four generations of the women in my family; that included a young pictures of me, my mother, my grandmother, and my great grandmother (entirely maternal lines) with a short poem I wrote. The initial idea from something from Martha Stewart's Family Tree cards. I made one for each my mother and grandmother.
For my mother I wanted to make a non-traditional scrap book type thing. (Last year I made her a mini book full of quotes about mothers and motherhood with a clay rose.) I got inspired when I found a new twist on an envelope scrapbook. Admittedly, I often come across projects that I have already done or taught, but this one gave me a few ideas. (Check out a Flip Flop Envelope Book here.)
I decided to use six envelopes I had on hand left from Christmas cards, figuring one pocket for each one of my mother's five kids and one overall pocket. I looked at using more traditional scrap book paper, but decided against it. I stuffed the pockets with a card inspired from the four generation card above, but created one for each pocket, each one fitting the theme of the pocket. I embellished each card with various pictures takes over the years with poems and quotes about mothers, Mothers Day, and motherhood.
