Here’s a handy scrapbook for all those paper mementos we tend to collect from our various vacations. Ticket stubs, maps, pamphlets, napkins, and the occasional photo are items that fit nicely inside this soft cover book.
Of course, it all starts with a brown paper bag. Well, considering my vast collection of brown paper bags, it was either that or a cereal box, my other “go to” material. (Yes, I use a cereal box later on; I am really cheap about buying stuff.)
Materials
1 Brown paper bag with handles
Front and back panels of a cereal box
Maps, tickets, pamphlets, and other mementos from a recent vacation
Glue
1 Velcro tab
Tools
Pair of Scissors
Bone Folder
Brush
1. Cut the bag from the side, all the way to the bottom. Try to undo the rest of the bag from glued seams at the bottom. Lay bag flat on your worktable so the printed side (if there is a printed side) faces up.
2. Flip the bag over. Glue down the cereal boxes, one panel on each side, so the top edges are flush with the bag.
3. Fold the bottom of the bag over so that the bottom edges are flush to the top. Make sure the bottom crease is tight by running a bone folder over it. Add glue in between the layers of brown paper bag and run a bone folder over the top layer to remove any air pockets.
4. Following the natural fold of the bag, re-fold middle vertical fold. Align the metal ruler to the left side of the vertical fold. Create a vertical score line by running the tip of the bone folder against the left edge of the metal ruler. Repeat on the right side of the vertical fold so that you have a scored line on the right. Remove the ruler and fold the bag along the two newly scored vertical lines. This creates an accordion in what will become the spine of the book cover.
5. Following the natural folds of the bag, re-fold the left and right outermost sides in to form flaps. Along the left vertical fold, align the metal ruler to the left side. Create a vertical score line by running the tip of the bone folder against the left edge of the metal ruler. This flap will be the book closure. Trim off excess bag so that the vertical edge is straight and smooth.
6. At the outer right edge of the right flap, trim off excess bag so that the vertical edge is straight and smooth.
7. You are now ready to add all your travel mementos. Glue tickets and pamphlets to the inside. Attach the maps to the accordion spine by punching holes with a hole puncher and using ribbon to tie each one down. Glue maps and other foldable items to the right flap. As you can see from my example, I’ve included a section plain white paper (100 lb. acid free) in the middle to add photographs later on.
