CD Mini-album Project

This past weekend I met with some of my friends to make mini-albums. You know all those free or old or damaged CDs that seem to accumulate? This is a fun way to use them. I also used a Bind-It-All and my Stampin' Up stash, which they hadn't yet seen. We had a great time making the albums and they're so easy! If you'd like to see the results, here are the results.

And if you'd like to have a go at making one, grab a handful (5 or 6) and here are the steps:

1. Mark off 1/2" on one side of each CD, to make one straight piece. This is where you will later attach the Bind-It-All wire. After scoring it with a craft knife at least three times, heat it with a heat gun to soften it up. While it was still warm, use a pair of utility scissors (not small blades!)to cut off the piece.

2. Select some of the CDs to cover with paper and some to paint and/or stamp. If you are covering the CD with paper, do it now. I used a large bottle of inexpensive PVA glue, spread onto the CD with a foam brush. I then attached the paper (just big enough for a CD), then cut the paper around to fit exactly the CD.



3. Use alcohol ink to make a mottled, multicolor look. Remember to do this to the side of the CD that doesn't have writing (use the side of the CD with writing for covering with paper as in step 2).

4. Once you've covered and/or painted all the CDs, bind it with the Bind-It-All wires.

5. After binding it, attach your photos, embellishments, or stamped images. You want to do this last to avoid catching anything in the Bind-It-All.


Now you have a very durable little mini-album. I used Paint Shop Pro v.9 to print my photos, as it has a handy little template for printing mini-photos, but you can also use Photoshop Elements, which has a contact sheet printing facility.

Stampin' Up materials I used: Patterned paper was the Brocade Background (#110091), ribbons were the 1/4 grosgrain in Certainly Celery (#110124) and Very Vanilla (#110042), stamps were from the Unfrogettable (#106624), Happy Hearts (#100319), and more not shown here. For the frog and snail, I stamped those on cardstock (Always Artichoke #110052 and So Sffron #110086), then cut them out. The only non-SU! products I used were the Adirondack Alcohol Inks and the Bind-It-All wires and machine.

The wonderful thing about Stampin' Up is how well everything (ribbons, cardstock, markers, patterned paper, etc.) coordinates. It saves a lot of time hunting through your stash for the right colour when you're in the midst of a project!

In addition to my "Grandma's Brag Book", some other possible themes could include holiday/travel albums, pet albums, tribute albums, favourite flowers, a walk in the woods, a day out, birthday albums, and the list goes on!