Photo albums make wonderful holiday gifts. They are cheap and easy to make, and they also provide the everlasting gift of memories.
Today I want to share with you a step-by-step guide on how to make a photo album for a loved one, what to include, and some more cool ideas to make it a thoughtful and personal gift that they’ll never forget.
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Gather Your Supplies
A photo album.
I recommend using a mini binder with an overlay because it gives you way more room for creativity and personalization since you can design a custom cover for it. You could also go for a store-bought album if you’d like. I used this mini binder from UniKeep.
Photo page protectors.
There are a few size options for photo protectors. You could go with wallet size, 8×10, 4×6, 5×7 and more. I chose 5×7; it’s a good size, the photos aren’t too small to see, and they fit perfectly in these mini page protectors.
A cover insert.
Whatever the size of your binder is, you’ll want to find out the measurements of the back, spine, and cover. Check out this handy chart for sheet sizes if you’re using a standard-size 3 ring binder. For mini A5 binders like the one pictured, I just used this template off of the same site I bought the binder from.
Your photos.
Print off your photos however you’d like. I got mine printed from CVS in about 30 minutes. If your photos are really old, and you’d like to preserve them in a digital format, you can use such as found here: https://everpresent.com/
Other embellishments.
You can include things other than photos in the album for more of a personal touch. Letters and notes are always a good option. If you are creatively inclined, try adding some stickers or 3D embellishments for a scrapbook-esque result.
Design Your Cover
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For a handmade look, you can design your own cover by hand using pens, markers, stamps, stickers, etc.
For a professional look, you can digitally design the cover with text and photos and print it out to slide under the overlay of the binder. Since I’m not too artistic, this is the option I went for.
I designed the cover using Pixlr Editor. You can also use Gimp, Canva, Photoshop, or whatever other design software you like. I printed the cover on a larger sheet of paper so I could trim it down to the exact size I wanted. I think it turned out super cute!
Insert The Photos
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Once your cover is securely inside the binder overlay, you’ll want to insert the photos. I’ve found the best way to do this is to load the page protectors before you put them inside the binder.
While you are loading, be very careful! Patience is key here. If you rush, you run the risk of bending the photographs.
Don’t forget that order matters! My album has photographs of my friend’s baby Sophie. I began with the youngest photos of her and worked my way up to the most recent photos. You want to consider what makes the most sense when the album is opened up and flipped through.
For example, if you are making a photo album for a friend’s wedding, I would start with photos from the beginning of the big day. Group the photos of the Bridesmaid’s and Groomsmen together, maybe have a section solely of the wedding decor and finish it off with the ceremony and the couple.
Wrap The Album
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I actually had more trouble than I expected to figure out how to wrap this present. The UniKeep binder is, in itself, a gift box. First I considered putting it in a box and wrapping that, but it seemed counterintuitive. I could have gone for a gift bag and tissue paper, but I wanted a more compact and cute presentation. So I just wrapped the binder up itself with nothing else.
And there we have it! A cute, personal handmade gift. I can’t wait to gift it to my friend this year. I know it will be a huge hit.
If you decide to create one of these as well, share this post along with some photos, and tips and tricks if you have some. I would love to see what creative ways you can find to turn a normal photo album into something unique and thoughtful.
Happy Holidays!
