paper bag project

Below are the stages to creating a sturdy little album out of 4.5 x 4.5 coloured paper bags...I only needed 3 bags to create a 10 sided album.











1.I pre cut some bright blue card cut to fit the pages at 4.5 x 4.5 then some themed cardstock to use on pages.I often change my mind about colours and how to co-ordinate them but this is a good starting point.With these coloured bags you could cut cardstock slightly smaller 4 x 4 " for example as the bags are great colours for a border.













I gather my favourite stamps and die cuts and embellishments to decorate my on pages and the pannels i create later to slot into the paper bag inners and page inserts and pockets.



2.With small projects like this it is really enjoyable to just create and let your inspiration guide you! However, pages with square photo mounts and little photo holders are simple and lovely to add to pages i like to alternate them with ribbon and tag embellished photo mount space.



















3.I created the front cover first and used it to inspire the choice of colours and embellis throughout the book.Different sorts of inks can create some lovely effects.Stazon ink is great for stamping onto hard surfaces it dries really quickly...so less smudges(i used it on the brad for flower centre)Chalks or old pigment inks are great for inking the edges of cardstock they soften and create a lovely vintaged finish.I'd be lost without my embossong pens (i picked them up quite inexpensively) and they are great if you like to use parts of larger stamps.Embossing with clear powders can be effective and pearlised/glitter powders or the more rugged (Tim Holz)type can be used creatively to get a variety of lovely finishes.I used some Tim Holtz distress powders for my trees and sentiments on the photo mounts, and clear for my block text to the inner page of the cover.
















4.Here are the pages completed onto the 4.5 x 4.5 cardstock.It is a good idea to get most of them together before adhering them to the actual paper bags.Once adhered biding the album is your choice i love to bind with ribbon and fibres they look lovely so I measure and carefully hand punch the holes! book rings are also great and the bind it all tool gives a neat bound finish.I've tried to show how i bind the fibres into the ribbon here.