How to Customize Scrapbook Album Covers

Scrapbooking is a creative way to preserve photographs and memories. But there is no reason to hide your artistic endeavors inside the pages; you can also customize the scrapbook album covers. While paper-covered albums are easy to customize with the same methods you use to make your scrapbook pages, fabric albums may seem more complicated. You can customize your fabric albums with the help of your computer, using iron transfers of photographs that complement the theme of your album.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Stencils
• Acrylic paint
• Brushes
• Transfer paper
• Inkjet printer
• Scissors
• Iron

How to Customize Scrapbook Album Covers

1. Choose a picture or image that you would like to appear on the cover of your album. Adjust the image size in your editing software so that it will fit on your cover.

2. Set the image to mirror or reverse in your printer options and print onto the transfer paper.

3. Cut the excess paper from around your image and lay it, image-side down, on your album cover.

4. Heat the iron to high heat and iron the image onto the cover. Keep the iron moving and heat each part of the transfer for 30 seconds.

5. Peel up one corner of the transfer to see if it has completed transferring to the album cover. If not, iron again for 30 seconds. If it has, peel the paper off.

6. Lay the stencil onto the part of the album cover where you want to add embellishments. Overlap the stencils onto parts of the picture if desired.

7. Using your brush, dab the paint onto the stencil. Mix the paint with water for a more faded look or use without water for bolder colors.

Tips & Warnings

• Fasten buttons, charms or other embellishments with craft glue to further decorate your cover. Transfer paper works best on light-colored fabric albums.
• Remove any plastic sleeves from the album before ironing to avoid melting them.

References

• Information on Using Transfer Paper