How to Make a Scrapbook Using Things at Home

Make scrapbooks with household items.

Make an eco-friendly scrapbook with recycled materials rather than spending money on new supplies. After all, the earliest scrapbooks were made from items that people already had. If you don't have a scrapbook, and you want to start scrapbooking, you don't need fancy supplies---you can make one with items you have around the house. It's also a great lesson for kids about reducing consumer waste to help the environment.

Things You'll Need

• Empty cereal boxes
• Scissors
• Paper (any kind you already have in the house)
• Hole punch
• Ribbon or yarn
• Colored pencils, markers or pens
• Any decorative craft supplies you have

Instructions

1. Cut the front and back panels off of an empty cereal box with scissors.

2. Hold the panels together, with the glossy sides facing in, toward one another. Place the left side of the panels into the three-hole punch and press down to punch matching holes. These panels will become the front and back covers of your scrapbook.

3. Use any type of paper that you have to cover the cereal box print on the insides of the covers. Glue one sheet to each panel on the glossy sides. These will become the front and back covers of your scrapbook.

4. Gather together as many sheets of paper as you want to use for the pages inside your scrapbook. Place them, in a stack, into the three-hole punch and press down to create matching holes in them.

5. Place one of your cardboard panels, paper-covered side up, on your work surface. Put your stack of paper on top of it, with the holes in the paper lined up with the holes in the panel. Lay the second cardboard panel, paper-covered side down, on top with the holes also matching.

6. Cut three sections of ribbon, yarn or twine and tie one through each hole in your book. This will bind it together.

7. Add your photos to the pages and decorate the cover and inside with any decorative craft materials you have at home. Use things like stickers, glitter or even bits of fabric to decorate the scrapbook.

References

• Squidoo: Recycled Scrapbooks