How to Decorate Scrapbook Album Covers
People adore making scrapbooks because it is a creative way to save your cherished family memories. The cover of your scrapbook is the first thing people will see and it should be stylish as well as beautiful. Decorating your scrapbook to fit your design aesthetic is as easy as adding a monogram or decorative paper to your cover. Monogramming is a simple and elegant way to personalize the cover of your scrapbook. Decorative paper customizes your scrapbook by illustrating your unique style through its design. Decorating your scrapbook cover creates a personalized introduction to your precious family keepsakes.
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Things You'll Need
- Scrapbook
- Letter stencils
- Ruler
- Masking tape
- Matte medium
- 1 inch foam paintbrush
- Acrylic paint
- Scissors
- Decorative paper
- Glue stick
- Bone folder
- Craft knife
- Self-adhesive linen tape
Instructions
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Monogramming A Scrapbook Cover
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Place a letter stencil where you would like your monogram to be on your album cover. Use a ruler to make sure the stencil is straight, and then adhere it to the cover with masking tape.
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Paint the inside of the stencil with the matte medium using the foam paintbrush. This serves as a base coat that will keep the paint from bleeding. Allow matte medium to dry for two minutes. Rinse and dry paintbrush thoroughly.
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3
Fill in stencil again, this time using the paintbrush to apply acrylic paint. Let dry completely and then remove stencil. Repeat the process for any subsequent lettering.
Decorative Paper Scrapbook Cover
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Use a ruler to measure the cover of your scrapbook. Cut out two pieces of decorative paper to fit the album measurements, adding an extra 1/2 inch to all sides.
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Use a glue stick to cover the entire scrapbook cover with a thin layer of glue. Place one piece of your decorative paper on a work surface, patterned side facing down. Center the scrapbook cover on the decorative paper and press lightly to adhere the paper to the glued surface. Flip the cover over and use the bone folder to smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles from the cover of your scrapbook. Allow to dry and then carefully trim away any excess paper with a craft knife. Repeat the process to cover the back of the scrapbook as well.
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Cut a strip of linen tape a little longer than the spine of your scrapbook. Peel off the backing from the linen tape and carefully adhere the tape to the spine of your scrapbook. Depending on the width of you scrapbook, you may need more than one piece of linen tape to completely cover the spine. Repeat until the spine is completely covered. Use a bone folder to smooth out any wrinkles. Trim excess tape with a craft knife.
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Tips & Warnings
Decorate your scrapbook while it is empty to prevent damage to your pages from unexpected spills and drips.
Use stencils to create words or titles for your scrapbook as well as monograms.
Use a color wheel to help pick out contrasting or complimentary colors for your album cover and stenciling.
Create color photocopies of pictures or book illustrations to use as a cover to your scrapbook.
References
- Photo Credit empty photograph album image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
