Step by Step Paper Bag Album Tutorial by Shell Carman

Hello everyone!  We have a real treat for you today!  Design Team member Shell Carman has prepared a step by step tutorial for creating this gorgeous paper bag album!

These are the front and back covers.  Scroll down for step by step instructions followed by photos of the completed inner pages.

Here's Shell...

Hi There!

Today I am going to go through step by step on how to make a paperbag album. I have used the September LE kit to decorate my album. Prima Romance Novel is perfect for mini albums as the papers have so many cut outs but you can use any papers you like!

*** If you are using the September LE kit to decorate Put aside X1 sheet of Dear John, Bookplate & Time Travel. We will use the sheets for tags & decoration

You will need X 7 paperbags approx 13inchX7inch. I have used regular brown paperbags but you can used coloured or patterened bags to

1. Stick down the flaps of X4 bags

2. Take 2 of those bags & fold the flap over & score

3. Stick adhesive tape on top of 1 flap

4. Stick the 2 flaps together

You now have big pocket page, little flap page, big pocket page

5. Repeat this process again with 2 more bags. You will now have 2 pairs of bags as shown in the above photo

6. Take #1 pair of bags. Cover the top with paper 7inchX8.5inch ( 4.5 inches from the left hand side will not be seen)

7. Take 1 single bag. Stick down the flap as per step 1. Decorate the flap 4.25inchX7inch

8. Flip the single bag over. Place tape on reverse side of flape on 3 sides only. This is so this flap forms a pocket

9.  Take # 1 pair of bags. Stick down single bag on left hand side. This now forms your front cover,pocket,page/flap,page

10. Cover the back page of the section you have been working on. 7inchX8.5inch (4.5inches from right side will not be seen

11. Take another single bag & Repeat Step 7,8,9 . This now forms front cover, pocket, page/flap, page, pocket, page

12. Take the last single bag. Cut off 4.25inch

Fold it in half & score

13. Put single bag to the side. Decorate back page of #1 pair of bags (which has been added to) 7inchX8.5 inch (4.25 inches from right side will not be seen)

14. Take single bag that has been cut again.  Stick paper in 2 seperate patterns on each side of the fold

flip it over & put tape on 3 sides only on the right side & tape all over on the left side

15. Take pair of bag #1Stick the cut single bag (left hand side of fold only - which is the pink section in my photo) onto the right hand side of back page

16. Take pair of bags #2. Stick the right hand side of fold which is the black diamond pattern in my photo onto the left hand side of the first page

17. Cover the front page of your album 7inch X8.25 inch. 2 inches from left hand side will not be seen

18. Cover the back page of your album 7inchX8.5inch. approx 1.5 inch from the right hand side will not be seen

19. Cut a piece of paper 6inchX7inch. Punch a pattern along both 7inch sides. I have done a different punch pattern on each side of mine. This piece is for the spine of the album

20. Flip this piece over. Place some heavy duty tape on each side but NOT in the middle

21.Stick this piece starting on the back page of the album. On the left hand side 1.5 inches in

22. Before sticking the other side down decorate the right hand side with ribbon & lace

23.Flip Album over & continue to stick the spine down

Now your album is fully constructed! Finish decorating as desired. Don't forget to make/cut some tags for the pockets

To make the most of my paper I decorated some of my pages with scraps instead of whole sheets

Here are photos of the completed pages:

I hope you enjoyed making this album! They are a cheap fun way to make mini's & make awesome gifts too!

Cheers

Shell XX