How to make DIY scrapbook album cover

Has your scrapbook project ever needed its own custom size album? Maybe you’re frustrated looking for a hardcover album for your Traveler’s Notebook layouts. Or you’re like me and can’t wait a whole month for your international shipping to arrive. Because you know, your local stores don’t offer scrapbook albums (that’s me!).

The best thing you can do is to make your own album. But how?

Are you in the same situation as me?

If so, don’t worry. Today’s article will help both you and me!

Team member Cristina Sales will show us how to make a hard cover album at home with a chipboard and some patterned papers.

It’s pretty easy and can be very cheap than store-bought ones. I don’t even mention the unlimited possibilities of customizing the cover and the lining.

I’ll leave you with her tutorial. And below I’ll provide you the measurement of the album and some customization tips for your DIY album.

What you’ll need

Two pieces of chipboard in 11.5 X 15 cm (4.5 X 6 inch) for front and back
One piece of chipboard in 4 X 15 cm (1.5 X 6 inch) for the spine
Two pieces of wallpaper or patterned paper to cover the inside and the outside
Some elastic thread if you want to use your album like a TN cover. Here’s a tutorial if you need help with the string holes.
Liquid glue
Scissors and a ruler

Customize it further

You can use faux leather, felt or fabric for the outside of your album. And line it with a patterned paper on the inside. If you’re going to use a fabric, it would be better to cover the outside first with a plain card-stock paper because fabric by itself won’t be able to hold the cover together.

In the tutorial Cristina cuts the papers right along the cover edges but you can also fold the excess paper to inside and glue the inner lining paper on top of it if you want smooth edges.

You can also change the strings with a binder mechanism, especially if you want to use page protectors. Mechanisms can be found separately on Aliexpress. I’ve ordered these for myself to make some custom albums. I’ll write my opinion on those once they arrive. The good thing about these binders so far is that there are different sizes as well as different colors to match your style.

Did you noticed the little window Cristina made on the front? Talk about the creativity! Cut out different shapes on the front side and embellish it to your liking.

Last but not least, you can attach a label pull frame on the spine if you like to name your album.

Here’re some closeups from the inner pages of this album. Cristina used All is Bright, Joy, Firewood & Frost and White Christmas collections in this project.