What do birthdays, weddings and baby showers all have in common?
In a word: Gifts.
The art of giving a good gift is simple. The key is personalization, and you can never go wrong with a customized photo album. Turns out it's fairly inexpensive to create a one-of-a-kind gift scrapbook. All you need is a store-bought album and stickers.
If the scrapbook you select has a cardstock cover, it's easy to cut a window in the front. Decorate the first page with vellum stickers that can be seen through the window opening of the book cover, making it seem as if the album cover is decorated to match the theme of the book. You can substitute a photo for the stickers if you have one handy for a personal touch.
Set the theme of the book with graduated pages and floral sticker tabs. Trimming down the first few pages in graduated lengths creates a good-looking format for a title page and introductory pages to introduce the reader to the book. Designing the first three or four pages establishes the theme of the book and makes it easy for the gift recipient to complete the book on her own.
Decorate each of the trimmed pages with vellum floral stickers that overlap the outside edge. It's simple to change the theme by changing the stickers. However, make sure that the sticker designs are either symmetrical or have the mirror-image sticker on the sheet. The stickers fall off the edge and are backed with the mirror-image sticker behind, creating tabbed pages that look like a beautiful bouquet when the pages are closed.
For extra personalization, include shower invitations, birth announcements or birthday cards in the book. If the original is too large, make a reduced color photocopy to fit on the page. Alphabet stickers provide a simple solution to convey the greeting and the recipient's name.
Finally, create a pocket for the last page in the book. The pocket is cut from coordinating paper and attached to the page along the bottom and outside edge with foam adhesive. Fill the pocket with extra stickers, making it easy for the book's new owner to complete the album once her photos have been printed. When the stickers are gone, the pocket is perfect for storing souvenirs from the special event.
Most people would love a special book to remember a special event, but don't know how to begin. Personalizing the first few pages of a store-bought scrapbook with a little trimming and some well-placed stickers are sure to jump-start the creative juices of any new mom, bride or birthday girl.
Sandi Genovese hosts "Scrapbooking" on the DIY Network. For more information visit www.diynet.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.