Mini baby album + matching baby shower invitation

My good friend was recently pregnant with her second child, so I saw this as an opportunity to coax her into doing her baby shower invitations since I didn’t get to do this for my own pregnancy years ago.

Being the crafty person I am I wanted to surprise my friend by making her a matching mini baby album to record her daughter’s first year, month-by-month. This will be perfect for my friend- all she needs to do is have the pictures printed so she can glue them to the album. We all know she’ll be too busy to do anything else with the book.

Supplies

• Precious Moments kit, Jennifer Labre
• Scalloped circle tag, A beautiful life kit, Mari Koegelenberg and Wendy Page Designs collab
• pop dots
• Hole puncher
• craft knife
• fine scissors
• distress ink
• glue
• sanding block
• glitter
• brown, green, and white cardstock
• patterned paper
• folding bone
• paint
• chipboard letters
• Lost and Found by My Mind’s Eye (Jen Allyson)
• Maya Road mini board book
• scalloped border punch
• other embellishments

Board Book Instructions

• Paint the board book. Set aside to dry either overnight or for at least a few hours.
• Print and cut out paper and embellishments. I don’t know about you, but I like to add glitter in just about anything. Luckily for my husband who complains about glitter all over the place I use the liquid glitter in a bottle. Husband-complaint-free.
• Glue paper to book pages. I use the folding bone to spread the glue evenly across the surface.

• Trim excess paper using your craft knife. This is the fun part, until you cut into your project by accident, so be careful!
• Cut the small strips of paper for the band. This is where you’ll add the monthly numbers.

• Punch the holes using your hole puncher.
• Sand the edges so it’ll be even steven.
• Ink the edges with distress ink.
• Once your paint is dry for the book holder, add your embellishments and then add the pages.

In no time you’ll have an easy mini baby album that you can give as a gift to your girlfriends. They will not only love it and cherish it, but they’ll think you’re one awesome friend!

Other Articles by jcarlisi:

• Simple, yet stunning, fall wreath - November 5th, 2010
• Holiday Countdown Calendar - October 29th, 2010
• Topiary flower plant - August 9th, 2010
• Whimsical flower mobile - July 23rd, 2010