Paper Bag Mini Album

Wanna make another minii album? How about one out of paper bags?

Here's what you need :

1. 6 paper bags
2. 3 different color papers
3. 3 different ribbons
4. ruler
5. hole punch

Get your 6 paper bags, and flip flop them so the ends (the bottoms) are on the left, then on the right, then the left...

Now you're going to want to fold over the bags until there is a crease.

Look at that beautiful crease!

Now, hole-punch each side of the crease, now thread the ribbon thru, so the knot is on the outside.

This is what the ribbon looks on the inside of the album.

Now, measure the inside of one of the bags.

Cut a piece of colored paper to fit inside the bag, and staple a ribbon to the top (to pull it out) I cut my papers at 4.75"x4"

Stick in the paper, and make 1 pull out for each bag.

Ta da!! Now you have an awesome mini-album that you can add pictures and info to. Be sure to put pictures on pull outs! So cute and fun for a brag book!

Jean to Skirt

I have long dreamed {envisioned, if you will} of making a pair of jeans into an awesome skirt that I would love forever and ever. Plus, it's totally one of my goals!! Woot woot!


TA DA!!

You need :

1. Jeans (that still fit around the waist & butt)
2. Seam Ripper!!!
3. Sewing machine
4. Thread, matching or contrasting, it depends on how *flashy* you want it.
5. Scissors

First thing first!


Measure up the hem of the jeans to a length that is good to work with. This is NOT the final length. I measured up 12 inches. Draw a line across the legs of the jeans with a pen, and CUT the legs off.

Now to rip stuff :

Ok, turn the pants inside out, find that inside inseam, (the inseam is the seam that goes from inside ankle to crotch.)

and start ripping.

Now turn the pants outside out, and start ripping that next seam!

Ok, there is a THIRD seam, go attack that one too.

Rip all the INSEAMS on both legs!

Now, you're going to want to rip open the front seam. Rip it up to the bottom of the zipper. Don't destroy the zipper, that's still needed. And flip over the jeans and rip the back seam up to the belt loops/pocket hem.

This needs to be done so the jeans will lay flat.

Now that your jeans are completely open. Go get the legs you cut off, and start seam ripping those. Start with the bottom hem.

I ironed my seams flat, it makes them easier to work with, I highly suggest it.

Once your entire denim material is flat as can be, put your "flattened leg" under the open "leg seam". Pin in place. {I centered my leg seam with the peak of my open seams}

Next, start sewing outside out, so you know where the edge of your seam is. I used white, cuz I had white on my machine I'm flashy.

Flip it over, flatten out the crotch crease and pin in place then pin the "flattened leg" out under the open seam.

Sew up the back!

**I double-stitched. I make 1 running stitch on the edge of the seam, and then did another one just inside the first one.

You'll probably have excess "leg" on each side of your skirt. Find a length you like, and trim the extra length off. If you have a skirt that you LOVE where it falls, length-wise, use that one to measure the length of the skirt you're making. (I used my old jean skirt, I lowered it a bit for a better length.)

Flip it inside out and trim off the extra demin on the inside.

Make sure everything looks good inside out, and double check the hem, make sure it's what you want.

Now, put in a running stitch to hem it a little. I again, did a double stitch.

Now you're totally ready to rock your skirt!! I'll post a picture once Shark gets home to take one of me!

**Again, if there are any questions, comment and I'll reply!! Thanks! ♥

Mini Album HowTo

 Alright, so a few years ago, my mom's Relief Society made these mini albums for a Super Saturday activty. I still have mine, and I have decided to show you how to make one!!

What you need :

1. (4) Solid Cardstock sheets 8x8
2. (2) patterned paper sheets 8x8
3. (2) pieces of cardboard 4.5x4.5
4. some ribbon
5. scoring tool

Ok.

Pick 4 pieces of cardstock.

Next, find halfway down each side (4 inches in) and score the paper in half twice, so you have 4 equal squares.

Now, flip over the paper, and score ONCE diagonally thru the middle.

Now, fold the paper according to the scores. The strait scores (to make the 4 squares) gets folded one way, while the diagonal score gets folded the opposite way.

Now fold those same scoring and folding directions for the 3 remaining sheets of cardstock.

**When folded, the sheet should look like the start of a paper crane!! **

I really hope I made sense with that part. It's so hard to explain in words and pictures. Let me know if there are ANY questions!!

Now, take your patterned paper, and score 4 lines. Each line will be inside the edge 1.75 inches, running parallel to the edge of the paper.

{The piece of cardboard is 4.5 inches, the patterned paper is 8 inches, to put the cardboard in the middle, you have to fold over 1.75 inches of paper. You could just fold it, but scoring makes such a nice line!}

Your paper should look like this once it's scored.

Now, go and cut off the corner squares. It's easier to fold in on the cardboard without the extra paper.

I use a glue runner as my adhesive. Fold in the edges and glue them to the carboard.

Follow the steps for the cardboard and patterned paper twice, so you end up with 2!

Ok, now comes the kind of tricky part. It is SOOO easy to get this mixed up. I'll try and explain as best I can! put some adhesive on 1 quarter (one WITHOUT a diagonal going thru!) of yellow cardstock.

Flip over the green cardstock, so it is opposite the yellow one you just glued! And stick 1 solid quarter of green cardstock to glued yellow quarter.

Flip over your yellow and green glued pieces of cardstock, and put glue on the 2nd green quarter.

Take your blue piece of cardstock, and make sure it's going opposite your green piece but the same as the yellow piece. And glue the 1st blue quarter to the glued green quarter!

Do the same with the pink cardstock. (I put my pink cardstock on the other side of the yellow.)

Make sure the diagonals go every-other piece. One up, one down, one up, one down.

Next, take your ribbon, and glue it to the middle of 1 of your pieces of cardboard, glue on the back/inside!!

Now, put some adhesive on the OUTSIDE of the LAST solid quarter - now, press the quarter onto the BACK of the carboard. {You'll know it's the back because you folded the paper ONTO the back.}

Glue the other cardboard square to the other end of the paper chain. Look how cute your album is! It's like a little accordian!!

Tie your ribbon in a bow!! And start adding things to your album!

Ok, seriously, I know I am awful at HowTo's - I can explain things worth pennies, and I'm sorry. If you have ANY questions, email me, post a comment, whatever you gotta do, I'll answer!!

Enjoy the album! So cute for BragBooks for grandparents!! ♥