How to make a Paper Bag Album
Paper Bag Albums
Using paper bags to create unique interactive albums for brag books, cards, and gifts is fun and easy!
Here are step by step directions:
- Lay two or more lunch bag size paper bags down together alternating the ends.
- Now, fold the bags in half to create the spine (if you have a sewing machine try sewing a straight line up to help define and hold the book together while working on other parts).
- Punch holes along the binding of the book where you want to place your eyelets or whatever other binding method you choose.
- Now you’re ready to decorate and personalize…
Ideas for binding your book
- Ties: you can tie the binding with bits of ribbon or fibers
- Paper: you can create a binding from a coordinating piece of paper and then attach with brads, eyelets, ribbons, fibers etc.
- Lacing: use ribbon or other fibers to lace the binding together in a zig zag pattern through punched holes
- Metal binding clips: these can be found at any office supply store
I like using the metal binding clips for my paper bag albums because they allow me to use more paper bags for a thicker book. I got mine at Office Depot
Use the open end pockets of the bags to hide journaling tags, extra pictures or other memoribilia in your book. What once was the bottom flap of the bag can now be used as a hidden journaling feature. You can use it as a lift the flap type of feature where you hide journaling under it, or open it, cut a slit along the fold line, and insert a tag or other item.
The most important thing is to have fun decorating your new album to fit your theme. These albums make great brag books for grandparents or friends, special memory books for birthdays or any occasion!
Attention—something to note: Paper bags are not acid-free so over time, they will break down much faster than acid-free, lignin-free papers. They are also not as sturdy as a cardstock/board album. You should only use duplicate pictures when making your albums. Precious, one-of-a-kind photos should be scanned and/or copied and then printed so that you can preserve the original photo with archival safe products.