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Recycled Mini Children's Board Book

By: Becky Lemire
Rubber Roadsters
Intermediate Scramping Team Designer

What to do with all those little board books you bought your children or grandchildren to learn their colors and shapes?  Recycle them of course.  Not to the recycling center but to your craft room at home with all of your fabulous scrapbooking supplies.  These little books take no time to make.  The longest process is picking which pictures of your loved one you will use in the books.  Because you probably have many of these like I do, you can make a mini book for every occasion.  Now the question is....do you have enough shelf space to display them?

Supplies:
Younique Rubber Stamp (TAC)
Landscape Palette Hybrid Ink Pad (Stewart Superior)
Graphite Black Brilliance Ink Pad (Tsukineko)
Mediterranean Blue Brilliance Ink Pad (Tsukineko)
Peach Cardstock (unknown):  scrap to cut letters using the Cricut
Baby Boy Paper & Pieces Collection (Deja Views)
Pop Rockz Paper Collection (TAC)
Cricut Die Cut Machine
    George Cartridge used for the letters
Children's Mini Board Book (Kid Connection found at WalMart)
Craft Knife
Perfect Paper Adhesive (US Art Quest)
Xyron Create a Sticker
Scotch Double Sided Tape (3M)

Instructions:

1.  Cut a piece of background paper for the front, spine, and back cover.  Measure the height of the book and the length of the book (front, spine and back).  This will be your dimensions to use.  Adhere to the book using the Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA).  Once the glue is dry you can trim the edges and the corners with a craft knife. 

2.  Cut background paper to the size of each of the inside pages.  It is better to use two pieces rather than trying to use one longer piece to cover both pages.  The book will open a little better.  Adhere these pages using the PPA and trim the edges if necessary and corners.  If the inner edges (by the spine) of the book are showing, you can use some acrylic paint in matching colors to cover those.

3.  Using the die cut machine, cut title letters out on the peach scrap paper (I had mine set to 1" letters).  If your paper collection comes with letter stickers, use those to make your title.  Decorate the front cover using the letters (Use the Xyron to add adhesive to these), borders, and tags if desired. 

4.  The Younique stamp set was perfect for making a little board book of your little loved one.  On the first page stamp "Isn't He" (the set also has "Isn't She).  On each page after stamp one of the other descriptive words.  I used "Precious", "Perfect", "Lovable", You Nique", "Hilarious", "Adorable", "Wonderful", "Fabulous", and "Handsome". 

5.  Find photos that correspond to the words you are using.  Cut the photos so that they will fit on the page and cut out a mat 1/16" larger than the photo using corresponding cardstock or papers.  Adhere the photo to the mat and then adhere to the book page.  Cut out the photos using circles and squares/rectangles to add more interest to your book.

6.  You can be finished here or add as many more embellishments as will fit in your book. 

NOTE:  The finished book will not close tight with all the added papers in it.  Leave it on a shelf
       or a coffee table and everyone that comes by will want to take a look.

If you would like to print this technique including a near-full size image of the layout, click here. Once you've saved or printed the technique sheet, use your browser's back button to return.

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