#MakeIt Monday - Paper Bag & Pasta Box Albums

Check it Out!  Today I want to share how I create these super cheap and super easy albums from brown paper lunch bags and recycled boxes.

  

My supplies included:

• brown paper lunch bags (amount depends on how many pages per album you want)
• recycled boxes (I have used pasta, rice, frozen meals and cereal boxes so pretty much anything cardboard will work)
• White glue or tacky glue
• scrapbook paper
• various embellishments 
• x-acto knife
• ruler
• Ink pad
• paper punches, scissors

To get started I folded my bags in half and with the folded edge in I measured out where to cut my box to create the album cover as shown in steps 1 and 2.  I then stacked my bags together with all folded edges together.  

I used white school glue to bind my pages in the book for two reasons.  One, it dries clear and two, it is flexible when dry and allows the pages to open and close without being so stiff.

I used enough bags to fill the center and positioned them making sure they were evenly spaced and spread out.  I then used a binder clip to hold it all together.  I left it binding side down over night to allow the glue to dry completely.   

Then I chose my scrapbook paper and embellishments and got to decorating.

To create the pages of the book I glued 2 of the bag pages back to back starting with the second page.  I glued the openings to all of the bags except about 6 since I didn't want that many pockets.  How many of the pages you choose to glue together is up to you but I found doing it this way makes for stronger pages and when using many bags, not so many. 

I used scrapbook paper to cover the front and back covers as well as the spine and also on all pages.  I inked the edges of all the pages and my papers and added ribbon to the spine, finishing it off with a bow and used fabric glitter paint to line the edges of the covers of this particular book.

To create my closure I used a picture hook, a lobster claw clasp and some twine.  I also added a tassle.  And then I had so much fun embellishing the pages. I used a "Faith" theme for this book and I am so in love with it!

I used a Paper Studio Faithfulness Kit combined with the Paper Boutique Simple 1-2-3 Papercrafting and more book.  I also used Project Life cards.  

I love making these little books!  The possibilities are endless with creating different looks and themes and they are so inexpensive to make!  

Here are a couple of others that I created.  The floral one on the right is unfinished but I love the colors and keeping the flaps on the end will allow me to create a completely enclosed book.  The one on the bottom is made solely from bags, no boxes.  I glued the lunch bags together long ways and then added the folded bags to the center for the pages.  I used a rubberband and a button for the enclosure. It kinda looks like a wallet, don't ya think?
You can also check out a post I made a few years ago when I first started making paper bag books HERE to see a more basic version.