*** UPDATE ***
I've uploaded the printable files to Scribd. You can find them here:
I decided I wanted to make a custom autograph book for Reagan to take. I wanted to have a sheet for every character we may come across. Now, I know... I know... these lines can be very long. I know they can waste time... but if she wants all the autographs, then she shall get them! If she gets 3, that's fine. If she gets all 110+, that's fine too!! It's a good thing we'll have 4 adults to the 1 child, one of us can stand in line and then switch off. That's my plan anyway, haha.
So, I started off knowing a few things - I knew I wanted one page per character per park - at least characters like Mickey, Minnie, etc. who are at every park, they'd each have a page for each park. I also knew that I wanted to create a scrapbook once we got home with the signature on one side and a picture of Reagan and the character on the other. So, I set to creating my pages. All 111 of them!!! Here are a few of my faves:
I created these in Photoshop using clip art I found on the internet. *Some* of the fonts are specific to either that character or the movie they are in. You need a REALLY big clip art file to start with, I found that everything needed to be at the VERY least 1000px x 1000px. Otherwise it will print grainy and that's no fun! I have a few that I just couldn't find in great shape or size and they are what they are. I decided on borders, all princess have the same edge as Cinderella, fairies are all the same as Tinker Bell, Princes and main male characters are the same as The Beast, etc. Most of the secondary characters got a simple border. I just color selected from the clip art and went from there. As I said, each character got their own page for each park they appear in. So Mickey and friends at Animal Kingdom, where they dress in safari clothing, got safari pages for AK! OK, so once I had my list of who I wanted and what park they were in, I printed them out. A quick note about printing... the images you see above are 7" x 7". I want to make an 8" x 8" scrapbook out of this once we are home, so I will cut that out and add it to 8" x 8" paper. This is what the pages look like when I print them:
I placed circles where the holes would go so that I could keep everything uniform. I also printed one of these without character info on it so that I could place the holes in the exact locations on the cardboard I used for the books.
OK... moving on, because that was LENGTHY! LOL
So, the books themselves... how did that work? Well, I used these materials:
So, what is all that stuff?? Well, I'm sure most of it is self explanatory, but I'll at least tell you where I got it! Starting at the top, L-R:
1. Cinch Boards - The first, and most important thing I used to make these books is the 8" x 8" Cinch boards. These are made to go with the Cinch Binding Machine, but they worked PERFECTLY for this project. You get two in a package and at Hobby Lobby the package costs $1.99. I've not seen these go on sale in the last few weeks, but of course you can always use your coupon!
2. Glitter Ribbon - I bought a TON of this ribbon! I needed a ton of colors, so I bought the .99¢ rolls in the scrapbooking section at Hobby Lobby. These were on sale 1/2 off last week, so that was GREAT! You can also buy this same ribbon in larger spools in their ribbon/fabric area.
3. Binder Rings - This was important for me, because I chose to bind them this way. IF you happened to have the Cinch machine, bind them that way! But, it's about $100 and I didn't want to buy it for just this project. So, I ended up needing 1" binder rings AND 1.5" binder rings.
4. Glitter Paper - I used this on the inside of the cinch boards to cover the seams left from the paper. I cut these in 7" x 7" squares and used Mod Podge to adhere them. I bought my glitter paper at Joann's and recommend you do so for this reason: IT IS THIN AND FLEXIBLE! Hobby Lobby's glitter paper is probably a better quality but it is SO stuff and didn't work well for this project. I totally recommend using the brand found at Joann's. They have a wonderful array of colors as well.
5. Scrapbook Paper - I used many different types of scrapbook paper, and this will all depend on your own book and why you are making it. I bought this paper pack at Joann's and also got most of my Disney themed papers there. Actually, come to think of it, I think all of the paper I used for my boards was from Joann's. I cut these to 10" x 10" - that way I had some room on the back before I needed the glitter paper. I'll detail more about this process below. If you are still with me?! HAHA
6. Mod Podge - you can buy this anywhere, it is a STAPLE in my craft room!
7. Mod Podge Dimensional Magic - I found this at Hobby Lobby last fall and had never opened it. It is spectacular! I love it!! Word to the wise - keep a tooth pick nearby, if you get a bubble, you will need to pop it. I have a few I missed and they dried as bubbles. Interesting, LOL.
8. Card Stock - Obviously, you can use any cardstock you'd like, but I purchased this ream at WalMart and it was perfect. It was a little more heavy duty than what you can get at Hobby Lobby and I needed so many sheets that it was way more economical as well.
9. Hole Punch - Now let me say... this is a critical area. It is HARD to punch the holes in that cardboard. No joke... I broke THREE hole punches. I would suggest buying a hole punch like the one pictured and not one from a craft store. I think that was my mistake. I used one like the picture for punching my paper, since I ended up DRILLING the holes in the last book. You know you're a serious crafter when you break out the power tools! HAHA
OK... so, now... how I did it. I'm sorry but I don't have ANY pictures of this process. That never dawned on me... I have got to get better about this, huh?! So, I'll outline it as best I can:
I started by cutting all my papers. The scrapbook paper was cut to 10" x 10" and the glitter paper cut to 7" x 7". Next, I used my paper template to mark the holes on the cardboard. I punched the holes out, or in one case I drilled them! Afterward, I added a thin layer of Mod Podge on the cardboard itself and set it down in the middle of one of my 10" x 10" scrapbook papers. Press down firmly and flip over to smooth. You really only need a thin layer or you may get bubbles. The heavier the paper, the less likely you will get bubbles as well. Once you have this done, let it sit about 2-5 minutes. If you're making more than one, you could set up an assembly line. After the glue has dried some, use a pencil to outline the holes you've punched in the cardboard on the paper, press hard so it will leave an indention on the frontside so you knew where to punch the paper. Next, I use scissors to cut the edge of the paper in a diagonal line from the corner of the paper to the corner of the cardboard. OK, so I made a diagram....
Cut along the dotted lines.
You've already cut the lines in the diagonals, so focus on the other cuts.
After the glue dries, punch the holes from the front.
Cover the entire front side with a layer of Mod Podge. Let that dry completely.
Adhere the glitter paper to the back of the board using the Mod Podge again. Let that dry while using weight to make sure it lies flat.
Next, I printed a 7" x 7" cover for each book on cardstock. I used Mod Podge to glue that on and covered it with Mod Podge as well. After that dries, use the Dimensional Magic where you would like. That will need to dry for 3 hours.
In the meantime, you can cut out (a paper slicer works best) the autograph sheets and hole punch those. When the boards are dry and ready to go, place the pages in the middle and use the binder rings to fasten and tie some ribbon on, viola!
Easy peasy! Well, it takes some time... but overall, it's a very beginner project!
