Christmas Planner Envelope Mini Album Tutorial

Good morning and welcome to another crafty week here on the Isle of Wight.

Today I am sharing the final Christmas project we created on my Christmas Craft Days last month. This was our 'showstopper' (for those that watch Bake Off) project that was central to the day. I had been planning this for months and searched through lots of different mini album ideas to find the perfect style.

I won't be sharing the completed pages with you today.  I will share those another day this week. Instead today I will be giving you a quick and easy run down on how to create your own lovely mini album (you can modify the papers used or contents for any occasion). This is a quick and affordable planner or memory-keeper and could also make a perfect Christmas pressie too.

For this project you will need:

5 Stampin' Up! C6 envelopes (I used Very Vanilla)

A sheet of A4 cardstock for the cover (I used Cherry Cobbler)

A length of ribbon to hold the album together (I used Cherry Cobbler 3/4" Chevron)

Matching cardstock for inserts

DSP for decoration

The first step is to create your insert pages. I started with 5 C6 Very Vanilla Envelopes.

 I then cut off the envelope flaps as below.

Score the envelopes at 1/2" to create your hinge.

Please note, that while I have shown the envelopes with the scallop shaped edge forward in these photographs (it made it easier to differentiate the steps for the tutorial), these will actually be turned over in the finished product and form the back side of each page (giving you a full rectangle of page to cover and decorate facing forward).

The next step is to create your cover. I cut a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock 6 1/2" by 10", scoring at 4 1/4" and 5".

The larger section forms the back of the cover with the hinge making the pages fold easier from the front.

The final stage before decorating and tying together is to punch your holes.

I sandwiched my 5 envelopes and the cover together and measured 2" from either end (marking with a small pen mark). I then punched holes through all layers together using my Crop-A-Dile.

 This is the basis for your mini-album / planner. I would recommend decorating your inserts prior to tying your ribbon for ease of stamping. Once all your layers are decorated you can then just thread your ribbon through and tie in a bow to hold it all together.

To decorate your planner:

I used a stack of DSP in all different Christmas-y colours and patterns. I cut each piece at 3 3/4" by 6 1/4" to stick to the front of each envelope. I then cut pieces slightly bigger for the front and back covers. I also stamped the reverse of each of the envelopes for a bit of a festive flourish.

I also created matching inserts using free printables from this website. I created three rectangular inserts (3 3/4" x 6") and two die cut Top Notes cut from Brushed Gold and Silver cardstock. I created tabs using a shaped punch, you could also use ribbon to create these tabs.

Thanks for popping by today. I'll be sharing my decorated pages tomorrow so hop back then for some Christmas Planner inspiration. Please do get in touch with any questions or to place an order for essential supplies to create your own Christmas Album planner: poulton_sarah@yahoo.co.uk or 01983 609249.

I'd love to see your creations so please leave a comment to direct me to your creations if you have a go. It was fantastic to see all the different versions of this album that my ladies created at our Christmas crafty days.

And don't forget to check out the promotions page above for all the latest fantastic offers from Stampin' Up! Especially the lovely Best Of Christmas stamp set.

Happy Crafting ;0)

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