wanna look? at my look book? a tutorial...

i would like to share a tutorial for the first year look book i made for dominic's grandparents, and godparents.  i wanted to capture dom's first year in a book as a keepsake.  it's very simple and easy to make.  you can also use this tutorial for any occasion:  birthdays, showers, weddings, holidays, dating / engaged couples, or for yourself!

here are the materials you will need:

for the pages:
cardstock
cardboard (use scrap pieces or left overs - if you have them)
patterned paper (i had so many cute scrap pieces hidden away, so i used these - it's always great to recycle)
photos
binding machine or hand bound with ribbons, "o" or "d" ringsdouble sided tape or zip dry (craft glue)

for embellishments:
number stamps
acrylic / craft paint
dymo label maker & tape corner punch
die cutter (cricket / slice / etc...) or stickers (ie.  american crafts, etc...)
brads, buttons, eyelets, etc...
ink pen (non smudging)

1.  cut the cardboard or cardstock and use it as a base for each page,  i cut mine at 4x6 inches. you will need about  10 pieces for the base.

2.  cut the patterned paper the same size as the cardboard / cardstock base (4x6 in).  you will need 20 in total:  2 textured cardstock (for the front and back cover, can be patterned or plain), and 18 patterned paper pieces (choose different ones or the same, it's up to you).

3.  cut 15 pieces of plain colored paper / cardstock at 3x4 inches.  use the corner punch to round all four edges.  this will be the frame for all of your photos.  if you chose patterned paper as your background, coordinate the frame with it.

4.  print your photos at a 2x3 inch size.  round the edges with the corner punch, or leave them squared.  i chose to print the photos in black and white. (very important:  i oriented the photos horizontally so that it can fit the frame and page, as i designed it.  if you want a photo to be vertical (shown below), i opted to leave the frame out).

5.  adhere the cover (front and back) to your base.  once you've determined the front and back covers, adhere the rest of the patterned paper to the rest of the base cardstock pieces.  you can use double-sided tape for these or a quick drying glue - i use zip dry glue (avoid using this if you are covering your work in acetate or plastic scrapbook pages right away - you need to air out the alcohol from glue or it will warp any type of plastic covering.  and work with it in a well-ventilated area).

6.  i used tiny post-its to indicate the pages (i made 11 books, so i had to be very organized).  here is the order of the pages: (front cover is page 1, back cover is page 20).

• front cover (add a monogram)
• ultrasound photo (indicate gestation period and date)
• maternity photo (you can add a quote or a message)
• birth info:  date, time, weight (embellish with buttons, etc...)
• first photo (show full name of baby)
• 1st month (you can add milestones too)
• 2nd month
• 3rd month
• 4th month
• 5th month
• 6th month
• 7th month
• 8th month
• 9th month
• 10th month
• 11th month
• 12th month
• special message for baby (this is if you are keeping it for the baby), or a message for the people receiving the book
• photo of parents (in the book shown), or photo of receiver with the baby
• back cover (add the year)

7.  position the frames (for the photos) on pages 2, 3, 5-17, and 19.  adhere them to your liking.  i used my marvy uchida corner punch (it's one of my favorite tools and i can't do without it) to round off the edges of the frames and photos for a nice finish.

(source)

8.  once the frames are positioned, adhere the photos accordingly.  you can place them centered or off-set.

9.  once all the paper, frames, and photos are placed, you can start embellishing your pages.

(this photo's purpose is to show the different embellishment options out there, but most importantly, why you should keep your box of very organized and labeled embellishments away from an extremely curious 2 yr old - it was really fun to sort out after - lol).

10.  i used the dymo label maker to write dates, messages, the "month", etc...  you can use your own handwriting, stickers, die-cut letters, embossing powder, etc...

11. to give each page dimension, i also used foam number stamps for the months.  i dipped the stamps in acrylic paint or any craft paint, and stamped each page for the 1-12 month photo pages.  once dried,  i outlined the stamped image with an ink pen to make each of the numbers stand out.  you may also use markers for a thicker outline.  as an alternative to stamping the numbers, you can also use the markers with a stencil, stickers, or a drawing.

"franklin" foam stamps by making memories (source)

uniball signo pen - love this pen! (source)

12.  make sure to embellish pages 4, and 18 also.  you can use any embellishment available.

13.  once you are done the inner pages you can add a monogram on the front cover and the date on the back cover.  you may also add a photo.

14.  once you've completed your pages, it's binding time!  i bound my look book using the zutter binding system.  if you don't have this machine, don't fret.  you can also use a hole punch and ribbon to bind your book;  you can also use an "o" ring by punching one hole on the top left corner of each page.

zutter bind it all system (source)

you can give this look book a simple, modern touch, or you can make it more embellished or detailed.  i hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  please feel free to suggest ideas on the comment form too.

here's how mine turned out:

how about the 2nd and 3rd year look books?  still working on it... i mean i haven't started yet. lol!

have fun making your look book...  please send me photos if you use my tutorial!

happy monday everyone!
xo, carla