Quick and Easy Summer Vacation Mini Album

You don’t have to take an expensive Summer Vacation to have fun when your a kid.

Between Baseball games, Swim Lessons, Swim Team, Carnivals, Pie Eating Contests,

Fireworks, Drive In Movies, Swimming, Summer Reading Program, Mini Gardens,

Tie-Dyeing and just playing outside….there’s always something to do.

Because we have so many great pictures, I decided to make my grandsons a

Summer Vacation Mini Album to remember all the good times they’ve had this summer.

To Create my Summer Vacation Mini Album I used:                            (*affiliate links)

• Xyron Creative Station*
• Creative Station Permanent Adhesive Refill*
• Xyron Mega Runner*
• Sizzix 663635 Notebook Die by Eileen Hull*
• Sizzix Little Sizzles Mat Board*
• Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine*
• Seas the Day Collection from Dare 2B Artsy
• Blue and White Bakers Twine*

*Disclosure:  This blog uses ads and affiliate links.  If you choose to make a purchase using one of the links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) that helps offset the costs of maintaining this blog.  Thanks for your support!

With the help of my Xyron Creative Station* putting the album together was super easy.

• Cut two 6″ x 8-1/2″pieces of decorative scrapbook paper for the front and inside of the cover.
• Lay decorative scrapbook paper (design side up) on the Xyron Creative Station* crank the handle to run the paper through the machine.  As it moves through the Xyron Creative Station it adds adhesive to the back side of the paper.
• Easy to use and it doesn’t need any electricity.
• I like using the Xyron Creative Station* when making mini books because you get complete coverage, no wrinkling, no bubbles!

• Cut a piece of mat board 6″ x 8-1/2″.
• Adhere the decorative paper on each side of the mat board.

• Lay the covered mat board over the notebook die* sandwiched between two cutting plates.
• Crank the handle of the Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine*and run the die through the machine.  The Big Shot will cut and score the mat board.

• The notebook die creases the center of mat board as it goes through the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine making it easy to fold the cover for your mini album.

• Cut a 2 1/4″ x 5″ strip of decorative paper to use for the spine and run it through the Xyron Creative Station*.
• The small “hello summer” graphic is from an old Bo Bunny collection that I hoarded and never used.  It was perfect for this album.  (sorry I don’t think you can find it anymore)

• Cut 5 white cardstock pages using the notebook die.
• Crease the cardstock on the center score lines.
• Using blue and white twine, wrap the twine around the inside creases and around the outside of the book cover to secure the pages.
• I did one page at a time tying the twine in a knot on the outside after each page.

• After I had all my pages together, I tied the pieces of twine together in one knot on the spine and let the ends of the twine hang loose.

I wanted this Summer Mini Album to be all about the pictures. 

There are no fancy embellishments or special pages inside this album.

(just lots of fun pictures of my boys)

The hardest part about making this album was choosing which pictures I wanted to use.

I printed my pictures 4″ x 5.3″ instead of the usual 4″ x 6″.

I cut each picture 3 1/4″ x 4 3/4″ which left a nice white border around my picture when added

to the album.  I used my Xyron Mega Runner* to add adhesive on the back of the pictures.

I had all 21 pictures added to my album in no time.  (one on the inside back cover)

These are three busy little boys. 

They’ve had a great summer so far and they still have another month to go before school starts. 

Who says summer is about lazy days.  

The Summer Vacation Mini Album measures 3 3/4″ x 5″.

“This is a sponsored post.  As a member of the Xyron Makers Program I have been provided product and compensation in exchange for my creative ideas.  The views and opinions are my own.