Thursday, June 23, 2011

Gift Card Holder/Mini Book Project and Tutorial

One of my "signature" projects is mini albums which are really cards and gift card holders. I love to give gift cards - because they are easy! However, I also think gift cards are boring and tacky. You can see my problem! As a way to "jazz" up gift cards, and to make it more fun to give gift cards, I started to make fancy holders for them. A few months ago I showed you a romantic version of one of these little books, created with the Graphic45 Curtain Call papers.


I made this one as part of my Graphic45 2011 Design Team entry. Tons of people wanted to know how to make it or how to buy a kit for it. {Such flattery did not go unnoticed!}


Since I am lazy at heart, I created another album - just like the Curtain Call one - using the Graphic45 On the Boardwalk papers. Plus, I wrote a little tutorial on how to create the basic mini! Since it's summer time for most of the USA (not here, where we can't seem to get above 70 degrees!) I wanted to the Boardwalk paper.


To create the basic album:
1. Cut three pieces of heavy chipboard; cut two to 4 x 6 inches and one piece to ½ x 6 inches.


2. Cut a sheet of printed paper to 8 ¾ x 6 inches and place it face down on your work surface. Using strong adhesive, attach the chipboard pieces to the printed paper, as shown, with a 1/8 inch gap between the chipboard pieces.


3. Attach a second sheet of printed paper, 8 ¾ x 6, to the other side of the chipboard. Fold the mini book, creasing in the gaps between the chipboard pieces. This will make a spine and two covers for your mini book.


I used coordinating pieces of paper for my inside and outside of the cover.


4. Using mini file folders (Pine Cone Press), trace and cut two folders from printed paper.


5. Adhere the two folders together to make pages for your mini book. Attach one folder to the back cover of your mini book.


6. Decorate your mini book as desired, and add a gift card to one of the file folder flaps, as shown.


The On the Boardwalk collection has a ton of amazing images to use in any decorating project!


I was able to make this whole project with very little outside product. Just a few odds and ends were added to the items that came with a 12x12 pad of Graphic45 paper.


Another of my "signature" techniques it make an embellishment with a bottle cap. {I see another tutorial in my future!} In the photo above, I glued an image from the G45 paper into a bottle cap. Then a used a craft hammer to smash the bottle cap - always therapeutic! I glued the cap to a G45 flower staple, and made my own custom embellishment!


I used a mini clip to attach a gift card to one of the file folder pages. Since I have a teen daughter, I have tons of dead itunes gift cards to use in my projects. The only issue is, most of them are hot pink! My sons seem to throw their used gift cads away, so I never have any boy-themed or neutral cards to use in my photo shoots!


I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Below is a supply list if you have any questions about the products I used. If you have any other questions, just email me or leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer. To those of you who are looking for a kit...I do have plans to start selling kits again, but it may be as late as January 2012 before I can get to them...sad to say.

Supply List:
Chipboard: Grafix
Cardstock: Bazzill Raven, Stampin’ Up! Whisper White, Best Creations Black Glitter
Graphic45 paper: On the Boardwalk (On the Boardwalk, She Sells Seashells, Summer Crush, High Style Holiday, Bathing Beauties, Tags, Borders)
Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Hero Arts, Gina K Designs
Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Chalk (Creamy Brown, Chestnut Roan, Prussian Blue), Memento (Tuxedo Black)
Spellbinders dies: S5-006 Curved Rectangles, S4-161 Labels One, S4-308 Labels One Small, S5-043 Fleur de Lis Motifs
Embellishments: Doily and string from Michael’s Crafts. Bingo cards and stickers from Jenni Bowlin, Clips from Idea-ology and Oriental Trading Company, Flower from Graphic45, Bingo number from Maya Road, Mini files from Pine Cone Press, Ribbon from open stock
Adhesive: Scotch 3M ATG and foam tape, Glue Dots

4 comments:

  1. Awesome! I see Christmas theme ones in my future!!!

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  2. Gloria, you did it again. Another great tutorial and fabulous projects.

    ReplyDelete