This year my family decided to make gifts instead of buying them. We still have a set limit to spend, but felt that the gifts would mean more if they were from the heart. Having chosen my mom’s name out of a hat, I decided to try and make her one of the top gifts I sell this time of year – brag books. Brag books are a great gift for grandparents since they fit perfectly in a purse or attached to a key chain and are great for people who may not always carry a smart phone.
Materials you will need:
Card stock
Photo safe glue
Glue gun
Fabric for front cover
Needle and thread
Scissors
Pictures
Instructions:
#1) Choose how many pages you want your book to have (I suggest between 6-10)
#2) Choose your photos.
#3) Measure your card stock according to the size you want to make your book (mine was 2×3 inches)
#4) Measure and cut your photos
#5) Fold card stock and photos in half
#6) Pile the cut card stock sheets on top of one another and sew together at the fold
#7) Cut the cover a bit bigger that the rest of the card stock (I used card stock for the cover but would suggest using cardboard for a nicer finish)
#8) Cut fabric 1/2 inch wider than the cover
#9) Lay the cover on the fabric and using a glue gun stick the sides down all the way around
#10) Take a smaller piece of card stock and glue it over the inside of the cover to hide the seams
#11) Put hot glue on the middle fold of the cover and glue in the sewn together card stock (don’t put too much glue or the book won’t close properly)
#12) Finally take your photos and glue them to the card stock using the photo safe glue.
And… Voila! You have your very own brag book!
I’m hoping after a few more tries I will have a perfect book that I can be proud to give to my mom. Wish me luck!
Nadine is a stay at home mom/professional photographer from Winnipeg who specializes in children and newborn photography. You can see some of her work at www.allurebebe.com. She has 3 wonderful children Caleb 9, Amélie 7 and Leia 2 and has been married to her best friend for the past 10 years. Nadine loves photography, baking, reading, crafting, helping people and finding daily ways to teach all these loves to her children and others around her.
23 Thoughtful #DIY Gift Ideas for the Holidays Multi-Testing Mommy
Wednesday 25th of June 2014
[…] DIY Brag BookThanks to all of the wonderfully creative people who gave me permission to share their amazing ideas! […]
angie andrews
Saturday 4th of January 2014
Love this idea will be making one of these for next christmas to give the grandparents :)
Debbie S.
Monday 30th of December 2013
Brag books are priceless! Great instructions! Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Tara Gauthier
Monday 30th of December 2013
This would make such a great grandparent gift!
Teresa Claire
Saturday 28th of December 2013
This craft isn't as difficult to do as I first thought. Plus the supplies we already have in our home because we love doing crafts as a way to spend time together creatively.