Compiling a Masonite Album Part 3 of 3

It is finally time to start putting the album, that we have been working on over the last couple of weeks, together. But let's first recap what has already been covered:

• The starting point would be the blog on Making a Masonite Album;
• There were three widely different blogs on how to decorate these albums, the first one showing you how to Decorate with Tea Bags;
• The second one was on Decorating a Girly Album;
• The third one showed you how to do a Mosaic Album Cover.

In the first part of these three blogs we worked on the back of the front cover and the first page, turning it into a double spread layout. In this second blog, we concentrated on the back cover and the last page. Today we are simply going to put it all together. In the process I'll show you how to use a couple of nifty tools.

You probably already have a selection of loose pages to add to the album. The problem is that none of these have holes in them, and those that do probably don't correspond with the holes of the album. The first step is therefore to get holes in the pages. Find the centre point of the holes in the album cover. Now find the centre of each of the pages you want to include in the album, especially if they are not all the same size. Measure accurately and mark the spot where the holes must go. Place your album on top of the mark and double check that you can see the marks through the holes in the album. The holes in my albums are 2 cm in from the side. I made the holes in my papers 1 cm in from the edge of the page.

We are now going to use a hole-setting tool to set neat holes exactly where you want them to go. No more guessing with a normal paper punch! You will need the hole-setter tool, a hammer and a surface to hammer on (that will protect your work surface). I turn this little cutting mat upside down so that the marks are not on the side that I use.

Select the right size tip and screw it into the handle of the hole-setter. This will probably need to be the biggest tip in your selection.

Position the surface protector behind the mark on the paper.

Set the hole-setter in place on top of the mark for the hole.

Tap lightly with  the hammer. Thicker layers might need a proper whack, e.g. when working on fabric or with multiple layers of paper.

You will need to clean the hole-setter with a sharp instrument, such as a needle when you are done.

Put the album rings through the back cover of your album and add the pages one at a time. Lastly add the front cover of the album. Clasp the rings shut.

This is what my album looks like now that I am finished. I added only the bare minimum of pages for the sake of keeping the blog shorter. The front cover.

The back of the front cover and the first page.

When turning the page over, you will find some very diverse pages side by side. This is where more pages are going to be added and for the moment there is not much to be done about this. Only once you add the last page(s) of your album will you once again pay closer attention to this aspect of the album. Or perhaps it does not bother you as much as it does me. Good for you! Free yourself and do what you want, the way you like it.

The last page and the reverse of the back cover of the album.

The back cover of the album.

For more crafty ideas and great products, visit APrettyTalent.com.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
You can subscribe to this blog and receive regular updates by email by simply registering your email address at the top of the current blog.