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‘Scrap’ a Mini Album Out of CDs

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Nate Skow
This mini scrapbook album is made out of old CDs.

Several of my friends enjoy scrapbooking as much as I do, so about two years ago, we started getting together once a month for a “scrap day,” in which we meet at my house and spend an entire afternoon – and sometimes part of the evening – scrapbooking whatever we want. It’s fun to compare techniques and projects while catching up on what’s going on with each other.

A few weeks ago, with scrap day approaching, I decided I wanted to do something different – something other than pages for the album I’m currently working on – so I started looking through idea books and found a project for making a mini scrapbook album using old CDs. It sounded fun, and it was a good way to recycle my old CDs (as well as a scratched DVD that didn’t play anymore).

Supplies

Old CDs

Cardstock and/or patterned papers

Scissors

Craft knife

Craft glue

Sandpaper

Hole punch

Photos

Embellishments

Book ring

Ribbon

Instructions

With a pencil, trace the CD onto the back of the cardstock or patterned paper you want to use as your background. Carefully cut the paper out using scissors or a craft knife. There will probably be a little overhang, which can be fixed later. (Editor’s note: For those of you who have a Cricut die-cutting machine, you can use it to cut your circles. That’s what I did, and it worked great.)

Cover the CD with a thin layer of glue and adhere the background paper. (I used Mod Podge because I think it sticks better than glue. If you use Mod Podge, you have to get the paper positioned quickly because it starts to stick almost immediately.) Turn the CD over and repeat with your next background paper. Set that CD aside to dry while you repeat the process with the remaining CDs.

Once the glue is dry, take your craft knife and carefully go around the CD to trim off any overhanging paper. The edges will be rough, so use a piece of sandpaper and gently sand around them.

Punch a hole through each CD ¼ to ½ inch from the edge. (I used a standard hole punch, and it worked fine.) Put the book ring through the CDs, and then design your pages using photos and embellishments.

Remember that layering is important when scrapbooking because it adds depth to your pages, so don’t be afraid to put ribbon over the bottom portion of a photo or overlap a framed photo with another framed photo. This is also a great way to cover up a flaw on a photo, such as a date in the bottom corner.

When all your pages are done, cut short strips of ribbon and tie them around the book ring to give the finished project a little flare.

Associate Editor Traci Smith looks forward to scrapbooking whenever possible and enjoys trying new projects.