Graphic 45 Ephemera Albums Tutorial

This is a tutorial I made for an album to use the Graphic 45 Ephemera Packs. This one uses the smaller images from the pack. I haven't decorated it yet, because I have the two newest releases on the way, and they should be here on Tuesday. I'll update this post when I get the album decorated. Update: I posted some photos of some of the finished albums above.

I am adding the measurements for the larger albums that take the bigger ephemera cards. If you want to make the larger albums, use the sizes typed in (bold)

While I'm waiting for them to get here, I'm making two small albums and two larger albums, so they will be already for the fun part!

To make the albums for the larger cards in the ephemera collections, I make the pages 5x7 rather than 4x5, and the album covers 5 1/4 x 7 1/4, and adjust all the measurements below for that size.

Cut four pieces of plain card stock to 4x5 (5x7). (I only show the first two in this photo).

Next, cut 2 pieces to 4x6 (5x8), and score on the short sides at 1/2" and 5 1/2" (1/2" and 7 1/2").

Fold on the score line, and apply adhesive to the outsides of the folds.

Mount these to both sides of two of the 4x5 (5x7) pieces to make tunnels.

This photo shows the tunnels.

Cut 12 pieces of card stock to 5" x 4 1/2" (7" x 5 1/2"), and score and fold them all at the 4" (5") mark on the long side.

Mitre the folds so that they will slide into the tunnels more easily, and apply adhesive to the insides of the folds.

Take the two pieces of 4x5 (5 x 7) that you did not make into tunnels, and adhere the two pieces of 4 1/2 x 5 (5 1/2" x 7"), one to each side of to make them look like this. These will be on the insides of the album covers.

For the pages, take the tunnels, and slide the folded parts inside the tunnels, so there is one on each side.

Turn them over, and do the same things inside the backs of each tunnel. You should end up with two pieces that look like this.

To make the spine, cut a piece of card stock to 5 x 5 1/2 (7 x 5 1/2). With the 5" (7") side facing the top, score at 1", 1 1/2", 2", 2 1/2", 3", 3 1/2", 4" and 4 1/2".

Valley fold at 1" and 1 1/2", Mountain fold at 2", Valley fold at 2 1/2" and 3", Mountain fold at 3 1/2", and Valley fold at 4" and 4 1/2".

Apply adhesive to the back sides of both of the mountain folds and stick them together so your spine looks like this.

To make your covers, cut two pieces of chipboard to 5 1/4 x 4/14 (7 1/4" x 5 1/4"), and one piece to 5 1/4" x 1 1/2" (7 1/4" x 1 1/2").

This is how I covered mine.

Another shot with the edges folded and glued.

Glue your spine into your cover, making sure that it is straight, and centering it so there is a 1/8" margin at the top and bottom.

Glue two more 4 x 5 (5x7) pieces inside the covers to hide the chipboard.

Mitre the corners of the two spines.

Mount the two sections that are not tunnels to the front and back covers. You will want the flaps facing in the same direction as in the photo, so they will stay closed when the album is opened.

Apply adhesive to both sides of one hinge, and slide the hinge into one of the tunnels. Make sure that the hinge is inside the tunnel, and both outside flaps face downward.

Now do the same thing with the other hinge and tunnel.

You will still have a spot in both tunnels, toward the outside of the album, to insert more photo mats. When I made the Garden Goddess album I showed on the Graphic 45 facebook page, I had forgotten that I had started putting a folder into the tunnel, rather than just a photo mat. To make this, I cut two pieces of card stock to 4 3/4 x 7 1/2 (6 3/4" x 9 1/2"), and scored and folded them at 3" 3/4" (4 3/4"). This makes them just the right size to insert them into the tunnels and gives you space for four more photo mats on each one.

I hope you will try these albums, they are really easy, and very sturdy. The sizes can easily be adjusted to make larger albums, and albums with more pages. They are just right for showing off your collections of G45 ephemera!