Two ways to use Dollar Tree items to make easy shaped mini-albums
First we’ll use “shaped decor sheets” from the Teaching Tree line. I’m sure these are meant for a classroom bulletin board.
I applied a thin coat of Mod Podge in satin to a scrap piece of lightweight cardboard (I think it was from a pad of paper), attached an apple cutout, then coated with more Mod Podge. Once dry, I cut it out. I made two of these. To decorate the back, I painted the edge of the cardboard with acrylic paint that roughly matched the apple border, then applied a trimmed apple using Mod Podge, then coated with more Mod Podge.
Second we’ll use “wood hanging decor” from the Crafter’s Square line.
These don’t need to be backed, and by using two of the same the front and back match. I painted the house using Prang tempura paint in brown, then drew “icing” using a white acrylic paint pen.
For both, I traced the cover onto scrap cardboard to make a jig. I trimmed this a little smaller than the outline until I had page shapes that fit inside my covers. I used the jig to cut copy paper into page shapes. I marked the hole placement on the jig and used that to punch holes in the pages. For the apple decor sheets I used a 1/4 punch and for the house I used a 1/8” punch to match the hole in the wooden shape.
The “shaped decor sheets” can themselves be used as pages.
The Prang tempera paint and Mod Podge are a good price at Dollar Tree. The Prang is quite inexpensive compared to other retailers. The Mod Podge can be less expensive if you are willing to buy a much larger container, but I’m here to tell you that 16 oz of Mod Podge is a supply that will last a very long time.
Short video: https://youtu.be/uvsJFlMdcpo
Papercraft Crystal 