As promised, here is my tutorial for creating your very own postcard storage binder. That way, when you get a stack of 20+ postcards received in swaps, you have somewhere to keep them :)
To start, find a photo album at a thrift store. I found this lovely number for $1. Make sure it is a ring binder type.
Now find some paper or fabric that you would like to cover it with and Mod Podge it to the outside cover. I chose blue floral fabric. Do the entire outside and then fold it around the edges towards the inside.
To create the effect on the inside, I Mod Podged some tissue paper onto the inside cover. I did a very sloppy job of it, leaving lots of little wrinkles. This will help with the next step.
Squeeze out some clear varnish and add a little acrylic paint. Start spreading this over the inside cover in small sections, wiping it off as you go. Try to vary the amounts of paint vs varnish. This will create the unique textured look.
Finish the whole thing with another coat of Mod Podge. While it dries, move onto your next step of creating the front cover decoration. I used some mail-themed rub-ons and used them to decorate a small piece of wood. I then used hot glue to attach it to the front.
Now the binder is done! You can start adding in your postcards. I chose to stagger mine a bit, putting some in the top two rings and others in the bottom two rings.
I then decided to add dividers so I could tell my different swaps apart. I used card stock and cut out dividers. I then wrote the names of the swaps on the tabs.
That's it! Cute, huh? I'm really glad I did this. Whenever I first get a postcard, I like to put it up somewhere for awhile. But it was starting to get a bit overwhelming. Now I have a binder full of art!
This turned out great! I love that it started out as a $1 album:)
ReplyDeleteFirst, I really like your new blog layout! And second, this is a great idea for storing paper items. We tend to hold onto birthday and holiday cards, but we just leave them in a huge pile. This would be way better!
ReplyDeleteI like the look of the blog! Looks great, is easy to read, and seems organized.
ReplyDeleteAnd the binder is a nice way to store those cards.
Wow..I'm blown away by the blog! As a matter of fact...we've been looking for a new design for ALEL and might use some of your ideas, perhaps! So cool.
ReplyDeleteLove the little storage book too:)
Nancy- go for it! I am planning on posting a little about how I did it on Monday. Nothing too intense, just a bit about finding resources and some things that worked for me. I have no background in computer science so I really had to struggle my way through!
ReplyDeletewell, i just learned that my reply button isn't working. sorry if anyone else has problems with that! I will work on that and hopefully have it done by the end of the day!
ReplyDeleteYour new blog design is great! I look forward to hearing more about it. And the tutorial is awesome, too. I have saved tons of postcards over the years and would love to do something more artful to preserve them.
ReplyDeletegreat way to save postcards! I, like rose, have saved postcards for years. Most are in a couple boxes; some are on display. Postcard swaps sound like fun!
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