Basic Scrapbook Cover - PDF Free Download

This tutorial is about creating a basic chipboard cover for scrapbooking, the hinge for the pages and the pages themselves. A beginning scrapbooker will be able to easily follow the tutorial. There is a video for this tutorial as well. You can find in on my website http://koalakat.com/beginners-album.html No decorating is done, this is all about the basic foundation of this style of scrapbook This is an easily altered pattern to make the book cover any size you like. Let s get started. Tools: Glue, Scor-Tape or other adhesive Scissors Craft Knife Ruler Scor Board or other way to score papers Paper Trimmer (optional) Supplies List: Paper: 1-12x12 Medium Weight Chipboard.33 thick 1 - large white tyvek envelope (optional) 4-5 8.5 x 11 card stock for cover 12-8.5 x 11 card stock for pages The cover of this scrapbook measures 6 inches tall by 8 inches wide. This means that the interior pages will be 5.5 inches tall and 7.5 inches wide. You will need to cut two pieces of chipboard that measure 6 x 8. The lefover piece is to make the spine with after you make your hinges and know how wide you will need this piece to be. Of course it will be 6 tall.

I will be showing you Kathy Files Hidden Hinge, as this is the one I nearly always use. You will need a piece of card 1/2 inch shorter than your scrapbook. In this case 5.5 tall. Do not cut the width down until AFTER you have done your scoring. You can scor in any number of ways. I am going to show you three. They all start with a minimum 2 inch wing. Style No. 1 You score at 2 inches, then every 1/4 inch there after until you have created 6 hinges with a 1/4 inch space between each one and a 1/4 inch space at the beginning and the end. Leave 2 inches after the last score and trim the paper. Style No. 1 You will have 20 score lines all total. Style No. 2 You score at 2 inches, then 3/8, then two 1/4 inch scores, 3/8 and two 1/4 until you have 20 score lines. Leave 2 inches after the last score and trim the paper Style No. 2 Style No. 3 You score at 2 inches, then 3/8 inches all the way across untill you have 20 score lines. Leave 2 inches after the last score and trim the paper Style No. 3

Style No. 1: I do not recommend unless you are creating an album with minimal embellishments. If you are going for a slim/trim look then this is the one to use, otherwise I suggest style 2 or 3. Style 2 and 3 are nearly the same. The difference is the size of the hinges. If you are ok with small hinges then this will work just fine. Style 3 is the one I use nearly all the time. It gives me space for embellishments as well as layered, interactive pages and the hinges are larger to help keep those heavier pages snug in the album. Of course there are many variations you can create... just remember you need 20 total score lines for 6 pages with gutters. BEFORE you score your paper I suggest that you adhere tyvek to the back side. This will give your hinges extra longevity. The tyvek reinforces the paper so it will be less likely to tear and separate as time goes on. Score your hinges with the tyvek side down. Now that you have scored your tyvek backed paper it is time to fold it to create the hinges.

Next is adhering the two bits together that form the hinge. Keep gluing or using scor-tape until you have created your six hinges Now measure the width of your hinge. You will need to measure from first score line to last score line. (The Gutter is the first and last space on the hinge). Write it down, as you will need this information soon. (this measurement can change with each hing you build so measure each time; just to be sure.)

Now that you have your width of your hinge area mark your chipboard for cutting. Remember you will cut the chipboard 6 inches tall by the measurement you took of your newly created hinge piece. Take this opportunity to also cut out your front and back covers from the chipboard. You now have three pieces of cut chipboard that look like this.

You need to cut 3 pieces from your cardstock. 1 measures 6.5 inches tall by 7 inches wide (the width can be anything you like, but I strongly suggest you have at least 5 inches more total width than the measurement you took to cut the chipboard spine. Next cut a pice of tyvek 5 7/8 x 6 7/8 inches to reinforce the spine cover. It is your hinge for the front and back covers and you want it reinforced so it will not tear over time. Adhere the tyvek to the spine cover, use any adhesive you like. (I use wet glue). Next take the two small pieces of card you cut (1.5 x 3) Cut the width down to match the width of the spine.

Then cover the piece with adhesive and adhere one piece to the top and the other to the bottom of the chipboard spine piece, wrapping it over the bottom edge. Keep the piece even as possible.

Stach your spine and spine cover and find the center. Mark the spine cover along one side. Take the spine piece and apply adhesive over the entire back. This piece supports the weight of your pages, you don t want it to fall off.

Place spine onto spine cover, using the mark you made to keep it centered. Next is the hinges. On the back side, find the first and last score line, this is where you place your adhesive.

Apply adhesive to the back of the hinges. Adhere hinges to spine chipboard piece. The area between the score lines should fit perfectly on the chipboard. Press firmly between the hinges to assure a good and solid stick.

When you lift the wings your piece will look like this. Set the spine and hinges aside. You will need two pieces of cardstock cut to 8 x 10 inches. This will give you a one inch border all the way around when you go to wrap your covers. Apply adhesive to one side of the cover chipboard. I usually do 4 strips of adhesive.

Place the chipboard, adhesive side down on to your cut piece of cardstock, center it as best you can. Next is mitering the corners. I use the perfect trim ruler. You can use a straight edege of any kind but you need to have 1/4 inch of paper beyond the corner to make a pretty folded corner. This is what it looks like with all the corners cut.

You should train the paper in preparation for being folded over. I simply roll the edge on my table top. You can use your bone folder and gently start wraping it up as well. The choice is yours. Next, apply adhesive to the cardstock and the chipboard, doing two opposite ends. this is important... you want to fold the paper in a specific manner. Fold the paper over and adhere to the chipboard.

gently burnish the edge so it is flat. Now do the same on the opposite side. Your cover will look like this.

Apply your adhesive to the other two sides of the cardstock and chipboard. Before you fold the edges over you want to finish the corners by folding in the cardstock at the corner. Use your bone folder or your finger. The tiny fold should look like this. Do it on both ends.

Fold over the paper and see the beautiful, professional looking corner you just made. Do it again on the last side. Finish the other cover in exactly the same way.

It s time to put it all together. Get out your Spine/Hinge piece You will need a shim for the next step. take two small pieces of scrap chipboard and glue them together. You will use this to place your covers on your spine/hinge piece. Lift the wing of your hinges so you can see the inside of your spine cover. Place the shim tight against the spine chipboard and draw a line to mark the spacing.

Place adhesive from the line you drew to the edge of the spine cover, covering the entire exposed area with glue or scor-tape. Take your shim and place it next to the chipboard again to make sure your spacing is correct as you place the cover. Take one of your covers and place it on the spine cover, snugly against the shim. Making sure you are well centered with your spine piece. Press firmly into place.

The wing from the hinges needs to be adhered down. Cover with adhesive.. but only to where the cover will attach, do not go into the area where the gutter is.

Burnish to make certain of a good stick. Now you want to create the gutter so your cover will open and close easily. With your bone folder, gently run it up and down the gutter area while closing the cover until you have the cover moving freely. This can take several runs so be patient. You don t want to tear the paper. Do the same exact steps for the other cover.

Now, the envelope for the pages. You will need two pieces of card for each page cut to 6 x 7.5 inches Score both along the 7.5 inch edge 1/2 inch in. They will look like this

Gently fold at the score line and crease with your bone folder. keeping the flap folded up, apply adhesive to one of the pieces of the envelope. With both flaps facing inward, adhere the pages together, flap to plain edge. Align the edges so there is no gap or overlapping.

Open up the envelope so the flap is facing upwards, apply adhesive to flap. fold together so both flaps are on the inside and join at outer edges.

You now have your envelope

Test fit of envelope over hinge. If the envelope does not want to easily slip over the hinge, snip off the corners at an angle (mitre). You should need to trim a very small amount. Apply glue to the hinge. Slip the envelope over, press to seal the glue and paper. Let it dry until the page isn t going to move then glue in your next page. Your book is now ready for you to start adding your papers and embellishments. Note: For the photo mats that go inside the envelopes I usually make them 1/2 longer than the envelope. The length of the mat will depend on how you are going to edge or finish the edge. There is a video tutorial on my website. www.koalakat.com Happy Crafting.