MINI TAG MERRY-G0-ROUND ALBUM TUTORIAL - PART I

As promised, here is Part I of my tutorial for this DARLING and fun mini tag album that I found on YouTube a couple of weeks ago. I LOVE MINI ALBUMS!  It is made using only 1 piece of 12x12 paper!  I watched the tutorial from Paperkitz. Here is the link to her tutorial. It's nicely done and easy to follow, but I thought a written guide would also be nice.

I did a little sample tag album (below in gold) to show how it's done, so that is what I'll cover today, the basics of putting it together. 

 THIS IS MY PINK ALBUM I'M PLAYING WITH BUT NOT DONE YET.

Here is the basic cutting diagram. Use a heavy cardstock or kraft paper. You get 6 tags and the 6 inch piece will be the binding which is cut down to 6 x 5-1/2".

These 3x6 inch pieces are your tags, or you can buy precut tags of this size for this particular 3x6  album. Once you learn how to make this album of this size, then you can cut or buy different sizes of tags and make any size album you want. Here is what the cut pieces look like:

You will be scoring the 6 x 5-1/2" piece for the binding.

To make your tags:

Cut off each tip, about 1/4" from tip inward.

After cutting one tip off, use it as a pattern for the other tip so that they will be even.

  

For the binding, score the 6" x 5-1/2" square at every 1/2". Put the 6" edge along the top of your score board.

Once it's scored, accordian fold it tightly and press hard and bone fold your creases.

It will look like this - this is your binding.

If you decorate each tag, front and back, BEFORE you put the binding on (like I did below), then the binding does show on the left page.  As shown below, the 1/2" binding covers the inside left page of the album.  If you decorate each tag afterwards, then the binding is covered up.

If you want to add pockets or belly bands, then put those on your tags BEFORE adding the binding.

I'll show how to make pockets and belly bands in part II of this tutorial.

If you are distressing your tags, I would suggest distressing each before you add the binding. 

You can also make an album with 2-sided heavy duty cardstock and use pretty prints. Then you don't have to add another piece of paper on top of the tag, which is what I did with this pink booklet.  In the Paterkitz video, she did a basic album using white cardstock, and then decorated each page by making smaller tags of print papers and gluing the papers to each side of the tag.

OK.. now to add the binding. This is the fun and neat part!

Lay out your accordian folded binding as shown below, with the ends facing UP (below):

You will start gluing each tag from RIGHT to left. Start on the right flap that is pointing up, and put glue or score tape (or use your ATV gun) to glue along the far right flap. Then place a tag on top of the flap as shown below. Abut the tag right next to the score line but not over it.

See where the flap is underneath this first tag. BE SURE THE BOTTOMS ARE LINED UP.

I really like SCOTCH Quick Drying Tacky Glue for gluing.  You need a good strong tape or glue. This quick dry glue does not pucker the paper and dries really fast.  If you don't want to mess with glue, use the red tape or score tape that comes in rolls for a really strong hold. Your Tombo adhesives will not hold the booklet together as it is not strong enough.

You will be placing each tag in the VALLEY of the accordian folds. Glue the RIGHT side of the valley that is to the LEFT of the tag you just placed:

and then place the next tag, being careful to line up along the bottom and place it right next to the score fold in the valley (see below):

See how the next tag is placed? line up the bottoms of the tags and binding.

 Now continue placing each tag as described above. It should look like this as you add the tags:

Remember, you are working from right to left.  When you place the last tag on the far left valley, there will be a loose flap on the far left sticking up (below). Glue or tape that flap and press it down onto that last tag that you just glued down.

Here is what it looks like after you glue that top flap down.

Now press the entire booklet flat, like this and burnish with your finger or bone folder all of the 1/2" bindings that you glued or taped.

You have one more step to finish the binding.  You will notice that the back side of the booklet is still floppy and open. You want to glue together the remaining accordian folds. Stand the booklet up with the accordian folds pulled apart. Top of tags should be to your right (see below). Now put glue or tape on either side of each valley fold so that when you squish the book together, all of those folds will get pulled together. You only need to glue one side but if you do both, that's OK. It is hard to explain it here, but just picture in your head that you want all of these folds to be stuck together!

When you're done, squish the folds together, and hold and press down, hold and press down, until it has adhered.  I put something heavy on top for a few minutes to be sure it sticks really well.

I liked using the Scotch Quick Drying glue here as you can kind of spread it along the outer folds and it acts like a binding.  It dries clear so you can't even see it.

Now you can lay your album down and it opens up like this (below) or you can stand it up like a Merry-Go-Round!  Neat huh?

 

At this point, you can punch the tops of the tags.  If you have a Crop-A-Dile punch, you can punch all 6 tags at once.  I punched about 1/2" down from the top of the tag and centered the hole.

If you've used design papers, then your album is almost done! All you have to do is add embellishments, lace, ribbons, stamps, etc.  My pink album shown at the top of this post used my Close to My Heart Chantilly papers for the actual tags. For my gold booklet, I'll have to cut some pretty papers and glue them on each side of the tags. I'll probably cut some smaller tag shapes to use.

See my Part II tutorial coming soon, and I will show you how to add pockets, belly bands, photo flaps and mini booklets to put inside your pockets.  And I'll (hopefully) show you my finished pink book!

I hope you have fun with this! I LOVE it and plan to make many more. Email me if you have any questions, or make a comment and I will respond.