Homemade Mother's Day Album from Toilet Paper Roll

by Kathleen Margaret Charity B. Hernandez
(Manila, PHILIPPINES)

A thoughtful and economical Mother’s Day project that everyone would enjoy making . . . .!

INTRODUCTION:

I always like to surprise my mom with a thoughtful and at times a handmade gift – may it be on Mother’s Day or on her birthday.

I’ve been living with my mom since I was born and had grown so attached with her. Though she sometimes fancy dreaming or seeing me get married and have a family of my own, I still know that deep inside she wants her children to still be with her or even just be near her at times she feels so lonely.

I would catch her lament on how unappreciated she feels or how she felt that she has been taken fore granted years back and until now. Though most of us, family members are now home – me and my dad. We try to keep her and each other company to fight off the loneliness and the heaviness that old age gives. Thus this Mother’s Day, I would like to have my mom feel how important she has been and still is to us her children.

I’ve created a toilet paper roll album for her - a way to economize and at the same time exercise my creativity. This mini album is compact and just the right size for her to keep as a keepsake from me even if I do go away and have my own family in the future. This is to remind her of all the love I have for her.

I would like my mom to know how I see her as a mom, as you can see in the sentiments I’ve utilized on my mini album. And I would like her to know how much I appreciate everything that she did and does for our family. It’s my way of saying, "We Love You Mom and A Happy Mother’s Day!"


MATERIALS & TOOLS UTILIZED:

SUPPLIES:

1. Adhesives
   
2. Pattern Paper: Cosmo Cricket;
   
3. Cardstock: Star Paper Corp.;
   
4. Digi Images: The Stamping Boutique’s “Audrey with a Birthday Cake”, “Lola”, “Penny Candy”;
   
5. Flowers: All About Scrapbooking;
   
6. Brad: All About Scrapbooking;
   
7. Butterfly: All About Scrapbooking;
   
8. Buttons: All About Scrapbooking;
   
9. Rose Trim: All About Scrapbooking;
   
10. Glimmer Mist: Tattered Angels;
    
11. Chipboard Mini Dress From: Dusty Attic;
    
12. Gesso: Grumbacher;
    
13. Others: Empty Toilet Paper Rolls,Yarn, Canvas, Lace Ribbon, Metallic Heart Sticker, Acrylic Colour Paint
    

TOOLS:

1. One-Hole Punch: KW-Trio.
   
2. Craft Scissors
   

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare your Empty Toilet Paper Rolls:

1. Flatten (3) of your empty toilet paper rolls.
   
2. Measure your toilet paper rolls length (the longest side) and width (the shortest side).
   
3. Trim a pattern paper of your choice equivalent to the following measurements: (roll length + 1") by (2 x roll width + extra 1")
   
4. Now, cover your empty toilet paper roll with your trimmed pattern paper. Make sure that your pattern paper is glued tightly and flaps on both edges are tucked in along the width of your toilet paper roll.
   
5. Cover your (2) other empty toilet paper rolls with your choice of pattern paper as described from #1 to #3.
   
6. Using your one-hole punch (or if you have a Crop-a-dile), punch 2 evenly spaced holes on one side of your (3) covered toilet paper rolls. Make sure the holes are in the same spot from (1) toilet paper roll to the other.
   
7. Affix (2) metal binder rings by passing them through the punched holes. Thus, binding the (3) toilet paper rolls into a mini album. (You may use ribbons instead of metal binder rings.)
   
8. Tie 3 different colored yarns on the rings as your mini album trimmings.
   
9. Measure and cut 3 tags out of your chosen colored cardstock to fit inside each of your (3) toilet paper rolls. You may round the edges of these tags. Make sure that these tags protrude from the end side of your toilet paper roll. Punch a hole on the protruding top portion of your tag and tie a yarn (of your desired color) through the tag’s hole.
   
10. Decorate the pages of your prepared toilet paper roll album.
    

Decorate your Covered Toilet Paper Roll Album:

Cover or 1st page & tag:

1. Print your digi image.
   
2. Stitch (2) pieces of trim to overlap each other forming a braid. Glue down your stitched trim on the left side. Add and glue buttons and flowers on your trim.
   
3. Adhere your digi image on right of your trim with your chosen sentiment adhered on the farthest right end of your cover page. (You may choose to color your digi image.)
   
4. Add and adhere mini flowers on the bottom of your image.
   
5. On your tag:
   1. Trim your canvas cloth in a right triangle shape. Adhere on your tag.
      
   2. Apply a small amount of gesso on your canvas and around its edges.
      
   3. Paint your mini dress form chipboard in pink. Let dry. Affix a scrap piece of your trim as skirt of your dress form.
      
   4. Affix your heart stickers, flower and the dress from on the lower left corner of your tag slightly away from your canvas cloth.
      
   5. Print your message or sentiment on cardstock and cut it in strips. Pop it up on your canvas cloth.
      
   
   

2nd Page & 2nd tag:

1. Glue one piece of trim vertically on the left side of your page. Adhere mini flowers on your trim.
   
2. Print your digi image and pop up on the center or slightly on the right side of your trim. (You may choose to color your digi image.)
   
3. On your 2nd tag:
   1. Print out your sentiment / message and cut into strips. Position them on your tag.
      
   2. Decorate further with a butterfly and buttons as desired.
      
   
   

3rd Page & 3rd tag:

1. Glue (1) piece of trim on the bottom of your page. Adhere mini satin flowers on your trim.
   
2. Print your digi image and position on the left side of your page. (You may choose to color your digi image.)
   
3. Print your sentiment / message and cut into strip. Pop up onto your page.
   
4. On your 3rd tag:
   1. Spray yellow glimmer mist on your mini dress form chipboard. Let dry.
      
   2. Adhere rosette trim on top and bottom of your tag horizontally.
      
   3. Position your heart stickers on the left center of your tag.
      
   4. Print your sentiment or message and cut into strips. Adhere on center of your tag.
      
   5. Glue your dress form on the right center of your tag.
      
   
   

Now, you have one fully decorated and economical 3-page toilet paper roll album for Mother's Day!


Anything else you'd like to share about your project?

You can choose any color scheme you'd like for your toilet paper roll. I chose a bit of vintage and rich color scheme for mine, leaving behind my digital image uncolored to give it more attention making it pop out from all the dark rich colors.

You also need a fast drying adhesive for your heavy embellishments or any suitable adhesive for fabric, chipboard and metal. You wouldn't want your embellishments falling off, right?

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