We've Got You Covered: Custom Album Covers for Any Occasion
22 June 2010
Author: Nicole Ratzlaff
I have a hard time passing up a good deal. Dollar bins, dollar stores or discount aisles, they are a magnet for me. I can spend hours looking for things that inspire me or that I can repurpose or use in another way. I often pick up that odd looking album that has a specific theme on front that doesn’t fit my life at this time - but for the right price that album will be mine. And sure, it might sit on the shelf for awhile, but not too long because I know that one day all those things I find will become something new, something different, something that is totally perfect for me. When all else fails, I create custom album covers to perfectly match each album to my needs.
Simple Covered Albums
For a simple, modern look, try covering your album with a simple piece of felt. Just lay the album on the felt, open the pages and trace it with chalk. Leave a little length on each to create flaps for the album covers to slide into and then stitch the edges. Simple and easy and any album magically becomes a modern black one that can be used for any purpose.
Truly Customized Album Covers
Now let's mix it up and take our custom felt album cover up a notch. Here I used a vibrant and fun needlepoint flip flop on the cover. I cut a photo mat from mat board and wrapped it in summery paper and added coordinating embellishments and papers to perfect my custom album cover.
Personalized Album Covers
Another way you can customize your album covers is through personalization. Using a Frame a Name album, a photo or other artwork that you enjoy making (such as a cross stitch or other needle craft), or adding a monogram to an album makes it one of a kind.
Themed Album Covers
Creating seasonal albums such as Halloween, summer vacation or Christmas are other ideas. Consider a hobby album such as gardening or baking. Creating one for school or baby or artwork are other ideas that would make for great custom album covers as well.
Creative Custom Album Covers
The ideas for what you could create an album for are lengthy, and just as lengthy is the list of how you could embellish the albums you create.
- You could use found items to make the album—anything from a cereal box to washcloths, an album can be made from anything you dream up.
- For me, I love sewing as well as scrapbooking, so I often find inspiration in the many bolts in a fabric store. Felt is one that I love to create with because it is inexpensive and forgiving to create with.
- Adding in things such as sand, seashells or driftwood would make for a special vacation album.
- Or using other creative outlets such as needlecraft as I did here is another idea.
- Maybe a quilt square if you quilt, and then an album full of those items you quilted.
- Or a cover full of bows, and pictures of your little girl in all her hair bows on the inside.
I think you see where I am going with this; the only limit on what you can use or create is your own imagination, and I know you have a great imagination!
Custom Covers for Damaged Albums
These ideas can be applied to any theme you have a need for. In addition to themes for album covers, if you have a stained album or an album that sits out and gets dusty you could duplicate the look and feel of your album by making a custom album cover, or you could create matching covers so that all of your albums have the same look and feel on your shelf for symmetry reasons.
There are many great reasons to make custom album covers, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with!