Altered: Board Game

I was on the lookout for a cabinet door that I could make into a tray when I stumbled upon this wooden game board for $1 at the thrift store. I lightly sanded the edges, applied a clear coat and added drawer handles.

Total cost: $5

This was a featured product back in the early days of Craftster!

Altered: Lunchbox Album

Okay, really it is the Target Dollar Spot CD storage box, not an over-priced, un-decorated lunchbox intended to be decorated with patterned paper and ribbons.

From blank 12x12 neutral toned cardstock, I stamped a background and cut 6x6 pages to mount photos. I free-handed tabbed dividers (as shown) and then used two circle punched pieces of cardstock affixed back to back at the top of a page to create additional tabs. The big clip (also Target $ spot) allows me to rotate the pages out for display (the tag is blurred out b/c it contains vital info I'd rather not share on the interweb).

It's hard to estimate the exact cost of this project, but depending on your supplies you could probably do something similar for under $10, of course, the memories of photos are priceless! I mean who knew the girl in the mirror would one day wear a mickey mouse sweater for her post-braces photo?!

Cross-posted: getcrafty, SCS

Altered: AOL case accordian scrapbook

This post is a shout-out to a former coworker who gave me this AOL promo case with a challenge that I make something with it. That was probably 2 years ago.

Yesterday, while shopping the Target $ Spot I saw 10 sheets of 12x12 scrapbook paper and saw the opportunity to make an accordian scrapbook.

The inside pages were cut to approx 4.75 x 12 and then folded accordian-style and glued together with the last section being glued in the bottom of the case. There are 12 panels of photos. The whole thing will be tied up with ribbon.

I love Picasa for making those photo pile photos and the ease of blogging about it.

[crossposted at getcrafty]

Altered: Lunchbag Book

My birthday buddy loves to make (and eat) cupcakes so a perfect gift for her is a lunchbag picture book of how to make cupcakes starring her (she likes seeing photos of herself)!

Stack lunchbags and fold in half, hole punch and ribbon thread for binding.
Some pages will have openings (from the lunchbags) in which you can create pull-out pages, front and back.

This idea isn't limited to making story books, it could be a photo/memory album, a quote or prayer book, a journal or anything you can think needs to be preserved and carried around!