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Graduation Memory Book
Difficulty - Easy
A memory book makes a perfect gift for a graduate of any age. You can capture graduation memories or add sentimental photos for the grad going away to school. The theme of memory book can be changed to suite the style of the grad.
Materials
- Cardstock – cut from reused shirt box (for the front and back cover)
- Coordinated styles of double-sided scrapbooking paper – cardstock weight (for the cover and the pages)
- Coordinating twine or raffia (for binding the book)
- Metal eyelets
- Photo corners
- Craft scissors
- Hole punch
- Glues stick
- Craft Glue
Instructions
- Cut two pieces of cardstock from and old shirt box 5 inches by 6 inches wide. Fold one side of the short end on the cardstock over ½ inch to create some flexibility at the binding.
- Cut a piece of scrapbooking paper slightly larger than the cardstock. Apply glue stick to one side of the cardstock and attach, centering on the scrapbooking paper.
- Trim the corners off at an angle, making sure not to cut the cardstock.
- Add glue to the scrapbooking paper edges and fold down. Repeat on these steps on back cover.
- Cut a piece of the reversible side of the scrapbooking paper slightly smaller than the cardstock. Apply glue stick to wrong side of the scrapbooking paper and attach, centering it on the inside of the cover to give it a finished look. Repeat on the back cover.
- Cut pieces of coordinating scrapbooking paper slightly smaller than the covers of the book for the inside pages.
- Use photo corners to attach the photos to the pages. They may also be glued to attach them permanently.
- Glue accents to the front cover of the book with craft glue. Let dry.
- Punch holes in the cover on the binding and attach eyelets to stabilize.
- Line up the inside pages with the holes on the front and back cover and mark the location. Punch holes with a hole punch.
- Feed twine through the holes and tie to create the binding. Trim to matching lengths to finish your memory book.
Graduation Keepsake Box
Difficulty - Easy
A keepsake box is a great gift for holding items of interest picked up along the way. Fill the box with sentimental things from your Grad’s past for the extra special touch. The box can even be used to hold a gift for an extra surprise when it is opened.
Materials
- Unfinished wooden box with latch
- Acrylic craft paint
- Two sheets of coordinating double-sided scrapbooking paper – cardstock weight (two different styles)
- One sheet matching felt (to cover the bottom of the box)
- Photo
- Coordinating ribbon
- Glass seed beads (for the center of the ribbon flowers)
- Decorative accents
- Craft scissors
- Craft Glue
Instructions
- Paint the entire wooden box with a foam brush and acrylic craft glue. Only paint one coat to let some of the wood grain show through. Let dry.
- Cut a piece of scrapbooking paper the size of the top of the box. Apply glue to wrong side of the scrapbooking paper and attach to the top of the box. Make sure to smooth it out all the bubbles.
- Cut two pieces of scrapbooking paper the size of the inside of the top of the box and bottom of the box. Apply glue to wrong side of the scrapbooking paper and attach to the inside of the box. Make sure to smooth it out all the bubbles.
- Cut a piece of the reversible side of the scrapbooking paper slightly larger than the photo to create a matte. Apply glue to wrong side of the photo and attach, centering it on the matte.
- Cut a piece of felt slightly smaller than the bottom of the box. Apply craft glue to the bottom of the box and attach the felt. Let dry.
- To make ribbon flowers , cut eight 3 inch pieces of rose silk ribbon. Fold the ends to middle, overlapping about 1/8 inch and glue together to form a loop.
- Apply glue to the inside center to create two loops.
- Glue the four of the ribbon loops together, one at a time onto the center of each other to form a flower.
- Fill in the center of the flower with craft glue. Sprinkle beads onto the glue so all of the spaces are filled in. Some adjusting may need to be done to the center of the flower by adding dots of glue and adding more beads. Let dry.
- Attach the photo, ribbon and decorative accents to the top of the memory box to complete your custom gift.
Graduation Cap Gift Card Holder
Difficulty - Easy
Gift cards and money are the most popular graduation gifts — here is a great way to give them a personal touch. A gift holder is made to look like a graduation cap from the front but gift box from the back. You untie the box and the gift is inside. This cap can also reusable.
Materials
- 12 x12 black scrapbooking paper – cardstock weight
- Purchased tassel or one made for embroidery floss
- ¼ inch wide black satin ribbon
- Black button
- Tissue paper to match the tassel color
- Glue stick
- Craft glue
Instructions
- On the wrong side of the paper, mark the center point on all sides and draw a line to the opposite side’s center point on both the top and sides of the paper.
- On the wrong side of the paper, fold each corner into the center of the square.
- Using the glue stick, apply glue to the wrong side of each folder corner flap and fold down to secure.
- Cut two pieces of black ribbon measuring the diagonal length from corner to corner.
- Using the craft glue, attach the ribbon to the paper square on the diagonal, centering the ribbon evenly on the top folded seam and trimming the corners to match the corners of the paper.
- Fold each corner of the paper down into the center point of the square again.
- Cut two 11 inch strips of black ribbon and two 4 inch pieces of ribbon.
- Apply craft glue to center of the triangle flaps and attach the strips of ribbon to all sides. Create loops with the smaller pieces so the longer pieces can be feed through and tied. Let dry.
- Crumple a piece of tissue paper and fit it into the inside of the gift card holder. Feed the ribbon tails though the ribbon loops and tie a bow.
- Cut a piece of sturdy cardstock about the length of a credit card and about 1/4 inch wide.
- Wind the embroidery floss about 10 times around the lenght of cardstock . Feed a strand of floss through the top of the floss and tie for a tail and to secure the top of the tassel.
- Wrap a strand of floss about 4 times around the top of the card stock about ½ inch from the top and tie to secure.
- Cut the bottom strands of the floss to create the tassel fringe.
- Slide the card out of the tassle – re-tie the knot at the top, if needed, to tighten the tassel.
- Attach the tail of the tassel to the center front of the gift card holder with craft glue.
- Glue the black button on the direct center to finish the look.
Graduation Tissue Box Gift Wrap
Difficulty - Easy
Rather than toss tissues boxes into the recycle bin, they can be covered with wrapping paper, accented with ribbon and fabric flowers to create a whimsical, reusable gift box. The top opening is cut larger to accommodate a larger gift and reused tissue is inserted into the opening to create a playful display. Choose a theme that matches your graduates school colors the box’s charm.
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