Thursday, October 6, 2011

Easy-Peasy Scrapbook from an Ordinary Paper Lunch Bag!

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to share these instructions with you on how to make a very simple scrapbook out of paper lunch bags.  This works great with any color of bag, especially those ordinary brown ones you may already have on hand!

To create your lunch bag scrapbook, fold three lunch bags in half, short end to short end.  Use a bone folder or a pencil or pen to make sure the folded side has a tight crease.  Like this:


Using a single-hole punch, punch four holes into the folded edge of the bags, about 1/2 inch inward from the edge of the fold, like this:

Cut four lengths of your favorite narrow ribbon into 3 1/2 inch sections, thread them through the holes and tie in a secure knot, like this:


Now I ask you - is this easy-peasy or what?  And they're so much fun to make!

Because I already had a scrapbook shell (a white one left over from several I made for my granddaughter's recent birthday party), I decided to take it with me on my business trip to Salt Lake City, Utah.  This way, I could create a memento for Isabel. I've learned that kids love to see evidence of your other life, the one you lead that has nothing to do with them!  And it's also a fun memory for you too!  I've completed several of these over the years and I love looking through them every now and then.  Of course the best thing is they're so easy!  Especially if you've already created the shell.  All you need for the trip is a pair of scissors, some colored pencils and a glue stick.  The rest is up to you!  Here's my latest example:

The idea behind this scrapbook in particular is to keep things SIMPLE! 

The U.S. map came from a newspaper, the ticket stubs are from the Airlines.  Draw a few photos and you get your idea across.  And underneath the flap?

A gum wrapper! Thanks for the gum Paula! 
Inside the first pocket (#1), I put a grocery list I found; someone left it on the flight before ours! And more paper from our boarding passes.

The "Little America Hotel" paper lid is what hotels put over glasses to keep them clean.  I just snipped it all the way around so it would lay down flat.  And of course there's more fabulous artwork by yours truly!

The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory label was cut from a bag of chocolates I bought at the Denver airport on our way to Salt Lake City. The photo from the hotel is from a magazine supplied by the hotel.

Underneath the chocolate label are little "chocolate cutouts" from the chocolate bag! I got two pieces each for my friends and traveling companions Paula and Kelli, and I had a larger one for myself. So it's only natural that I included such a wonderful delight in this scrapbook!  BTW - this is FABULOUS chocolate!!!!!!

Inside Pocket #2 is a map of the hotel that's given to all guests, along with a ticket stub from our conference.

A tea bag wrapper and a story about a bracelet I purchased at the Hotel Gift Shop.  

A laminated name tag given to me at our conference, along with a plastic heart that had mints inside.

For Pocket #3, I used the plastic heart as a template and made 2 other paper hearts.
These were great for writing sweet little messages to Isabel.

The back side is another glass cover.

As you can see, these are easy and fun to create.  It's even easier if you already have a "shell" created because you can take it with you and glue things into it as your trip progresses!  You can keep them simple like the one above, or you can get very creative and decorate them inside and out.  It's all up to you! 

That's it for now everyone.  Having returned home late yesterday afternoon to "Sweet Home Alabama", I now find there's about a gazillion things needing my attention.  But I was determined to get this post out to you before wading knee-deep into Choresville!

See you soon and have a lovely weekend!  Jan

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