Caterpillar Mini Album | Lydia Cost

I’m so totally over the moon about my first FJ blog post, and I’ve been feeling the outpouring of love from all of you guys! I figured I’d make a statement with my first official project by making a caterpillar album. I haven’t made one of these for at least ten years, and it felt like coming back to my roots to fill this cutie with all the amazing pieces from the Shay kit.

I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret; the best way to add a little fluff to your handmade album covers is…. Recycled dryer sheets! All you need is a little chipboard, a pretty patterned paper, and those leftover dryer sheets, all wrinkled from the dryer. I like my albums to be 4x4, so I cut and trim my album to those dimensions, but you can choose whatever square size you like. For the extra professional looking covers, you simply tuck 4-5 recycled dryer sheets between the chipboard and patterned paper and stitch it up! Thank me later for how proud you will be of yourself after seeing the end-product!

The inside of the caterpillar album is made by cutting your patterned papers into 3 – 8x8 sections, and then you fold them in an accordion fold. Make sure to alternate the middle sheet, so that it is facing backwards. I recommend practicing on some scrap paper, before folding your chosen patterned papers. You can adhere using red-liner tape, glue, or I personally prefer to stitch it with my sewing machine.

Working with diamond shaped photos can be a little tricky, so I recommend printing your photos to a 5x7 size. This size works best with photos that are taken with a centered subject, with plenty of background.

Now that you’ve got your photos arranged, you’ll go about adding all the pretty things from the Shay kit to your stunning little album. Make sure to leave some of the triangles for journaling and titles.

I added a little dimension and flair to my photos by layering the scalloped papers, embellishments, and lots of stitching onto my photos for some added detail. I also chose to bend a photo down the center and pop it up, to draw the eye in. I love the way it looks on that corner!

I finished up my album with a little more journaling and a splash of floral die-cuts. I’m obsessed with the floral die-cuts in the Shay kit, and I’m a little sad that they are almost gone.

I hope this look inside my caterpillar album gives you some inspiration for your Shay kit, and thank you again for welcoming me so wonderfully into the FJ community.

Xo Lydia

SUPPLIES: Shay Kit | Shay Paper Pack | Shay Die Cut Shapes | Shay Chipboard Alphabet Stickers | Shay Puffy Word Stickers | Shay Clear Jar of Chipboard Asterisks