How to Bind Single Sheets Into an Album

I've been using mat board as a base for my mixed media projects.  (You can find it near the framing department in your local craft store or ask a framer if they have any trimmings you can have.) I like the mat board because it's sturdy and because it has a background color on at least one side. I have some that are metallic that make really cool backgrounds without needing to paint!

Here are a few of my first attempts...

I wanted to bind some of my projects into a book, so I worked on both sides of the mat board.  When I had around eight to ten "finished" pieces, I tried to figure out how to bind them into a book. I knew that sewing the mat board with traditional book binding stitches wouldn't work because the board is too thick and rigid.  I found a tutorial on YouTube by My Creative Spirit where she binds chipboard pages into a mini album. It didn't look too difficult and it seemed to fit what I was looking for.  I made a larger album with my first mixed media art pages and really liked the result.

Here's a flip through of the first book I made.

I cut some of the mat board into quarters and made some more art on those. I decided to record the process of binding these into a mini album. Instead of using cardstock to bind the mat board, however, I tried using fiber tape (wall board tape) to connect the pieces instead. It turned out okay in the end, though I think I would glue the tape down the next time as it is so flexible that the book isn't square.

Hope you enjoy tutorial!

The bound album!

New YouTube Video

Here's a flip through some of the mixed media index cards I made for the 2014 Index Card a Day challenge from  Daisy Yellow. I hope to show how I bound the album in another video...