If you’re like most people, you took tons of pictures on your phone and maybe with a “regular” camera. Some of you might even download the pictures to your computer. But how many of you actually print your photos to pass around and show off? I do. I also collect and save souvenirs from my vacations. When my kids were little, I made sure I had three of everything (one for each of them). Instead of throwing mementos in a shoe box, I made vacation memory books.
I bought a hard cover book at Goodwill. A standard size book is manageable and fits on a shelf. I also needed colorful duct tape, card stock in various colors, a large loose-leaf binder ring, glue stick and a hole punch.
Cut the covers from the spine. Fold the duct tape over the cut edges for a nice neat finish. It’s almost impossible to cut a hole through the cover with a hole punch, so I used my scissors to (carefully) make a hole.
Cut the colored card stock paper a little smaller than the width and height of the cover. Punch a hole in the corner. Cut and glue souvenirs and photos to the pages. Add dates and note, just like you would with a scrap book.
Decorate the front and inside covers. You can make one for every major life event or just keep adding to the original. Let your kids write comments and notes. Someday, they’ll enjoy reminiscing and sharing memories.