Mini personalised DIY photo album

Today we bring you the explanation on how to create a DIY mini-album in which we have used TodoStencil materials like wooden penants, stencils and stencil paste.

Hello TodoStencil followers,

We find ourselves already at the end of February and for the last post of the month, missing those days back in summer, I have chosen to create a DIY minialbum really 'mini'. I wanted to surprise my 16 years old daughter with some pictures of her summertime childhood. As I wanted it to be something original and about the sea, I have used TodoStencil wooden pennants which I find ideal for this project.

First of all i have applied a couple of wooden colouring layers, I have used wengue colour cheme, but you can use the one that you like the most. Heat gun can be used for a faster dry process.

Once it is dry, I have rubbed the edges with a candle

Once dry, I rubbed the edges with a candle and I marked stripes to recreate the look of some false planks. I have given two layers of white paint on top, making sure it dries between layer and layer. For the inside, where the pictures will go, I have just painted one layer. You can also use the heat gun here. Once dry, I have sanded very slowly the areas where I had applied the wax, not to make the painting fell off. You can see how the final effect is similar to some wooden planks.

Next step has been to apply a stencil that I love and I find super-seaworthy for the cover, the sea snail stencil. To apply it, I have used a bit of stencil paste adding some turquoise pigment to make it colourful. If you don't have any pigment, you can just add some paint. I have applyed it over all the surface. I have done this process for the cover and the back of the mini-album.

While drying, I have chosen the wooden anchor silhouette and I have done the same process as I did to the penants: dye, apply wax, white-painting and sanding.

For the inside I have used the splatter effect stencil with blue paint to keep giving it a rustic and sea-worthy finish. I have also used the sea nail stencil for the same purpose. I haven't used stencil paste here because we need the surface to be as plain as possible for the pictures and the decoration.

Once we have done all of this, we just need to add the pictures and decorate it a bit. As I wanted the sea nail to be the main focus of the cover, I have just applied the wooden anchor and a seashell, together with some threads, to a corner of the pennant. I have used a glue gun to apply it.

Finally I have added splattered white paint and purpurine glue to add some volume and detail. On the inside, some pictures of my dauther back when she was little, with seaworth papercuts and stamps. To be able to close the photo album i have added a bit of thread to the holes in the spine.

I really hope you all like it and encourage you to try creating yours.

See you next time,

Lola