DIY Brag Book

Hi, it's Randi from Swoon here with a sweet little gift idea for Mother's Day!  

If you're like me, the wish at the top of your Mom's list is always more photos of you and your family.  When people ask to see pictures of my family, I've been known to whip out my phone, which serves as my digital photo album.  Chances are your Mom doesn't appreciate the benefits of her phone as much as you do, so why not make her a good old fashioned brag book this Mother's Day?  These are so easy to make, you may find yourself making one for yourself, and Grandma too!

To make one brag book, you'll need to gather 3 pieces of white card stock paper, 1 piece of colored paper for the cover (I used brown kraft paper), 2 colorful rubber bands, a hole punch, 10 wallet sized photos, and some glue or double sided tape.

1. Cut your paper.  Cut each sheet of paper in half length wise, forming 4.25" x 11" strips.  Cut those strips of paper in half again to form rectangles that are 4.25" x 5.5."  Discard two of the white rectangles, leaving ten pieces of white paper and two pieces of colored paper.

2. Attach your photos. Glue or tape a photo to the right side of each white rectangle.  You can write special messages to the recipient on the left side, include information about the photo, or leave it blank.

3. Punch a hole.  Put your rectangles in proper order and stack.  Add a cover piece to the top and bottom of the pile.  Punch a hole on the left side of each page near the middle.

4. Secure with rubber bands.  Slip a rubber band halfway through your newly punched hole and through itself to form a knot.  Use the other rubber band to keep the book closed by wrapping it around the book vertically or horizontally.