i am helping my daughters girl scout troop make paperbag albums. anyone have some tips? i haven't made one before. i have two weeks before we do it. any help, tips, advice would be sooooo appreciated. thank you, anji
Too bad I can't send you my DD. She makes them all the time. My GS troop (Cadette) makes a paperbag album or an accordian fold album after every major activity. We use three lunch sacks, stacked together starting with a closed end on the bottom left so the cover is thicker. After folding all in half I mark three holes on the top one on the left side and just holepunch one bag at a time to save the stress on the hole punch. We use holes for tying ribbon and fiber on the spine, and we also staple the albums together. I did find that the new Fastenater is great for this as well as regular staples. When we decorate the albums I usually use glue or a sticky tab to fasten one side of the open end together so there is only one slot to slide a tag or picture into (I hope you understand what I mean - it's where the bag folds in at the top and makes the 'V' on the side - just glue one side down, it makes sliding stuff inside easier.) Then just decorate with paper and cardstock. When I go to a Brownie or Junior meeting to teach them how to make the albums I usually pre-staple the bags and do the holes myself as well as pre cut several pieces of paper the right size to give the girls a headstart and to show they what size they need to cover a whole page. It saves time and they get to spend more time decorating and less on the construction process. Then I give them a box of scrap pieces along with ribbon and fibers and sometimes a few brads and let them go at it. I have two paperbag albums in my webshots account, one in the Miscellaneous album and one in the Challenges album.
Talking about paperbag albums... I found HEB has WINE size paper bags. I got about 10 of them a few weeks ago when I was there. And to the COMPAINERS!!!...I asked if I could have 10 of them. SO I did get them FREE. They are about 4" wide and 15"-long. I would guess after you sew it together you have a space for a pic and some journaling!. They look kinda kool!
cowchipper
Oh wow! I never gave them a thought. My niece owns a liquor store and I can get 1/2 pint, pint and quart size bags. Thanks for the idea. I think I'll stop before going to the crop tomorrow and get some. My DD will be thrilled with different sizes of bags to use. You wouldn't even have to crop a photo if you didn't want to. Sandy
April I'm really proud of you that you asked! I get free things too, but I always ask just incase. No one has ever said no.... yet. Usually they think I'm silly like the time I asked the green grocer if I could have 40 twist ties. I needed them for a craft project and I really didn't know where'd you buy such a thing. Then there was the time I needed to buy 2 nails. They weigh them to charge you. The cashier looked at me with a grimace like I was wasting his time and told me with a laugh in his voice to put them in my purse and get out of there. :)
BTW you mentioned bags I was at the new grocery store in town called Winco and they have you bag your own groceries and I spied some bags that look like they'd make a great albums too. They are wider than the ones I have purchased around here. I'm going to ask if I can have a few next time I'm in too.
Lynne
I didn't know there were different sizes until I purchased a paper bag album off of ebay. I like having a pattern in my hands. Anyhow it was 2 inches wider than the lunch sacks I buy at the grocery store and have on hand. I found some that were 1 inch wider at KMart. I just figure the gal had bought some online.
Lynne
K-Mart is where I buy the ones we use because they are a little bit wider. Sandy
I'm itching to try and make one of these paper bag albums.... I'll have to go into the supermarket next week and get some of the lunch bags and give it a go! luv Cec...xxx
Oh to be able to get some paperbags free LOL I have to buy any bags I use over here (Lunchbag sized anyway), other than the commissary on post for groceries. (and to get paper ones at the commissary you have to beg and plead :D) Most plastic store bags (that's our choice or you can buy a flimsy cloth one for 50cent euro or so) are 15 cent euro. You can also take your nice basket in to the store to get goodies as well.
Now if I could just figure out how to not have so much trash and make it two weeks between garbage pickups (yep...and only 3 bags of kitchen sized trash fit in the can), I'd be all the better.
I digressed... sorry! I really want to try a paperbag album sometime. Thanks to whoever it was posting the about.com link! I'm going to just do it... maybe work on it this weekend.
Susan & Boys Malsch, Germany
Marktkauf has free paperbags. At least in our area. Go to
I don't know if you do this allready but you are supposed to separate your trash. Usually there isn't, resp. shouldn't be, much left over for the trash can then. You can always bring your wrapping (umverpackung) back to the supermaket or leave it there after you bought your stuff. Isn't Malsch close to Stuttgart? Were you affected by the strikes?
Susanne
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