How to Make Matchbox Mini Photo Albums

Matchboxes.  They're little.  They're cute.  And they're surprisingly versatile.  Once you've used all the matches for candles, incense, lighting your stove, and what-have-you, they're just a tiny little empty box with endless possibilities.  One of my favorite ways to reuse matchboxes is for miniature photo albums.  I make them as gifts for my loved ones, and they absolutely eat them up.  They're personal, unique, and best of all, (coming from someone who hates clutter) they take up virtually no space at all!  So here's how I do it:

Matchbox Photo Album Tutorial

Materials you will need:

• An empty matchbox
• Various colors of paperstock
• Mini photos (there are a couple of options here...you can print them out on your computer; you can use the proof sheet that comes with photos when you get them developed; or you can find photos that you don't mind cutting up)
• Adornments, such as bows, flowers, stickers, buttons, words from newspapers or magazines...use your imagination!
• A glue stick or school glue
• Scissors
• A creative mind!

First you will need to cut the paper to fit inside the matchbox, so when you fold it up like an accordion, it will fit snugly inside.  Measure the width of the inside of the box (horizontally), then cut a length of paper to fit. Depending on the depth of the matchbox, the paper should be about 8-12 inches long. Then measure the box vertically, and fold the paper in a zigzag pattern until the whole length is folded.  If one of the zigzag squares ends up smaller than the others, you can either use that end to glue into the bottom of the matchbox and cover it up with adornments or a picture, or you can use it as the first slide you see when you open the box, and put a little pull tab on it.  It will look like this:

Next you can cover the outer part of the matchbox.  Place it on the chosen paperstock and mark where the folds will be.  Start on one end, then just keep rolling it until all four sides have been measured and marked. Then fold it.

Now, glue it onto the matchbox cover.

Now for the fun part.  Find pictures that are special to you or your loved one.  I like finding pictures they've never seen of themselves, or pictures they didn't know I had.  Sometimes I'll steal them from their Facebook page, for example.  Choose old pictures that maybe they've forgotten about, with friends or family members, or even pets.  The point is, to make it unique and special to the person you're giving it to.  Think about what it is that they love and what makes them happiest in life, and choose pictures relating to that.  Then you can add whatever adornments you've conjured up to make it look interesting and unique.  Cover a picture here and there with a little set of paper doors, or add words cut out from newspapers that relate to your theme.  Add glitter or stickers or little surprise popouts.  With a little love and imagination, you can create a tiny box of memories that's sure to delight even the hardest to please!