CD-Rom Mini Photo Album

Make this fun mini album from recycled CD's

Don't throw out those old CD's (or literally throw them like frisbees as my sons do until they shatter). Use these CD's to make charming mini photo albums. They're great for gifts, party favors that the guests can make themselves, stocking stuffers, classroom parties (make an album of the recent field trip) or coffee table books for all to enjoy.

I made this little album as a make and take project for a PTA event in St. Louis. We had a sock hop theme in our booth, so making an album that looked like old records was really a hit.

Print your photos in 2x3-inch, or crop 4x6-inch or 5x3-inch down to fit on the pages.



What you need:

• Two used CD-Roms
• Printable CD labels and software for designing them (I used Memorex)
• Cardstock for the inside pages (if you can find it, 12x12-inch scrapbook cardstock is great)
• Circle cutter (or you can trace the CD's onto the cardstock and cut them out inside the lines, so they're slightly smaller than the CDs.
• Crop-a-dile hole punch (which makes punching through the CDs a snap), or a drill with a 1/4" bit
• Assorted ribbons and embellishments
• Sock hop clip art

Do it yourself:

1. Create labels in the label software by adding background color, clip art , and text. Print two labels for the front and back cover of the album.
2. Peel off the labels and stick the onto the CDs.
3. Cut out 10-20 circles from the cardstock using either a circle cutter, or by tracing around the CDs and cutting them out on the inside lines.
4. Punch a hole about 1/4" in from the outside edge of one CD using a Crop-a-dile. Put the CD with the hole on top of the other CD, and mark the hole with a pen or marker. Punch a hole in the second CD. Stack the paper circles together and punch one hole through all of them, 1/4" away from the outside edge. Use a drill as in step five, if you don't have a Crop-a-dile.
5. Stack the front CD on top of all of the pages and put the back CD on the bottom. Put the entire stack on an old piece of lumber. Hold the entire stack steady and drill through the stack.
6. Drill/punch two more holes on either side of the first hole on the front CD ONLY.
7. Cut a piece of ribbon about six inches long and thread it through the top CD, inside pages, and back CD. Tie in a knot or bow. This will be the album "hinge".
8. Tie ribbon to the other two holes.
9. Add stickers, flowers, or other embellishments.
10. Add photos and journaling to complete the album

Your mini album is ready to rock-n-roll