Mini albums offer a tiny taste of that treasured paper craft, scrapbooking: smaller photos, teenier notions and best of all, much less time. From the biggest struggle that scrapbookers have with mini albums to how to make a mini scrapbook while on vacation, blogger, teacher and all-around craft guru Elise Blaha offers her insider tips for creating mini scrabook albums. 
Interested in learning more about mini scrapbooks? Elise Blaha hosts several online craft workshops, a friendly place to get started.

Mini scrapbook albums — what's the allure? 

It's the fact that I can create a whole book in one sitting or in just a few afternoons. They can be something with a clear beginning, middle and end. I also love that they stand alone, so they are a fun place to try on different crafting styles and use different techniques. 

What's a scrapbook album you've made and loved? Why does it stand out? 

Probably my favorite is the album I put together with photos of my honeymoon in Bora Bora. It stands out for me because of the memories of course, but mostly because it is so simple and photo-focused. It's thick, which I love, but really pretty easy. I repeated the same colors (yellow, green and blue) and same techniques over and over again to provide embellishment and keep it cohesive. 

Other than size, how does a mini scrapbook album differ from a standard scrapbook? 

Usually a scrapbook will encompass many different events. The mini albums I like to make focus on just one event, activity or season. 

What are some unique binding techniques for a mini scrapbook album? 

I like to play around with lots of ideas! Something simple is to take a variety of papers (5x7 is a good size) and fold them all in half and sandwich them together (so the creases are all lined up). Then, I just take some embroidery floss and a needle and stitch down the folded line.

When making a mini scrapbook, are there common mistakes that you see? Any tips for avoiding or overcoming them? 

There are no common mistakes, but I think a common hangup is people don't know how to make the book feel cohesive. I think a good way to unify your book is to stick with a color scheme. This could mean using just one color a few different ones. But sticking to just a few will keep things together even if your photos and embellishments are all over the place.  

Any tips for making a mini scrapbook while traveling? 

I have found that it's easier to start with a premade book and just bring limited supplies and tools along for embellishing. It also helps to start with a neutral color scheme and let the photos and papers you collect on the trip bring in the color. I think it's best to do a little bit of journaling and documenting each day that way you don't forget what you did.

Image credits (from top): Elise Blaha / TheGoodness.com, Elisa Blaha and Elise Blaha