Autograph Books on a Budget

[SamiGage]

So I've decided to make autograph books for me and my boyfriend for our January trip. I've found some really helpful hints on the best ways to repurpose index cards and dollar store photo albums, but I was wondering if anyone knew the best places to find cheap stickers or Disney scrapbooking supplies that I could use to decorate them. I'd definitely consider making a whole scrapbook of our trip if I could find an affordable way of doing so. TIA!

 

[Jill in Chicago]

Instead of an autograph album have you thought about something like a bag, hat, or backpack to gather autographs? That way you have something you can use and enjoy, versus something that will be tucked away. I made a bag in red with white polka dot fabric that had spaces of white fabric for signatures.

Or, have the signatures on simple solid colored cardstock, and then incorporate those signatures on to you
scrapbook pages.

I have scrapbooked for years. For me, and this is very personal, album pages with lots of stickers, patterned paper.... distract from the photos. A lot of times the patterned papers actually seem to "fight" with the photos. Those Disney papers are soooo adorable, but in reality very hard to use with photos.

For the Disney albums I have done I skipped most of the Disney patterned paper and embellishments. Instead I went with the colors of the photos. If we were at a water park I used tuquoise papers... You can also get lots of mileage from solid black, red, yellow and white paper.

If you have never scrapped before the photos really "pop" when you mount them on a solid color scrap paper before you mount them on the actual scrap page.

You can often find entire spools of ribbon in red with white polka dots. I found a sheer ribbon with black and white dots. You don't have to buy actual ribbon either. You can buy a small bit of fabric and cut that into ribbon width. You can use the ribbon to make borders, tie on a tag....

You can print out pictures of Mickey, Minnie... from the internet. Don't forget when you are on vacaction to pick up and save every little placemat, napkin, daily listings..... You can use these as background papers, cut up the little details and use those instead of stickers. A paper menu from a restaurant you went to makes a great background paper.

Postcards are also great embellishments. I hope this helps you save money!!

 

[SamiGage]

Instead of an autograph album have you thought about something like a bag, hat, or backpack to gather autographs? That way you have something you can use and enjoy, versus something that will be tucked away. I made a bag in red with white polka dot fabric that had spaces of white fabric for signatures.

Or, have the signatures on simple solid colored cardstock, and then incorporate those signatures on to you
scrapbook pages.

I have scrapbooked for years. For me, and this is very personal, album pages with lots of stickers, patterned paper.... distract from the photos. A lot of times the patterned papers actually seem to "fight" with the photos. Those Disney papers are soooo adorable, but in reality very hard to use with photos.

For the Disney albums I have done I skipped most of the Disney patterned paper and embellishments. Instead I went with the colors of the photos. If we were at a water park I used tuquoise papers... You can also get lots of mileage from solid black, red, yellow and white paper.

If you have never scrapped before the photos really "pop" when you mount them on a solid color scrap paper before you mount them on the actual scrap page.

You can often find entire spools of ribbon in red with white polka dots. I found a sheer ribbon with black and white dots. You don't have to buy actual ribbon either. You can buy a small bit of fabric and cut that into ribbon width. You can use the ribbon to make borders, tie on a tag....

You can print out pictures of Mickey, Minnie... from the internet. Don't forget when you are on vacaction to pick up and save every little placemat, napkin, daily listings..... You can use these as background papers, cut up the little details and use those instead of stickers. A paper menu from a restaurant you went to makes a great background paper.

Postcards are also great embellishments. I hope this helps you save money!!

Thanks for the great suggestions! My intention was to have the autographs on the index cards so that I could remove them and place them into a scrapbook later if I wanted- so great minds think alike

I love the idea of the tote bag being my autograph space but I feel like that will somewhat leave my boyfriend out as he won't really use a tote bag again. I also think that once I have all my signatures I'll want them to be protected and so I'll be less likely to use the bag, if that makes sense.

I also agree with you about the simple pages packing more punch- I'm a little OCD and busy patterns are hard for me to take sometimes. I was asking about busier scrapbooking type things and stickers to use as decorations for the outside of our autograph books. I figured this way I won't need a lot because there will only be two smallish autograph books, but I'll still get to enjoy those adorable special papers and stickers and all, ya know? Even with the smaller amount needed, if it was a matter of paying full AC Moore or Michael's pricing, I think I would sooner pass and repurpose internet/print add/coloring book images.

And I would have never thought to save placemats and things like that in the park so thanks so much for pointing that out! i think I will decorate a plastic document keeper to keep in out backpack to collect/protect all those great finds. Thanks again!

 

[MichiganKris]

I stock up on my Disney stickers and other scrapbook supplies when they are on sale at either Michaels or JoAnn's. It seems to work pretty well, so I end up with a bunch of items, then we go on a trip to Disney and deplete the supply and I start over again.

For my daughters scrapbook album, we put a picture of her getting the autograph on the right side of the page and the left side has the actual autograph. I cut scrapbook paper the correct size before we go, and she pulls a sheet out of a zip lock bag for the character to sign. Once we get home and print out the pictures, it is very easy to complete the album. I personally think she puts on too many stickers, but it is her album and I have always let her decorate it the way she likes.

 

[SamiGage]

I stock up on my Disney stickers and other scrapbook supplies when they are on sale at either Michaels or JoAnn's. It seems to work pretty well, so I end up with a bunch of items, then we go on a trip to Disney and deplete the supply and I start over again.

For my daughters scrapbook album, we put a picture of her getting the autograph on the right side of the page and the left side has the actual autograph. I cut scrapbook paper the correct size before we go, and she pulls a sheet out of a zip lock bag for the character to sign. Once we get home and print out the pictures, it is very easy to complete the album. I personally think she puts on too many stickers, but it is her album and I have always let her decorate it the way she likes.

Any tips for sale schedules at these places? I'll have to start hunting. Thanks!

 

[TheRatPack]

On the Creative DIS forum they have printable pictures as well.....for autographs. Those would be cheap as well, and you could print them off and add stickers or other embellishments. Here is a link by one of the DISigners....they are really cute printables: donatalie's autograph book pages

I saw where some people were getting pillow cases autographed too.....kind of a neat concept.

 

[Sagginit]

i used a pad like this in bright colors, i got it at walmart but i saw similar ones at craft stores http://www.walmart.com/ip/K-Company...signer-Mat-Pad-4.75-x-6.75-18-Sheets/20967740

I cut out the signatures and used them in my scrapbook. i used things collected in disney like brochures, my travel papers, stickers, pressed pennies, etc. if you wanted you could even scrap book the pad by leaving a few pages blank and putting photos opposite the signatures.

i get a lot of my scrapbook supplies with those 40% off one item coupons for craft stores and at big lots. i did splurge on an official disney scrapbook when i was at the park. it comes with pages filled with scrapbook paper so its like a starter kit rather than a shell for it.

 

[Mic]

I make really pretty, time-consuming, expensive scrapbooks/autograph books for kids in my day care for their first visit to Disney. I have also thrown together "paper bag" autograph books/scrapbooks for friends' kids in a pinch that were adorable. You can google "paper bag scrapbook" for instructions. I used stickers from AC Moore that were @$1 a pack, and bought the specialty Disney scrapbook pages that I cut up and used on several pages. I had a total of $5 in the whole book, but you could do it for even less. The simplest thing I have ever done was use a pack of neutral-colored card-stock (8.5 x 11) and print Disney clipart onto each page, then cut the pages into 5x5 "cards". I punched a small hole in each card and carried them on a ring, placed in a ziploc bag, to the parks for the characters to sign. Once home, I trimmed and mounted the cards in my 12x12 scrapbook with pictures. I strung coordinating ribbons through the holes punched on some cards (they looked more like "tags" when I did this) and used coordinating paper for the pages. The 5x5 size seemed to be perfect...I could trim some signatures to be more of a tag on a page, or leave the card intact to take center stage on pages. I agree with a previous poster...generic stickers sometimes detract from the pictures, while color-coordinated paper behind a photo really makes it pop. I like using minimum stickers and designing odd things on pages; for my "Pirate" page, I used a "Walk the Plank" sticker monted on a sign I fashioned out of raffia and cardstock. It was so cute! And for a fun page I once used a Cinderella sticker that said "Shoes Matter", and mounted photos I had taken of wierd shoes people wore to the park. The Stillettos were my favorite! I would keep the pages or cards that the characters sign simple (and easy to carry), and get crazy creative with them when you get back home.

 

[DisneyWithAMilitaryTwist]

I'm keeping my hubby (who is not Disney excited) involved by doing the Drink Around the World in Epcot. My moms going too. I've made autograph books for the kids off of Pinterest for an adult theme for mom. Having personalized covers made in the DISign forums here. So kids and grandma can all have autograph books with age appropriate themes. I love the tote idea though. Gonna have to see what to do about that for me.

 

[andiraye]

Honestly, the dollar tree has Disney themed journals. Hard to make a anything less expensive. They also have Disney themed pens, etc.

If you really want to make your own for the fun of it, check the dollar store. They usually have Disney themed party favors and party supplies and I'd bet you would find something.

Or ou can print up Disney stock photos online and glue them to the book. You can mod podge them for a shiny, completed look. Or if you don't have mod podge, just paint them with elmers glue.

 

[maggiew]

So I've decided to make autograph books for me and my boyfriend for our January trip. I've found some really helpful hints on the best ways to repurpose index cards and dollar store photo albums, but I was wondering if anyone knew the best places to find cheap stickers or Disney scrapbooking supplies that I could use to decorate them. I'd definitely consider making a whole scrapbook of our trip if I could find an affordable way of doing so. TIA!

I second going to the Creative DISigns section of the DISboards and print off the autograph pages that people have created! I always get compliments from the characters when I use these.

Maggie

 

[Lori77]

Hi, at Walmart, in the art section, they have spiral black hard cover sketch books in all sizes. Recently, I made small size (4x6 roughly) books for my friend's daughters. They used them as an autograph book and travel journal. I printed Disney sayings and character pictures, cut them out and glued them to pages throughout, and used stickers to decorate. The books were inexpensive and really fun to make. The girls loved them and it was neat to see the signatures they captured when they got back.