Your Autograph Book TIPS

[willis37862]

Oops, that came out really big. (Sorry, new at this.) Trying again..

That turned out cool!!! Did you get the autographs from characters you stand in line to see or in the restaurants? I was thinking for something like that it might be easier in a restaurant where they have a table to write on. I love that idea.

 

[nuzmom]

Ok - here's what I do.

I print clipart onto 8 1/2 x 11 card stock, 2 per page - so each page is 8 1/2 x 5 1/2.

I leave some room on the left and have it spiral bound at Office Max (very reasonably priced). I have them put a clear plastic cover on the front and back.

Totally agree - make sure you put name and address on the book (we put our resort name on it, too, just not room number)

I put all of the fab 5 in the front and then alphebetical after that. I group all the winnie the pooh characters together in the back since they are usually found together.

Include lots of blank pages - you can use colored card stock and the "coordinate" the color with the character.

We use the clickable sharpie markers. They don't bleed through the card stock, but do on regular computer paper.

BIG HINT - if you do something on the computer - SAVE ALL OF IT!!! For follow up trips, just change the cover and reprint the book. (I have several versions of each page, so I vary what we use, but it's MUCH easier than starting over each time) And yes, I learned this the hard way - I didn't bother saving each and every page from the Christmas book since I "knew" we'd only be going 1 time - yep, went back the following year had to start over.

 

[sbpuckett]

My plan was to buy 2 of the smaller sized scrapbooks, spiral bound (8x10 or something). I am going to put an appropriate sized cardstock rectangle at the top of each page (leaving enough room for embellishments and title) and leaving the bottom half for each character to sign. Then, when we get back and have the pics printed, all I have to do is attach pics to the proper page and add the embellishments. I thought that if I pre-made the pages for each character we might have some blank pages b/c what if we can't find that particular character this trip? that's just my idea anyway...

 

[TinaLala]

okay. I think I'm going to make trading cards this trip. I'm going to download some clip art, print it on post card paper from Office Max. When we're at the parks the characters can sigh the backs of them. When we get home I'll laminate them. The kids will have neat trading cards. If we did it enough times we could make our own deck of cards. that would be really cool!

 

[ScrappinGran]

I, too am planning on making autograph books. I had the hardest time looking for a notebook or sketchbook that was large enough for 4x6 pictures to go on the page next to an autograph with WHITE pages. I finally found what I was looking for in my newly refurbished Borders Bookstore! Their new stationary area is called Paperchase. It's awesome. I found 8"x5 1/2" gray chipboard spiral bound sketchbooks with white pages for 5.99! I wanted spiral bound so I could attach ribbon. I also found an awesome tan colored rustic looking travel journal..with lined pages, unlined pages and pockets for mementos. It had a small globe on the front and the words travel journal around the globe. Its just begging to be altered and stamped with Disney stuff!
I love the idea of the clickable sharpies and the ziploc bags. Does anyone have an easy way for little ones to carry their own autograph books? DH and I are taking 2 grands..ages 8 and 5 in Sept. We really did not want to carry a backpack, tote bag, etc. We plan on having large fanny packs. How does your child carry theirs? (especially in a ziploc?) Thanks and keep all these ideas coming!!

 

[annakris1973]

ScrappinGran...

How about looping a ribbon through the spiral part of the book and letting the children wear them around their neck? If they aren't too heavy, that is. They can also slide a clickable sharpie through the spiral part, so that everything is together.

 

[willis37862]

okay. I think I'm going to make trading cards this trip. I'm going to download some clip art, print it on post card paper from Office Max. When we're at the parks the characters can sigh the backs of them. When we get home I'll laminate them. The kids will have neat trading cards. If we did it enough times we could make our own deck of cards. that would be really cool!

Thats an interesting idea!!

 

[smnornes]

My kids got a Disney Story book collection (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...4835/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8403690-2404620?ie=UTF8) for Christmas that has many (23, I think) stories in one hard-cover book. I'm thinking of bringing this book along and have the characters sign a page where their picture is, using the inside covers for the characters who are not pictured.

We did the traditional autograph books last year so I want to do something different this year. I like the trading card idea though, too!

 

[english rose 47]

I found really cute disney princess pens at a dollarstore. They are fattish click and are multicolored also have a stringg. Think they will be perfect. Anyone seen something similar for a boy?

 

[makinorlando]

I found really cute disney princess pens at a dollarstore. They are fattish click and are multicolored also have a stringg. Think they will be perfect. Anyone seen something similar for a boy?

I had found pens like that at the Disney Outlet near WDW - they are great - we had classic charactes and Pooh characters. I love the string. Baloo in particular had a great time with that pen one day - he was dancing and swinging the pen around!!!

 

[mydogisbo]

In January we had the "official blue book." It worked like a charm.

As far as carrying it, my DS6 chose a stitch "fanny pack" as one of his souvenirs--he carried the autograph book, pen, his sunglasses & I think some quarters & pennies for pressing. He also thought it was cool to have his own bag checked at entry.

This January when we return, we'll probably get 1 or 2 blue books (DS3 might be interested in his own). Or I like the idea of getting the note cards that tear out easily--I could get an '07 4x6 photo album & pair the pictures with the signatures. Hmmm. I like the photo mat idea too.

 

[willis37862]

We checked our Disney Store in the regular mall and the outlet one and neither had autograph books. Said they had had them and they had been real cheap. Sorry I missed it. I am thinking of doing a autograph book and then something special at the character dinners. Maybe a picture mat or scrapbook pages.

Anyone else got anything to share.................

 

[PollyannaMom]

That turned out cool!!! Did you get the autographs from characters you stand in line to see or in the restaurants? I was thinking for something like that it might be easier in a restaurant where they have a table to write on. I love that idea.

We did get a lot of them at restaurants, but the few we stood in line for didn't have a problem either. The mat was stiff, like cardboard, so it held up pretty well. I think if you were using a lighter one, you might have to clip it to something.

 

[willis37862]

Thanks again everyone for sharing your tips. I think I might have to try a couple of them on my next trip.

 

[Gradar1]

Recently for my younger sister, we bought the pink holographic autograph book with the princesses (her favorite) on it. The book had a place for a 4x6 photo and another page on the opposite side for the autograph. It does not have as much room for autographs as the other albums, but it makes a nice souvenir, because she has a picture with each character to go with each autograph.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I saw a girl with a hat the had a bunch of signatures. It was really cute. I'm pretty sure hers was a hat with actual signatures. Later, I did see one that came preprinted with likenesses of each signature. It was still pretty cute, but not as great as the real thing.

WE've never been too in to the autograph thing...Has anyone used multiple autograph books and noticed significant changes in autographs? the characters are supposed to sign each name in a certain way, are they strict about it?

 

[angel's momma]

the characters are supposed to sign each name in a certain way, are they strict about it?

We have over 100 characters, but we don't have too many duplicates - Mickey, Belle, Snow White, Jasmine, and four Aurora.

The Snow Whites are very similar, so are the Mickeys even though one was Sorcerer Mickey - it's just signed Mickey Mouse.

One Belle & Jasmine is much fancier than the other.

The Auroras ranged from very fancy to so messy that you can't tell what it says.

 

[mousebit]

Thought I would share this idea. My DGD loves to do her own work. I am a scrapper grammy (& retired teacher) who loves detail and yes, perfection. So, I just bought the 5x7 in spiral bound cardstock notebook at WalMart ($3.xx). Then I just give her the material and let her go to town decorating it. The 1st year she just made a dot background using a pencil eraser "stamp" and paint. Then she just added disney stickers and tied ribbons to the spiral binding. Very cute and all her own design. She got lots of compliments from the characters & CMs. In the parks, we protected it with a zip-loc, used click sharpies and she carried it herself in her fanny pack. Plenty big and sturdy enough for chars to sign.

When we got home, I just scanned the autographs and printed them in sizes to fit my scrapbook pages. We did a character book, using the autographs and pictures of her with each character. She did the journaling about what she liked about the characters, how/where they met, etc. We both got to do our own things and ended up with 2 very special keepsakes.

But, here's the really good part. You repeat the process over the next few trips. The artwork becomes more elaborate, of course, and you have a really neat record of their development. The 2nd trip DGD did a more elaborate design on the cover using stamps and she is now starting one for our December trip that she is drawing and painting the characters. For those of you who are fortunate enough to go often starting when your kiddos are very young, you could really have a great collection of their artwork. Cheap, simple, special!

 

[wendydarling826]

I am a scrapbooker, so I wanted to be able to put my character autographs on individual album pages rather than having one autograph book. I purchased 2 sets of large tags (sold in scrapbooking departments of craft stores), one in primary colors and one in pastel colors. Then I put them together with a metal ring. I had the characters sign with a sharpie marker on a tag color that goes with that character (pink for aurora, red for Mickey, etc.). Now I can decorate the tag with stickers, etc. if I want and attach the autograph to my scrapbook pages. They look great!

 

[willis37862]

There sure a lot of creative Diser's out there. Thanks for the great ideas.

I also was wondering how similair the autographs signed by different cms would be. I think I will try to collect as many as possible to see.