All about making at ART CUPBOARD

Crafty Ideas, handmade treasures, little workshop

I've created an album showcasing some of the crafts I've made over the past year. You might wonder why I spend my time turning scraps, discarded items, and old bits and bobs into something new. Over the last year, I've crafted paper pieces, painted pictures, drawn, kept journals, completed my portfolio, taken thousands photos, made countless videos, and learnt so many new things I never knew before. Along the journey, there have been moments of doubt, frustration, the challenges. I`m not sure when it comes and when its gone. 

After losing my rhythm for a while, I learned to move again through the things I love. My hobbies became more than pastimes—they became quiet anchors, reminding me of joy, resilience, and the person I was slowly finding again.

 

Creating art and crafts is how I listen to myself when words feel too small; through colour, texture, and patient hands, I’ve found a language that feels honest and deeply my own. 

 

In Art Cupboard blog you can see how I’ve spent my time making things like felting, painting, knitting, drawing, and more. Each moment of making has helped me set my worries down, stay present, and rediscover the quiet pleasure of simply creating.

 So, how I made my portfolio?

 

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My journey to create album about handcrafted work  

 

I have prepared the following materials to make a cover of my album:

• Scissors
• A hole punch for the carts 
• Prepared printed pages 
• Old carton pads or other cardboard (A4 size recommended)
• Glue
• Colourful paper scraps and pieces
• Paper doilies (traditional, old-fashioned table napkins)
• Fabric with flower patterns
• Short ribbons, paper string, or old lace

Preparing the Album Cover

To begin, I used cardboard from my old sketching pad, but any cut-out cardboard works just as well. The cardboard can be trimmed to A4 size if needed. At this stage, it is important to decide how many pages you want your album to have.

Creating the Cover

I designed the front cover using colourful paper scraps. To add texture and a vintage feel, I glued a paper doily onto the cover.

Adding Fabric and Decorative Elements

Next, I cut pieces of fabric with floral patterns and attached them to the cover. I used tacky glue, applying it carefully along the edge where the holes for the ribbons would be. Short ribbons can be used either as decorative accents or as part of the binding.
I also added decorative elements such as flowers and bumblebees, which I cut out from an old paper gift bag and glued onto the cover.

 

Reusing Old Clothing Materials

Some of the ribbons used in the album were carefully removed from old blouses and garments that I no longer needed. Reusing these materials gave the album a personal and sustainable touch. As an alternative, paper string or old lace can also be used to achieve a handcrafted look.

Assembling the Album

Once all the pages and the cover were ready, I used a hole punch to create holes along the edge of each page.  To make holes in the cover which is much harder, I used a hole punch for leather things. I then bound the album together using the ribbon and needle to it.

 

 

 

What everyday objects would you turn into something new if you had the chance?