We’ve reached that time of year again when I always feel like time went by so fast and I didn’t have enough time to do everything I planned to do. Now that my winter break has started, I took a creative afternoon to reflect on everything I did during the year and to make a mini album with the 12 highlights of each month.

I grabbed my phone and started going through my photo gallery from January to December, selecting one photo per month that either represented the most meaningful moment or the overall concept of what I lived or felt during that time.

I felt so excited seeing everything I experienced throughout the year in perspective, so I thought the perfect collection to capture that feeling in my mini album was Grit and Grace, and I got to work.

First, I cut two 4 x 8” pieces of chipboard for the covers and one 2 x 4” piece for the spine, and I covered them with patterned paper.

For the hidden hinge, I used a 7¾” x 9½” inches piece of paper and scored it on the long side at 2, 2½, 3, 3½, 4, 4½, 5, 5½, 6, 6½, 7, and 7½ inches, then glued the folds in a mountain style to create the tabs. After that, I divided each tab into three sections of 2½”, leaving a 1/8-inch gap between each one.

For the envelopes, I cut 12 pieces measuring 3 x 5⅝ inches and scored them at 2 9/16 and 5 1/8 inches (that extra 1/8 inch allows a little more space since my cards measure 2½ x 3½”). I used white cardstock to make the envelopes so I wouldn’t have issues with the direction of the patterned paper. The next step was to close the envelopes using the ½-inch flap, decorate them on both sides with patterned paper, and glue them to the spine, leaving one side open to insert the cards.

For the cards, I cut 12 pieces from the solid-colored papers in the collection measuring 2½ x 3”, along with 12 photos printed in a Polaroid style measuring 2½ x 2¾ inches. I usually like full color photos but this time I printed them black & white to make the project look more cohesive.

Now comes the most fun part: decorating! I loved the number of flowers and gratitude phrases included in the collection, and I created small compositions on each envelope and each card and voilà! I absolutely loved the result: an album full of gratitude that will bring back a beautiful feeling every time I open it and look at my favorite moments of the year.

I invite you to take some time to reflect, select, and document your best moments of the year so they can inspire you in the year ahead. Happy holidays!

Year-End Highlights DIY Chipboard Mini Album Tutorial from Noemi