Create a Brighter Days Mini Binder Album with Ruth!
I’ve been playing with ways to make mini albums these past few weeks, so when I was allocated a solo post for Brighter Days it was always going to be a mini.
The tools you need to make this album are:
fuze tool
crop-o-dile or other eyelet setting method
You will also need a scoreboard or other scoring method.
Guillotine/paper trimmer (or knife and a ruler)
Materials to make the album:
Sturdy card stock
A 12x12 or 8.5x11 page protector
2 eyelets
Printed Traci Reed papers (print both sides for the inner pages or stick 2 sheets back to back).
Traci Reed stickers/embellishments/cards to decorate your pages.
We will start with making the cover.
Cut 3 pieces of sturdy card stock as below:
Next line them up inside a page protector. And fuse as shown. (I like to line them up on a mat with lines to make sure they are straight and square)
Leave the top open for later decoration.
Trim to size.
Now use a bone folder to fold into a shape.
Decorate the cardstock pieces and then seal the top.
Now we will work on the inside of the album.
I printed the papers on both sides so I had double sided paper. I used thin cardstock for this. Please plan a bit ahead and think about what will work well opposite each other.
Cut out the pages as shown.
The largest will be the outer pages to the smallest being the inner pages.
Next score the pages as shown. I used my scoreboard but you could measure and do it with a ruler.
The final page (not pictured) is scored at 2.5 and 3.5.
Then I decorated each page and then centred them and stuck them together into a bundle
To fix the pages to the cover I marked the points where I wanted holes in the centre of the assembled page pack as shown below
Then I used a strip of double sided tape to hold the pages to the cover, centralised on the inner spine. Then punched the holes and set the eyelets
And there it is! Your album is complete!!
I hop you have enjoyed making this album and we’d love to see what you make so please tag @tracimreed and @ruthlewendon in your insta album uploads!
You could of course scale this up for a larger album, but I would recommend using plastic sturdier than a page protector if you do!
I am including some photos of my album pages for inspiration.
Chapter Four of the Story Foundations collection is all about Brighter Days, because though life can throw us twists and turns, it has a way of softening again. The light lingers a little longer. The hard edges start to fade. And little by little, things begin to feel easier. This collection is designed to help you document not only spring, but stories that represent the return of hope, the quiet good days, and the moments where you realize you’re moving forward.
Brighter Days isn’t about perfection or pretending everything is suddenly better. It’s about noticing the small changes. The lighter moods. The deep breaths. The good moments tucked into ordinary days. The sunshine on your face, the open windows, the feeling that things are heading in the right direction—even if you’re still figuring it out as you go.
Story Foundations: Brighter Days builds naturally on the chapters before it, continuing the story with a sense of renewal and forward motion. It gives you space to document the gentle comeback, the small wins, and the everyday moments that remind you the story doesn’t end with the hard parts. It keeps going—and it gets brighter.
See the unboxing and example images for the Story Foundations: Brighter Days collection HERE.
Don’t forget, the entire 2026 Story Foundations Collections are meant to mix and match and pair with each other! You can see all the Story Foundations Chapters HERE.
BUNDLE INCLUDES:
Story Foundations: Brighter Days Digital Kit, Cards 1, 2, &3 + Stickers!
BUNDLE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Story Foundations: Brighter Days TN Papers or Patterned Cards