Brag Books from Paper Lunch Sacks

My mom saw a little brag book in a local store made out of brown paper bags. She asked if I could make her one. Well...I love a challenge. After tinkering around in my craft room for awhile, I came up with these little brag books, using brown lunch sacks from my pantry.

These brag books are just what you'd think. They're mini scrapbooks to show off the little ones in your life.  They can easily fit in your purse and they're a definite upgrade from wallet photos.

The open ends of the lunch sacks become pockets for extra photos. So as time goes by you can always tuck more recent photos inside.

These brag books are so easy to make and are like little books of joy. They are fantastic, inexpensive gifts, especially for new moms. 

Within the last 6 months, my mom and Ryan's mom, both became grandmothers for the first time. They're both enamored with their grandsons, and justifiably so, seeing as they are beyond adorable!  Brag books were the perfect gift for each of them for Mother's Day.

Make Your Own Brag Book 

Supplies:

- 3 paper lunch sacks

- double-stick tape
- cardstock
- 8-12 photos
- brads
- 1 1/2 inch circle punch
- scrapbook paper
- quotes/stickers/stamps

The following is a step-by-step to making your own brag book photo album. The amount of photos may seem excessive, but I'm a very visual person and a little snap happy. Plus, can a tutorial ever be too clear?

Start with 3 brown paper lunch sacks. Lay them out just like above.

Stack them on top of each other in the same order. 

Fold paper sacks in half to create a book.

Choose a patterned cardstock and cut to fit the back of the book PLUS an additional inch or so to wrap around the other side (where the brads will go).

Wrap the cardstock around the front and trim to the desired width.

Using a small hole punch, punch four holes in the outer cardstock. Then slide cardstock over the book and pencil were the holes should be. Punch through all of the paper sacks. It's too hard to punch through both the cardstock and paper book all at once, so I do them separately.

Align the cardstock cover and the paper book. Poke brads through.

Now your brag book is assembled!

Here's the back.

There will be three pages that have the half moon already cut out. Take a 1 1/2 inch circle punch and punch where the cut outs already are to make them cleaner and through the other side behind them like below.

Now you have three pockets to pull out extra photos.

Cut out cardstock to fit the pockets. I think mine were 4 inches wide and 5 inches long.

In each pocket, place double-stick tape where the arrows are pointing.

Adding the double-stick tape will make it easier to slide the cards in and out.

Use the same 1 1/2" circle punch to make tabs.

Staple the tabs on the pages that don't have the pull-out pockets. All together there should be three pages with tabs and three with the pockets.

Once your brag book is complete, it's time to fill it with photos, stickers, quotes, etc.

Here are some of the pages from the brag book o' Riot:

And here are some of the pages from the brag book o' Finn:

 I may be the only one, but I find this funny.

 They're such an amazing couple!

I'm sharing this brag book tutorial over at Cookie Nut Creations, Craft-o-maniac, Be Different Act Normal, I Heart Naptime, The DIY Dreamer, Uncommonly Yours, Mommy By Day Crafter By Night, My Girlish Whims, 52 Mantels, The 36th Avenue, A Glimpse Inside, Unveil Your Genius, Live Laugh Rowe, Trendy Treehouse, 30 Handmade Days, One Artsy Mama, Whipperberry, 5 Days 5 Ways, Crumbs and Chaos, Destination:Craft, An Original Belle.