An Altered Book and Photos for My Mom on Mother’s Day

My mother paints with acrylics.  She’s always looking for reference photos.  She doesn’t have a digital camera or a way to print photos, so she’s always asking her children for reference photos.  My sister sent my mom home with a CD filled with photographs my sister took in Nevada.  My mom handed me the CD and asked me to print some of the photos.  I printed some of them and gave them to her at Christmas. 

With the photos in mind, I remembered that I was just given an index-type folder book (above) to alter.  I took out the book yesterday and began altering the cover with some beautiful red and gold floral fabric and  some yellow lace.

The button on the front cover is actually glued to a washer.  I punched a hole in the book with an awl and slid a washer and rivet on a small diameter bolt to form a shaft for the ribbon to go around.  I pushed the bolt through the book and screwed on the nut.  I glued on the button with E6000 and let the adhesive set up overnight.

I removed the elastic band closure by punching holes around the rivets holding the elastic band in place.  After covering the book in fabric, I glued and set rivets to both sides of the back cover.  I cut a yellow ribbon and threaded it through the grommets and tied it into a knot.

I covered the inside of the back cover with felt (before gluing in the grommet).  I also added some red scrapbook paper and some wallpaper to the front of the index folder.

Now the book is ready to fill with reference photos. 

I think my mom will enjoy getting a few more reference photos.  The presentation is pretty and she can keep her photos in the book until she’s ready to start painting.  I’m hoping this is a present she’ll truly enjoy.