Grandma Album Assembly Tutorial
As Mother’s Day quickly approaches, I’ve decided to briefly revisit this Grandma Album that has been by far my most-popular project ever.
Download:
First, here are some download links for freebies to create this album from a pre-made file. Choose the one that best meets your cutting capabilities:
Grandma album cut file (in Silhouette Studio format for Silhouette Portrait or CAMEO)
Grandma album 12×12 cut file (in Silhouette Studio format, optimized for Silhouette CAMEO and 12×12″ paper and chipboard)
Grandma album cut file in SVG format (resize all together proportionately so the letter height is about 4″ tall for all the letters and the longest letter (A) is about 8.5″ wide)
Grandma album PDF to print file (to cut with scissors or craft knife)
Assemble:
Here is how to cut and assemble this album. The finished album is about 4″ tall and 8.5″ wide.
1- Cut all the letters once from chipboard. I love the Silhouette 12×12″ chipboard because it’s so smooth and easy to cut with my CAMEO, but it will all be covered so you can cut it from any thin chipboard. You can use cereal boxes, packaging inserts from scrapbook paper or photo enlargements, etc.
2- Cut each letter front from pattern paper. Choose papers that coordinate, but select alternating contrasting colors (dark vs. light) so the letters will stand out from each other.
3- Cut all the letters in reverse from pattern paper. You can choose a different paper for each letter, but I think it’s simpler to have all the back sides matching.
4- You should now have three layers for each letter. A top paper layer, a chipboard layer, and a reverse paper layer for the back.
5- Now just start adhering the correct front and back paper layer to each chipboard letter. You can use any glue you like. I used my Scotch Advanced Tape Glider (ATG) this time around. It’s easiest to start with the largest letter and work your way to the smallest. Make sure you focus more on lining up the letter-portion of the page than the flat end.
6- Once all your letters are covered front and back, you are ready to add photos and any other embellishments you like!
And just because I love my CAMEO so much and was able to get the letters to cut so precisely, I have to include some detail shots.
Binding:
As you can see, I haven’t added any binding yet in these photos. You have several options for binding. If you have a personal binding machine like a Cinch or a Bind it All, those will work. If not, you can often get it punched and bound at a local copy shop with little plastic bindings as seen in my original album (below). Another simple option is to use a hole punch to add 2-3 holes in each page and add loose binder rings.
Create Your Own Word as an Album:
If you are feeling ambitious and want to create your own word album that says something other than grandma, you can see this tutorial I made for designing an album from scratch in Silhouette Studio. Just be warned that it uses an older version of Studio that will look a little different from the current version.
And here is the link for a tutorial to design your own word album and print it to cut with scissors for non-Silhouette owners (again, slightly outdated so let me know if you get totally lost).
Inspiration:
Here are a few more versions. The bottom two are my original albums from 2008 for my own mom and my mother-in-law. You can see I simply added small photos, rub-on quotes, flowers, and ribbon.
I hope you have fun making this album! Please let me know if you have questions.
Very cute Kelly! I think there's a Grandma out there who is going to love this! Thank you for sharing the file.
I LOVE THIS! I am trying to get on the site for Grandma album PDF to print file (to cut with scissors or craft knife) download..for some reason its not allowing me to, not sure if this site is down? Do you have anywhere else that I can get this PDF?
I'm sorry you're having trouble. I can email it to you if you post your email here or send me an email at kellyslater42 at yahoo dot com.
ME TOO PLEASE KELLY!!!!!
I’d be happy to. Please use my Contact Form so I can get your email address for sending it.
how do you go by making other words for this
Kim, about 3/4 down in the above post there is a heading labeled “Create Your Own Word as an Album”. In that section you’ll find a couple of links for designing your own words as albums.
Would you happen to have one for Nana instead of grandma
I do have one for Nana. I’ll email you the PDF version, and just let me know if you need an SVG or Studio file instead.
May I please have the NANA version as well for SVG?
I just emailed it to you, Rebecca. 🙂
I can't download this either. I tried installing the software a few times but wouldn't work/open. Could you send a PDF or images of the sizes in an email? AlyssaMKnipp@gmail.com if you can do that.
I love this idea Kelly! I'm thinking of making one that says "Mom-mom" (as my mom likes to be called…) and including sonogram pics for Mother's Day…I just hope I can find the time!
Such a great idea, Annie! I hope you are able to find the time, and I hope you're feeling good. My pregnancies always had me sick as can be. 🙂
This may seem silly but what are the dimensions for this album?
It's quite small right?
About 4" tall and about 8.5" wide.
What if i wanted to make a version that was much larger that that, how could i go about just getting the Cafe Rojo letters just spelling 'grandma'? That way i could use them as stencils and cut the rest by hand. Say about 6" tall and however long..
At some point you will be limited in paper size by your longest letter if you want them to overlap like this.
I use a Cricut and can't get any of the available saved files to work. Any way you can save these in JPG format or know how to use the already provided ones with Design Space? I know its probably a long shot.
My email is adtmcross@hotmail.com
I just saved an SVG version. I will email it to you and add the link above.
HI Kelly, This is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. Can you email me a SVG version as well. I too use a Cricut,
My email is fnm414@optonline.net
Hello Kelly,
I like this post and also love all the designs. Your idea is really fantastic. I am going to make some for my family. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I love this idea, by chance do you have a layout for a Daddy one, if so can you send it to me at britbrit1982@hotmail.com, I can't get the grandma one to download.
Thanks
Sorry you're having trouble with downloading the Grandma version. I do have a couple versions of a Daddy album. I've been meaning to post them but haven't gotten to it. I will email you both versions of Daddy and you can pick your favorite.
I am also very interested in the daddy album if you would be willing to email it to me. I just made this Grandma Album for Christmas and it turned out SO awesome! Thank you for posting this!
I have a few varieties of father/dad/daddy albums. You can choose the one you like best and download it here: Father’s Day Word Albums
I absolutely love this! However, I’m looking to make this for my friend and was wondering if you have templates for other letters so that I can use it to spell her name? If you do, could you please send it to rosheen.29@gmail.com
Thanks!! 🙂
The word or name has to be designed all together. If you want to create your own word album, see my instructions here: Custom Word Album Instructions
Is there anyway i can just buy one,im not very good at doing this stuff on the computer. Thank you susy yardley. I just love it
Susy, will you leave me a comment on my contact form and we can discuss pricing? Contact Me
What font are the letters in?
Cafe Rojo: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/freescrapbookfonts/cafe-rojo/
I am also having trouble downloading the Grandma album PDF to print file (to cut with scissors or craft knife). Could you please send it to my email? efitz21@hotmail.com. Thanks!
Hi Erin. I just emailed you the file. 🙂
I downloaded the “pdf to print file” to cut my paper. Was this printed on 12X12 paper? my printer is not big enough for that but when looking at the files they don’t look like 12×12. please let me know so I can print this correctly Thanks!!
Yes, the PDF printable version is for letter-size paper so it’s available for people who don’t have a large-format printer. 🙂
This is so adorable, I want to make this for my Mother but can’t get the files to download. Sounds like others have had a hard time to. If you have time, could you email me the SVG file for my Silhouette Cameo. Thanks so much. 🙂
Never mind, just found your tutorial on how to design it myself. You rock!
Great! You’ll learn a lot by making it yourself. 🙂 I’m still happy to email the Cameo file if you want it, though.
What size of pictures approximately fitted onto these? I don’t want to print pictures too big and I like how the pictures are laid out on urs size wise.
Hi Jenn. I believe the small individual pictures are about 1.75″ square. (Yup, pretty small.) The larger picture that fits on one of the last two pages is about 3.5″ x 5″.
Awesome. Thank you so much for replying!! 🙂
No problem! 🙂 Have fun making your album!
Hi, it turned out so great! I was wondering if there’s a pdf for any other stuff like aunt or uncle. I can’t download the silhouette program you have so idk how else to do it. TIA
Jenn, I’m so glad your album turned out, but I’m afraid I haven’t designed albums for aunt or uncle. I have grandma, mother, mom, grandpa, papa, dad, daddy, and father.
Do you have the file for MOTHER? Tia
Hi Yvonne. I do have a PDF printable file for a MOTHER album. If you need a cut file I’ll have to see if I can dig it up in my archives somewhere.
I wouldn’t want you to take much time if you have to look for it. I think I may be able to work with the pdf file, if you wouldn’t mind sharing that with me. Thank you!
Yvonne, I did find the Studio cut file for the MOTHER album and just emailed it to you, along with the printable PDF. Please let me know if you don’t receive it.
Thank you so much Kelly! I really appreciate it! Take care!
Hi There! I am having some trouble getting the files. Could you email them to me? I need the one for cutting/craft knife. =)
Thank you.
I just emailed it to you, Sylvia. 🙂
Hi Kelly
Would you happen to have a pdf file for nana?
I do have Nana. I will email it to you, Amanda.
Thank you!
can you email it me as well? duhhuh58@hotmail.com. Thanks!!
can you send me the file for mother and nana? thank you!
Will do. 🙂
Would you mind to email me the files you have for Grandma? Do you have one for Mimi? cwilkerson15@gmail.com is my email. Thank you!
I’m sorry I don’t have Mimi, but I’ll email what I do have.
Hello, I would realllly love it if I could possibly be emailed the file to print as well please? Would love to make this for my mothers birthday on Sunday! My email is a_desj@yahoo.com 🙂 thank you!
-Adrienne
can you email the files to me so I’m able to print them off? tbis is a perfect Mothers Day present for my mother. thank you soo much
millercourtney557@gmail.com
The link for the printable PDFs has been added to the post, but I emailed it to you in case the download was giving you trouble. 🙂
Would you happen to have a GRANDPA version?? If you do, I’d love the PDF version if you have it 🙂 My email is kelseynposivio@gmail.com
Gotcha covered! The Grandpa version is in this post: http://www.findingtimetocreate.com/2015/06/fathers-day-word-albums-free-cut-files/
Hi Kelly ! I don’t have silhouette studio so i was wondering if i could print these off a regular printer or at office depot ? what size does the page have to be? Im in a little bit of a time crunch due to my awesome procrastination. But I would really like to do this awesome album!!!
Hi Sindel. The grandma album PDF is for letter-size paper. It should be fine to print off on a regular printer or at a print shop. There are several pages to the PDF set. I hope that helps!
Yes!!! Thank you !!
This is beautiful! Would you mind emailing the PDF to print version to me at cristina.h.young@gmail.com? For some reason I can’t get it do download. Thank you!
I can’t get them to download, is there a way to email it to me? I have the Cricut Explore Air.
Yes, I’ll send you the SVG version, Lauren.
Can you please send me an email of the pdf for the grandma one also? I tried downloading it numerous times but it won’t let me? I tried contacting you through the contact me section about a month ago so I don’t know if it went through. Thank you.
I tried downloading it but couldn’t it won’t let me. Is their anyway you can also send me the pdf also? I tried contacting you through the contact me section about a month ago but I’m not sure if it went through. Thank you.
Sara, I just sent you the PDF in response to your email. I’m so sorry I didn’t see it sooner!
I’m having a hard time downloading this adorable pattern to make for my mom! Can you send it?
I emailed the PDF version to you. Please let me know if you want it as a cutting file instead. 🙂
Such a great album! I’m not able to download the cut file. Would you be able to e-mail it to me? Thank you so much!
I just emailed it to you, Jackie. 🙂
I love this and would love to make one for my mom’s 60th – however, the links are not letting me download. Can you email me the SVG version?
Hi Megan! I just emailed the SVG file to you.
Love love love this! You wouldn’t happen to have a mammaw design would you? Our pappaw just passed and I think this will be the perfect gift from the heart. Id be cut by hand since I don’t have the machine you mentioned
I’m afraid I don’t have one for Mammaw. It’s hard to have one for every form of grandparent name. I’m sorry for your loss.
I just came across this cute little grandma book and saw you had emailed a few people a ‘nana’ template. Could you also send me that one please?
Thank you!
I just emailed that to you. 🙂
Hi! Can you email me the PDF so I can print and cut out? thank you! 🙂
Could you please email me the pdf file for you cut out book of MOTHER?
Sorry I just saw your comment! I’ve included that download link in a related post. Here’s the link to download the PDF for a Mother album. https://www.mediafire.com/file/4ay2r3em8ktv9uu/Mother_Album_PDF_by_Kelly_Wayment.zip/file
Hello, can you please send me the pdf of grandma and if you happen to have Mimi, grandpa, pop-pop, or poppy’.
I tried to download but it’s just a bunch of letters thank you so much!