I was trying to come up with something different for my mom this year. We've been living across the ocean from our family for some time now, so I wanted to go the photo route. Now, the challenge for me was to use paper and not go digital with it. So I decided on a coaster photo cube.
Supplies:
Decorative paper: Rustic Chic V-928
Coasters (6)
Crop-a-dile K-100
Bind-it-All F-506
Wire 1/2" F-507
Favorite Stamps, Ink, and Embellishments
Color Duster F-115
Cardstock Scraps
Ribbon
Step 1
My coasters are 4x4. Start by cutting your decorative paper to 6x6 inches. Save your scraps. I used my Xyron to apply adhesive, although you could use any double stick tape or glue. The Xyron provides a strong adhesive that isn't likely to separate from the coaster.
To make adhereing the paper better to the coaster, it is best to miter your corners.
Step 2
Once you have all your coaster decorated, decorate and add your photos as you like. Since my paper has a rustic look to it, I added a chocolate filter to my photos. There still wasn't quite enough brown, so using a duster, I added some ink to the edges of the photos. (I printed my photos on HP Everyday Photo paper to allow more flexibility.)
Step 3
Rather than using fresh pieces of cardstock, go to your scrap pile. Since we're dealing with such small photos here (mine are 2x3), there is no need to use full sheets.
I went to check out my stash to find some brown and pinks to coordinate and go from there.
Step 4
It is now time to assemble. Using your Bind-It-All, you want to punch the sides and bottom of your coasters. This is where it gets tricky. You can use the bind-it-all to attach the sides or the bottom. Once that is done, you're now going to attach the wires by hand, sqeezing them into place for the part you did not attach yet.
To attach the top, use the Crop-a-dile to put the smallest holes in the corners of the top and the four corners of your last coaster. Use ribbon to attach. You can also add ribbon to sides to help give your cube a little more.
I saw this project at Thinking Inking and had to do it! It is a template from Paper Trey Ink and my first visit there. I was so excited to see that these templates are pdf files, so when you purchase them, it's instant gratification. This template was very easy to follow and comes with multiple ideas and suggestions for modifying the project. I decided to go with a travel journal. Something you could take on a short trip and organize your memorabilia and keep a few notes.
Natural Cardstock 
