You can buy small scrapbook albums in a variety of shapes and sizes or you can easily make your own. I’ve done both and each has its own appeal.

Store-bought Mini-Albums
These are nice because they’ll often come with page protectors available in the size of the pages. Whether you choose 7 x 7, 8 x 8, 5 x 7, or any other size, a benefit of these store bought albums is that you don’t have to worry about cutting the pages, figuring out how to bind them, or how to protect the pages. You just have to worry about filling the pages!

Handmade Mini-Albums
An easy handmade mini-album can be made very quickly in just a few steps:

1. Cut sheets of 12 x 12 cardstock in half to create 12 x 6 sheets of paper. You can cut as many sheets as you’d like depending on how big your album needs to be. Each sheet of 12 x 6 will make up 4 pages in your mini-album.
2. Fold each sheet in half to create 6 x 6 pages.
3. Lay the folded sheets inside of each other to create a book. You will notice that the inside pages stick out farther than the outside pages. This can be fixed easily.
4. Hold the closed album tightly to a cutting surface and place a metal ruler along the outside edge of the top page. Using a sharp craft knife, cut along the ruler to remove the protruding parts of the inside pages to make the edges of the album even.
5. I recommend decorating each of the pages at this point, and binding the album after it has been finished. This makes managing the pages much easier as you work.
6. To bind the album, put all of the pages together and lay them flat, so you are looking at the center two pages of the album. Using a long, thick needle, make two holes in the crease of the fold that go all the way through each of the pages. These small holes in each page will serve as “marks” so that you’ll know where to punch the larger holes for your ribbon or string to bind the book.
7. Punch small holes in each of the pages where your needle mark is.
8. Assemble the pages again and thread ribbon, string, rope, or fibers through the two holes to bind the book.

Ideas for Mini-Album Themes

Family Tree
Learning Numbers
Wedding Highlights
Our Engagement Story
10 Reasons Why I ___________
Our Vacation
Things I like
What a Mother/Father/Sister/Friend/Grandparent/etc. Means to Me
Favorite Quotes
Lessons Learned

About the Author
Andrea Steed is the author and creator of Scrap Tutor, a web site and CD-ROM that teaches you how to create scrapbooks and how to perform many popular techniques used in scrapbooking. For more information, visit www.scraptutor.com.

Thank You Letter
No matter what you give your child’s caregiver, you should always attach a special hand written note telling her how thankful you are that she is watching your baby. If your caregiver is at a center be sure that you give a copy to her boss so that her boss knows how great you think she is. If you have the inclination you can make it even more special by creating a card of your own, instead of buying one. Even if you don’t have the money to buy something fancy, spending a little bit of your time to give your caregiver an impromptu note of thanks will mean the world to them.

Gift Certificates
Let her treat herself! Give her a certificate to get a pedicure, a manicure, a facial or even a new hair do! Give her a day at a spa or a relaxing massage. Remember she works hard and probably has very little time to pamper herself. The money you pay her probably goes to bills and her family, so give her a treat that she has to spend on only her.

Free Meals
No, not one you make yourself, but a gift card to a restaurant or a collection of restaurants that your caregiver can choose from. Make sure you include enough that she can take her husband or a friend with her and enjoy a night out on you!

Bath Goodies
Bubble bath, shower gel and lotion are always a big hit with women. Most women love to sit in a bath and relax after a long day and being able to sit in a bath that smells good will make her day. There are so many options in terms of scents that you are sure to find one that she will like.

Coffee and Tea
If your caregiver is a coffee or tea drinker, get her a gift set that may include a new mug with an inspirational message or a mug that is decorated by your child. If it doesn’t come with it include some specialty cookies or biscuits that she can enjoy in the morning before she begins her day.

Handmade Gift from Your Child
If your child is old enough, sit down with them one weekend and help them make a handmade gift for your caregiver. It might be a thank you card, a mug to go along with the tea and coffee, or even a decorated picture frame that you can leave empty or insert with a picture of your caregiver and child. This special handmade and homemade gift from you and your child will probably mean more to your caregiver than anything you could buy for her at the store.

The options for gifts you can give to your child’s caregiver are endless, but giving a gift whether it is for an occasion or out of the blue is always a good idea. After all a caregiver who feels appreciated is probably a happy caregiver and a happy caregiver means that you will have a happy child who is well taken care of.