DIY Portfolio - Photography Craft

DIY Portfolio - Photography Craft

If you don't want to stick pictures on a page, a portfolio may be the answer. Here is a way of keeping photographs and related documents, drawings and other precious papers together without having to stick them down.

Customize a shop-bought portfolio by decorating the cover with photographs, or make your own from cardboard and paper. It's very easy to do, you can make it whatever size you wish, and you can choose fabric to co-ordinate with other stationery, room color schemes, luggage or whatever.

A handmade portfolio filled with a set of photographs would make a lovely gift for a friend or relative.

Dress-weight fabrics, either plain or with a small repeat pattern, are easiest to use for portfolios, book covers and frames.

1 Cut two pieces of heavy cardboard, each 20cm x 16cm (8 in x 6 in). Cut two pieces of fabric, 28cm x 20cm (11 in x 8 in). Cover one side of the cardboard pieces with glue and place in the centre of the fabric. Clip corners and fold over excess fabric, gluing in place.

2 From 5cm (2in) wide self-adhesive carpet tape, cut four pieces each 9cm (3 1/2 in) in length, for corner protectors, and one piece 28cm (11 in) long, for the spine. Stick on a strip of thin cardboard, 20cm x 2.5cm (8 in x 1 in), to reinforce the spine.

3 Punch holes in back and front covers at mid-point on all three open edges. Cut six pieces of narrow ribbon, cord or tape, each about 30cm (12 in) in length and thread one through each hole, sticking in place on the inside.