Welcome to the TWELVE DAys of Christmas Projects 2011! Every other day until December 23rd, I will have a new project to share with you via Youtube and a tutorial here on my blog. Enjoy!!

On the FIRST Day of Christmas Projects I have a super quick and easy mini album to share with you! This fun binding style – I am calling it Stack the Deck Binding – is quick and versatile. (I will have two different uses for a variation of this binding next week during the next two Ustream classes)

To make this binding you will need some card stock and envelopes in the size and color of your choice.

Seal you envelopes closed. Cut off the side that you want next to the binding and the side opposite it….just a sliver unless you want your envelope smaller. You envelope will look like a tube. Measure the length of the opening of your envelope.

Cut your Stack the Deck binding using this dimension for the height of you pieces. The first will be 1 3/4″ wide, the second is 2 1/4″ wide and the third is 2 3/4″. This will give you 6 pages. For more pages, add 1/2″ to the width of the previous piece.

Score and fold 3/4″ in from each side. The channel in the center should get larger by 1/2″ from one piece to the next. Add adhesive to the back side of each channel.

Attach the layers together – STACK THE DECK! – by centering the pieces on top of each other.

Apply adhesive the the Stack the Deck binding unit to each side of each fin. Slip the open edge of the envelope over the fin….you have a page. Repeat for all pages.

Create a chipboard cover with the spine piece 1/2″ wider than the widest piece in your stack. Attach stacked pages to the spine.

Add photo mattes and embellishments.

For the envelope piggy back version, you will need envelopes in two sizes. The larger envelope will be the page base and is sandwiched between the smaller envelopes. Seal the envelopes closed and slice open the center envelope as above. Slice only the top edge of the smaller envelopes. Attach to the Stack the Deck Binding in the same way as the above pages.

Add tags, embellishments and a chip board cover as above.

Check out my Youtube video for a more detailed tutorial.

Enjoy your project!

Laura