Hi friends!!! One of the pieces of “homework” we have had for our adoption is to create a soft photo album about our family and home to send to China for our daughter after we are matched. I will explain more about the adoption and personal aspects of that below, but first, let me teach you how to make a similar soft book!
These books are baby and toddler friendly and make great gifts. You can (of course!) customize yours to be about any subject you want! I worked with our friends at Canon USA to create this post, using my PIXMA iP8720 printer (as always) to customize our book with family images.
I decided to hand stitch my book because there is a certain crafty nostalgia that I associate with it. Even though it takes longer, I enjoy the process much more. But feel free to machine stitch yours to save time and/or create a more “professional” look.
1. First things first, buy the right iron-on transfers. This is the brand/type I use and recommend. I’ve tried some others that were not nearly as easy to use and good printable fabrics are a bit pricey. These transfers are made for inkjet printers, so you will need to print them at home. I mentioned above I use the PIXMA iP8720, which not only can handle large format prints, it’s great for smaller projects, too. You can also use a regular format printer for this project. The large format is not necessary; it’s just the printer I have at home.
2. Cut out images.
3. Iron the images onto white cotton fabric.
4. Peel off the backing after it has cooled.
5. Before you print, you need to horizontally flip all your images (so that they appear backwards). This is especially important if there are words of any kind of your image. If you don’t flip, your completed transfer will look backwards.
6. Here’s an example! I almost forgot, so I had to reprint it. Make sure all your words are flipped so that after you transfer they will be correct.
7. I printed all my images around 5″ x 5″ and left several inches of blank fabric around each image while ironing. Next, make a page template. You can see mine here. It’s nothing fancy. I just made this so that all my pages will be relatively the same size. Also, the bar to the left side is meant to show you where the spine will be sewn. You’ll lose a little bit of page there after it is sewn.
8. Between each two cotton pages is a piece of felt to add some bulk and to make sure they are not see through.
9. Stitch around three outside edges of each page (leave the part that goes to the spine bare). I did a combination of messy stitches and folded bias tape that I hand stitched on using embroidery thread.
10. Here are completed pages.
11. Stitch the spine together.
12. Glue a strip of felt over the top and bottom of the pages to conceal the messy page ends.
13. Prepare your cover with any design you want. I tried a couple things that felt too cheesy, so I just did a simple panda face using child safe eyes and a nose.
14. Using fabric glue, glue both the front and back cover to the pages.
15. Glue a spine around the edges and you are done!
And next, the personal stuff!
We are currently waiting to be matched with a child in China. So this book will be sent to that child after we are matched. You also get to send a letter. This is the first (and I think only) interaction you have with the child until you arrive to pick them up a couple months later, so it’s kind of a big deal.
Since we requested a younger child, our agency recommended a soft photo book instead of a paper photo album. All of the images in our book were suggested by our agency, and there are certain guidelines you have to follow. Our child will not be able to read yet, but the Chinese captions in the photo book are intended for her caretakers to read to her. Our agency provided us with these translations of simple photo captions. I will note what they all mean below.
As with many things in our process so far (and, from what I hear, parenting in general), this book is in some ways more for us than for her. It was therapeutic making it and it will feel good to be able to send a care package when the time comes. But I don’t literally think that a small child can get full comprehension of what is about to happen, who we are or what adoption means in general. But still, it is so special and exciting to be able to make it for her!
If we were adopting an older child, I would probably have put a lot more thought into the photos and words. But since we are not, I didn’t stress too much. I just followed the agency’s instructions and used photos we had taken from our other applications and from my Instagram pics.
For the cover, I had done an embroidery of her initials, but it wasn’t turning out cute. So I ripped it off and just added this simple little panda made of layered felt. I mainly chose a panda because I have noticed a LOT of panda toys and icons in the Chinese orphanage photos I have seen. So I decided to go with something she is probably familiar with!
These say “Front Yard” and “We are so excited for you to come to your new home.”
This says “Toys” and then “Your bedroom.”
The caption under Jeremy says “Kitchen.”
Sidenote: In all of our applications so far, we had to take dozens of photos (of ourselves, our home, etc.), but the dogs were never allowed in any photos. This is the first time the dogs were “invited” (haha), so we were happy! They’re part of the family, too! Oh and if you’re wondering why we didn’t include extended family, it’s because the agency said only to include people (and pets) who live in the home. It’s basically just supposed to be stuff she will see every day!
This one says “pets” (Dolly and Suki were supposed to be on the same page, but I messed up—haha). And then the caption under us says “This is your family.”
And this last image has two captions. “We love you” and “We look forward to meeting you.”
Sigh … so special. I’ve never had so many feelings finishing up a DIY before!
Thanks so much for reading! If you have a little one in your life (or one coming), I highly recommend this project. I had so much fun working on it. xx – Elsie
Credits//Author and Photography: Elsie Larson. Opening photo by Amber Ulmer.
So beautiful and inspiring Elsie. Thank you for sharing. I’ll try this on our own process, we are in the middle practically. We are willing to adopt a pair of sibblings. Pray for us so we can find and join with our babies.????????????????????
This is the cutest and most precious thing I have ever seen! I am so happy for you & I love this so much! I can’t wait to make one!
In case the link from my previous post doesn’t work, it’s the Sporkful episode called Your Mom’s Food Pt. 1: What Dumplings Can’t Fix about “how parents who adopt kids from other countries use food to connect their children to their birthplace” and more. 🙂
Cute project! I just listened to this episode of the Sporkful podcast & thought you might like to hear it https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629?mt=2&i=1000390479064
Hey Elsie, I have found such a beautiful and easy Ideas on your blog. Thank you for these amazing Ideas. Keep going and Lots of love !!
What a beautiful post and what a lucky little girl she will be. The whole thing brought tears to my eyes and inspired me to do something for my little ones as keepsakes. Just lovely and good luck x
Brb tearing up
So sweet, Elsie!! My mom made me similar little picture books growing up (and as an adult!). I still have all of them and they always make me tear up flipping through. I know how much time my mom spent making those and I will your lil gal will appreciate your love and effort too! xo
Just sitting at my desk at work crying. This sweet little girl is so blessed. What a magical life you will give to her. ugh. CRYING.
Tearing up as I read “Your bedroom” and “This is your family”. What a beautiful project and keepsake for your girl! Love that the dogs get to be involved now too 🙂
I love seeing adoptive parents using the child’s culture to connect with the child and make them feel secure. This little booklet is adorable and something the child can hold onto forever! 🙂
Nicolette | http://www.nicolette.co
This is so emotional to even see! What a beautiful project. I can tell how meaningful it was to you. I hope the rest of the process is peaceful and you are reading it to her yourself before long!
This book is so sweet! Something they’ll keep for ever!
This is such an unbelievably sweet thing to do! It’s clear that so much thought, effort and time went into creating this, bless your heart.
This is seriously the sweetest thing! We love following your adoption story (the ups and downs of waiting) and we are excited to “meet” your little girl! We hope you get matched SOON! xo – Cat
Definitely crying a little. So excited for you guys! ❤
Hey Elsie, I have followed you for years, ABM, has been a part of my life for a while now, but I have never felt so close to you as I do now, my husband and I are also in the process of adopting a baby, it is good when you know you are not the only one building something that feels so different and familiar at the same time. Thanks for your words. Big hug
Nora! Sending you a GIANT HUG!!!!!!
So special, Elsie. The love and care you put into this for your daughter is incredibly heartwarming and beautiful. You’ve already heard this in a billion ways, a billion times, but I’ll go ahead and say it again…This dream child will live her dream life with you, Jeremy, Dolly and Sukie.
I have this general life philosophy that feeling the essence of what you want now, even though we sometimes perceive that it’s *way far over there*, is SO important to loving the life we’re in. Enjoy the beauty and the love now and the alignment shifts into place for you, the path smoother. I appreciate that- though it can be super tough in the waiting- you understand the value of that way of living. And good things truly come from that…as I’m sure you’ve seen countless evidence of in your own life.
Anyhow…I’m thrilled for you guys!
♥Such joy♥
This is the sweetest gift for your little girl. Some little baby is going to be insanely lucky to get such loving parents.
Oh Elsie. I met you at the first CKU in Utah about 15 years ago. You were so young and cute! I learned a lot from you that day. I still giggle when i think of you saying “I like arrows because the point to things.’ (yes…yes you did say that!) I have loved watching you to grow to who you are today! You are still young and cute, but even better! Many congratulations on the adoption.