Adding plastic protection to bound scrapbooks

Hi, I'm new here. :smile : And (sort of) new to scrapbooking

I have a beautiful 12X12 photo album that I really want to use. It is bound with only heavy, archival safe card paper -- no protective sheeting. The pages in this 12x12 album are about 11.5 inches.

I'm not even positive this is possible, but I want to add plastic protectors to it. I'm open to any ideas, but I guess I'm thinking there is some side-loading plastic I can just slip on? Maybe it would be secured by something simplistic? After all, there are no holes, it is not a post-bound book, etc.

Most of the related things I turn up in searches are office product related; others reference holes for the plastic (ie like a binder) and still other results may be appropriate but either don't give enough information or are in small sizes ...

What do you think I need? Have you ordered anything online for this purpose?

Hi,

Welcome to sb.com !

I'm not sure if this is standard for all companies but I know CTMH has a protective plastic cover that fits our albums. They slip over the front and back covers and attach on the inside to the posts so they don't slip off, then tucks into the spine.

Do you know what company made your album and check if they offer one? If you know the company I can also see if ours would fit it if you're unable to find one anywhere else.

PJ

It's http://jbsecure.com/product_info.php?products_id=128&language=pr from JournalsandBooks.com, but they don't sell accompanying sheets.

Also, I must say -- the photo corners that did accompany it are small white triangles. I've gathered that they're standard, but I can't believe that they'd secure my 4x6 photos to this card paper which doesn't even lay flat ... much less my 8x10 photos.

Not used to this card paper only thing, but I really want to do my project with this book that I already have and love.

I have seen the side-loading sheets like what you're talking about, but can't remember for sure where....

I'm thinking I saw them at Hobby Lobby. Might check and see...

I know they're made, just can't remember where I saw them.

Good luck!

ME

I'm not sure what kind of binding that album has, but straphinge albums don't necessarily come with page protectors , but you can get side-loading ones to slip over them...maybe those would work for your book as well?

Try looking for side loading protectors.

I have a little 5x7 spiral-bound album I actually found slip-on side loading protectors for. Works great, but the album is a little thick now (I may have to remove some of the pages I haven't scrapped yet).

Got to the "slip on" terminology and then found the Westrim s just now, so I was tickled to see them in this thread. I have been googling a lot and they are my best bet thus far. Thanks everyone for responding.

MarlaE, Hobby Lobby's site is apparently more limited than the stores, but I appreciate the tip because I don't quite have go-to places of my own for this stuff yet.

Bxr-Linda, how did you secure side-loading slip ons to your 5x7? Or do they just slip on with no securing method?

I'm not sure if my album is strap hinge. Perhaps, because I know it's not "book bound" and I'm pretty srue it's not "pin hinge." It has a strip of card along the seam of each page. But it appears Westrim 's might work even if I don't have strap hinge, so I take heart at that.

Sorry -- edited because I want to make sense with my terminology. All of my googling has helped but it also has me turned around and upside down

If you have any question as to the type of album or how they're bound (or terminology involved), here's a great article: http://www.scrapbook.com/articles/doc/3007/215 .html

Oh yeah, and welcome to sb.com !!

• Kristen27 Said:

They just slip on with no securing. The protectors fit pretty tight and some were pretty challenging to get on the more lumpy pages.
If you tug on the edge, they do come off. But they don't fall off when turning the pages, so it's okay with me.

Yeah, that sounds right to me. Thanks, everyone, for the advice.