Today, I made a pocket sized photo book — from start to finish, right here at home!
A few months ago, when I was at Startup Princess, I met Ellen from ZoomAlbums. I fell in love with her pocket sized, print at home, photo books. They were just so cute!
Ellen was kind enough to send me some to sample and today I finally made a ZoomAlbum with photos from our trip to Disney World. It was super easy and quick — although I am sure the next one I make will go so much faster now that I know what I am doing.
Making My Zoom Album
To get started making my photo book, I headed over to www.zoomalbum.com to download the software. A strange glitch on their site made the download feature not work for me. But no worries, I called their support line, and they emailed me a direct link. (I love companies who have live, telephone support!)
After I got the software working, I began creating my album. First, I selected the twelve photos I wanted in my photo book.
That was easy! Selecting and moving the photos is as simple as clicking and dragging.
After I selected the layout I wanted — I chose plain white borders with no frame — it was time to position my photos. Again, super easy.
I didn’t want to add any text to my album pages, so I moved right past that step. I was ready to start printing…
The print preview allows you to make sure everything is just as you want it. And of course there are help menus along the way for us newbies. I made sure to study up HOW to actually make this print correctly!
If you are wondering why some photos are upside down, that is because when you are finished printing, you will fold it up and ta da — a book with photos on each page.
The printing went perfectly for the album pages and I was ready to do the cover.
It was a bit harder to choose the perfect photo for the cover since I needed to have a shot that fit for both the back and front of the album. Once I had the photo selected, I positioned it, added a title and got ready to print.
But, printing the cover wasn’t as easy. My HP printer didn’t like the odd size. But ZoomAlbum warns us about HPs issues with their product and suggests that we tape the cover onto a legal size piece of paper and then feed it into the printer. The first time I did that it jammed, but the second time I added even more tape and it worked!
Then all I had to do was follow the very helpful instructions on the back of the photo sheets and fold up my book.
YES, it was as easy as that! And so much fun!
Here is a short YouTube video of me with my finished ZoomAlbum.
Perfect for any time of year — and especially Back to School
These handy little books are ideal any time of year. But since it is back to school time, what a perfect product to use to celebrate your summer!
A “What I Did This Summer” book for your children to take to school would be a great project to do together with your kids. Or you could make up a set of albums that cover all your summer vacations. Once you make one, I promise you won’t want to stop!
WIN a Set!
If you want to win a set of ZoomAlbum Pocket Sized Photo Books, enter to win here by leaving a comment telling us what kind of photo book you want to make first. Do you want to make one for your purse that shows off photos of your kids? Are your summer vacation photos the perfect shots? Or do you want to make a “What I Did This Summer” book for your kids?
This giveaway open to both US and Canadian shipping addresses, and is part of our 2009 Back To School Giveaway Event. Simply leave a comment on this post to enter (US and Canadian addresses) and, please, be sure to read our Back To School Giveaway rules.
As always, don’t forget to earn more entries: subscribe to our Feed, sign up for our 5M4M Newsletter, add our 5M4Giveaways button in your sidebar, write a post and link back to this contest on your blog, and spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, or email! One Tweet per giveaway, please.
Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions of Use for a complete list of our contest and giveaway rules.
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom co-founder, Janice
I would like to mkae several. We have our new ddaughter so I have tons of cute pictures of her, plus our two granddaughters. But, what I will make our first one of is our daughter through her current pregnancy, showing her each month. Thanks!
Alyzabeth's Mommy
Newsletter Subscriber
Feed Subscriber
I'd love to make a purse sized “brag” book of my kids…sappy but true.
These would make great gifts!
I would make one for my Dad for his birthday. Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
I have your button on my blog's sidebar.
I'm on your newsletter list.
I subscribed to your feed.
I'd love to put together our summer vacation photos. Please enter me. Thanks!
I need to learn this I only have one Son and I am 5 years behind…wow would also be great to give Birth Mother for gifts
Since I'm a photo nut, I'm pretty much drooling over here.
Nell
Facebook Fan – and I posted this giveaway on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=147991692…
maggie@mannwieler.com
I follow you on Twitter as “Smokeysmom” and Tweeted this giveaway:
http://twitter.com/smokeysmom/statuses/2147483647
maggie@mannwieler.com
I'm subscribed to the 5M4M Newsletter by email:)
maggie@mannwieler.com
I'm subscribed to your Feed by email:)
maggie@mannwieler.com
I've been promising my sister that I'd make a baby brag book for her of her first (and only) grandchild, but I haven't come across any small albums that I liked. This sounds perfect. I've never done digital scrapbooking before, but this sounds so easy. I'd love to try it out:)
maggie@mannwieler.com
I tweeted: http://twitter.com/sunnyview99/status/3613176752
I blogged: http://wut-givz.blogspot.com/2009/08/5-minutes-…
I have your button: http://wut-givz.blogspot.com/
I subscribe to your newsletter!
I subscribe via reader!
I'd like to make one that features my daughter for my purse. Thanks for the giveaway!
I signed up for your newsletter.
I subscribed to your feed.
Please enter me into the contest. Thanks!
subscriber
i'd like to get them to send to my in-laws
clicked the twitter link under share this and it automatically tweeted the link. http://twitter.com/lavonnelong/status/3609492737
I get an extra entry with the newsletter 🙂
I have the back to school button in my sidebar.
I subscribe to the newsletter.
I get the feed via email.
I need to make a vacation photo book.
i have your button
http://melaniescrafts.blogspot.com
feed subscriber
newsletter subscriber
I would love to make one with all my flower photos.
melanieadey at hotmail dot com
http://twitter.com/twinpowells/status/3607354993
member (dot) thao (at) gmail.com
I subscribe to email updates
member (dot) thao (at) gmail.com
Your button is here
http://wondertwinadventures.blogspot.com
member (dot) thao (at) gmail.com
These would make a great quickie granparent's gift to show the babies' progress.
member (dot) thao (at) gmail.com
button is up
get your newsletter
feed subscriber
I love these
Great package of books.
I blogged about your week of giveaways http://buttercups-grotto.blogspot.com/2009/08/b…
I have your button on my sidebar
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.
I get your newsletter
I subscribe
This is so cute! What a great way to get the photos off the computer and into our kids hands! Love it!
email subscriber
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
My daughter in law loves photography. She would probably start with a book of her and my son then move on to the dogs, then the cats, then zoo animals. She would love these.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I also subscribe to your feed
I receive your newsletter!
These look way cool I would love to win! Thanks!
These little books look like so much fun!
Get your newsletter
rosans4@comcast.net
Subscriber
rosans4@comcast.net
Love the purse feature
rosans4@comcast.net
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/April1p/statuses/3603351676
I receive your newsletter through my yahoo email.
I subscribe to your feed through yahoo reader.
I would definitely make a mini book of our summer vacation at Disney. These are too cute.
tweet
http://twitter.com/velvet1116/statuses/2147483647
5M4Giveaways button
Subscribe to 5M4M Newsletter
subscribe to Feed,
I would love one that I can carry in my purse. These are so neat
Thanks
I want to make a photo book with pictures of my granddaughter for my purse.
http://kngmckellar-glorias.blogspot.com/
have your button
kngmckellar@hotmail.com
subscribe to newsletter.
kngmckellar@hotmail.com
subscribe to feed.
kngmckellar@hotmail.com
Tweet!
http://twitter.com/JalapenoMama/status/3601223184
I have your button on my blog.
http://bmontag.blogspot.com/
RSS subscriber.
I'd make a special Zoom Album of my granddaughters.
I'd take this everywhere with me to show off!
Proud Grandma!
I would get pictures from my sisters and make a book for my dad.
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.”
Tweeted ~ http://twitter.com/susanlanai/status/3598649381
I receive your newsletter.
I subscribe.
A little take along book in my purse or grandma's purse sounds perfect for our first project!
This would be a perfect thing for my daughter to take to Kindergarten!
“I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter
I love 5 minutes for mom
looks like a fun photo product! Please enter me in the giveaway!
also,
“I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.”
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter. Thanks!
And I get your newsletter.
I subscribe to your feed.
I'd love to make a book of our summer for my little one. That way he could remember all the “adventures” we went on!
Tweet http://twitter.com/Lstixrud/status/3592220321
I get an extra comment today because I receive the newsletter!
I'm an e-mail subscriber!
I have your button on my blog http://colitascorner.blogspot.com/
I would love to have this to make a book to carry in my purse of my hubby, my family, the pets, so i could just glance down while I'm out and be able to smile!
I just tweeted:
http://twitter.com/debralu
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.
What a great idea! I've never seen this before & would love to win this prize. Thanks for the opportunity! 🙂
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter!!
your button's on my blog 🙂
I get your newsletter!
subscriber 🙂
I would love one of my new baby to carry in my purse!
newsletter subscriber
feed subscriber
I earned an extra entry with today’s newsletter
I love this would love to win this
I subscribe to your newsletter.
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.
I would like to make several photo books, one of my grandson and one of my Hawaii vacation.
Happy End of Summer!
family mverno@roadrunner.com
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter
5M4G button's on sidebar
***Please delete my duplicate entry of “5M4M newletter” I got an error msg and I thought it didn't go thru. So I entered it again. Thanks 🙂 ***
5M4M newsletter
5M4M newsletter
sub to feed
I'd like to make a photo book of my daughter and her friends
tweet
http://twitter.com/zebastyandylan/statuses/3587…
I have the 5M4Giveaways button up.
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.
signed up for your 5M4M Newsletter.
feed subscriber
I would love one for photos of my family. My 2 year old can look at it during church to help keep her 'Busy”.
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.
I earned an extra entry with today's newletter!!! Yeah!!!!!!
This is absolutely adorable!!! I have never seen these before!!!
earned an extra entry from today's newsletter
blogged about all these fun giveaways!
newsletter subscriber
feed subscriber
I'd love to make one of our recent vacation! Great giveaway!
“I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.”
i subscribe
oooo
I have the 5 minutes for Mom button.
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.
http://crunchygreenmom.blogspot.com/2009/08/5-m…
I posted the button on my blog with a post.
I love the purse idea. It would be so great to have one that has pictures of my kids, my stepson ad my guy and I. That would be so cute…
I am a newsletter subscriber
melissa b rich at gmail dot com
I'd love one of our summer vacation pics!
thanks
melissa b rich at gmail dot com
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter 😀
thanks!
melissa b rich at gmail dot com
I'm a newsletter subscriber
I would love to make a photo book filled with pictures of my son's years in school. I always take pictures the first day of school, get school pictures made and take pictures at class holiday parties.
enter me
“I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.”
I would just make a mini book that highlighted certain things going on around here.
I earned a second entry with the newsletter subscription! 🙂
I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter
So cool! I'd love one of these
I got an extra entry from today's newsletter. Thanks!
omigosh! This is such a great idea! I love it! I love taking pictures of my little one and hate carrying around a photo album! Thanks for the chance to win!
I would love a small one to carry around!
“I earned an extra entry with today's newsletter.”
I subscribe to your newsletter.
I'd make a book with pictures of the kids for my parents.
This is so cute. I have never seen a photo book this small. I think I would choose to make one for each grandma in our family. They love to show off pictures of my kids and this is a nice, compact way to do that. Great idea!
I subscribe! 🙂
Leaving a comment….this is great cause they will fit in my purse 🙂
how cute. i would love one to give as a gift to my in-laws.
That looks so cool. I would like to make one too. I have not seen my family in over four years. And in September my husband & I (and also my husband's parents & brothers) are finally traveling to Belarus so they can meet my family. I am looking forward to taking lots of pictures with my family and my newly acquired family and friends I have not seen in years and my almost 80-year old grandma.
I'd like to make a book about my son's first visit to Disney World. i think it would be perfect. Thanks for the chance.
What a perfect size! Those would be great Christmas gifts for Grandmas & Grandpas. I think that's maybe what I'd do.
Your button's on my sidebar.
I'm a subscriber.
How fun! These would be perfect to keep my 2yo busy (and quiet!) at church. I think I'd make a “summer fun” book first.
How cute! And so cool that you can make these at home!
Thanks for the opportunity!
Mmmm….yummo!!! Would love to make one for son and d-i-l to celebrate their one year anniversary…married on the beach…how cool to add phrases to their gorgeous pics!!!
Sounds like a cute idea. I would make one with all the extended family so my boys could look at it and put a face to all the “aunt….” “uncle…” etc.
How cute! I never saw these little books before. I think making one s for the purse would be a great gift for the grandparents, as they live out of state and dont see the kids very often. Be a great way to keep them close.
What fun those books are!