Author: Celes, Brand Ambassador
Happy Friday, my crafty friends! Celes here — today I’m so excited to share a brand-new Emily Moore Designs project: my “Make a Cake! Mini Album Tutorial: My 40th Birthday Keepsake.”
This little album is packed with sweet, celebratory details (think sprinkles, confetti, and happy color everywhere!) and it was the perfect way to document my 40th birthday weekend and all those moments I never want to forget. For this project, I mixed papers from my Rainbow Avenue collection with some favorites from Simple Stories, creating a bright, playful palette that feels festive but still soft and pretty.
The stars of the show are the Make a Cake! dies, paired with the “Hi, Hey, Hello” Word Dies and the Card Sentiment Dies for those bold titles and beautiful details that pull everything together. Get ready for layered pages, fun decorative touches, and plenty of space for photos and journaling — because this birthday story deserved its own tiny keepsake book!
Mini Album Base – Step by Step
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Choose one extra color for the decorations. In my case, I used purple. I also added a couple of extras: white/silver glitter paper and acetate.
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Cut a piece of smooth white cardstock measuring 1" wide × 2 3/4" tall. This will be the hinge. Score it at 1/2" (along the width).
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Assemble the individual pages: keep the inner layers flat, and add 3D foam behind the outer front-cover layer for dimension.
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Once your pages are ready, adhere them in pairs. Leave the area where the hinge will go un-glued. Adhere the hinge in place, and your base structure is done!
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Note: Remember not to add adhesive where the inner cards will slide in (photos and journaling).
With the mini album base ready, it’s time to decorate! Let’s get started with the cover…
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Adhere the glitter cardstock die-cut pieces along the cake border.
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Assemble the layered frosting swirls (cake decorations). I mixed colored pieces with glitter cardstock for extra sparkle.
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Pop up the main elements with 3D foam on the cover.
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Adhere the frosting swirls with 3D foam for dimension.
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Finish with colorful and white sprinkles, plus a few tiny sequins.
Cover complete!
Interior:
- Prepare two journaling cards and one double photo card (one photo on each side).
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Slide the cards into the pages.
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Add any decorative accents you like to finish it off.
And that’s how this sweet little 40th birthday mini album came together! I love how the Make a Cake! dies turn a simple structure into a true keepsake—full of layers, sparkle, and space for photos and journaling that make the memories feel alive.
Now it’s your turn: pick your favorite colors, mix the papers you already have in your stash, and create your own version of this cake-shaped album (birthday, anniversary, girls’ night… you name it!).
And please, please share your finished project with me—I would LOVE to see what you create. Celes
Dawn
This is beautiful
Donna Roller
So cute!!!!