I was super excited when I came across Pinhole Press's latest customizable product: a Big Book of Names and Faces (via A Cup of Joe). I have been meaning to make something similar for my son, Archie. He loves books, and one full of pictures of family and friends would be a fantastic way to help him learn all of their names, especially those people he doesn't see often. I was disappointed, though, by the price tag – there's no way that book isn't going to be ripped, drooled on, stepped on and thrown in the first five minutes it's in Archie's hands. So I came up with my own less expensive version that I won't mind being nibbled on a bit or crammed under the fridge (oh, how toddlers can find the oddest places to put things!). The whole project took about an hour and cost less than $10.

I picked up a "brag book" size photo album, which had a fabric cover, and stencilled my title on. (I found these amazing reusable adhesive stencils at Michaels.... I cannot be trusted to go into that place without buying something I didn't know I needed.) This is the part that took the longest, because the paint kept soaking into the fabric and I had to apply four coats. For the inside, I printed out each person's name in a large, easy to read font, with a colourful background, on white card stock. I then traced a 4- by 6-inch photo to ensure the name tags would fit into the book. And then it was just a matter of placing the pictures and tags inside.

I'm hoping Archie will enjoy his personalized book and that it will help him learn the names of his friends and family – and he will eventually stop referring to me as Bobo!