General Conference Smash Books

Earlier this week, I showed you the Apostle Blocks craft that we're making using the Special Witness Cards that were published in the September 2014 Friend.

I just wanted to point out to you how awesome it is to have the Apostles' photos all in one place, in one download, and even delivered to most of our mailboxes!!

When I decided to make the Apostles Name Board that we used to help our children learn the names of all of the Apostles and Prophet a few years ago, it took me a ton of time to gather (copy/paste/size and print) all of their pictures from LDS.org, because they were not available all in one place.  

This download of all of the Apostles' photos is a blessing to busy Moms, and I hope you'll take advantage of it!  (You can even create an Apostles Name Board like we did--click here to see it in use and here to see how it is made!)

Speaking of taking advantage of it, today I'm here to show you another way that we are using our Special Witness Cards...

...we're making General Conference Smash Books!!

A Smash Book is a sort of a cross between a journal, a doodle book, and a scrapbook.  It is a very scrappy scrapbook.  It's not meant to look perfect and the more different types of scraps and media you include the cooler it looks.  

Basically, it's a fun way to journal/take notes during General Conference that will be:

a) very personal and unique, 

b) great for kids (and adults) who like to cut and glue independently (there's no wrong way),

c) require only what you've got lying around the house already, and 

d) become an awesome scrapbook or church quiet book when you're all done!

Is that enough reasons to convince you that this is an awesome project?  

Ok, then let's begin.

All of the materials that I used are pictured above.

You will need to gather the following items:

-a file folder

-card stock

-print outs/cut outs of the Friend's Special Witness Apostle Cards (free online)

-scissors

-glue

-tape (I used "designer" duct tape!)

-various scraps of paper, stickers, note cards, etc. (whatever floats your boat)

The first thing I did was opened my file folder up flat.  Then using my fancy duct tape, I taped four pieces of card stock into the center of the folder to create my book.  Each page has different tape.  (Don't you like my macaroni and cheese duct tape?)

You'll notice on the inside cover I added some stationary (Thank you, Cherry!) and envelopes for "my questions" and "my testimony". You can personalize it any way you want.

Next, I cut out each of the apostle photos and info cards from the Friend.  (I printed them on card stock, so they were nice and sturdy.)

Then, using my construction paper/scrapbook paper, I cut little rectangular pieces just larger than the Apostles' photos to form a tiny fold-over "booklet" for each Apostle.  I glued their picture on the front of each book and their "info card" on the inside of the booklet.  On the right side, I inserted a post-it note or small paper which is where I (or the kids) will write down a quote or thought from each Apostle's talk.  (If you use post-its, you can remove them if you want to write down the exact quote later or eve swap them out over various Conferences.)

Judging from Miss Honor's reaction to it, these are going to be a SMASH HIT with all of the kids!

As you can see, little hands like to open the booklets and explore what's inside this creative creation.  And if something gets taken out, never fear, your glue stick is handy.  Scarlett, Autumn, and Guy are absolutely the perfect age to sit and create, create, create.  Youth would love this too.

I love that this activity will bring them closer to the words of the prophets both as they are listening to General Conference and later on as they continue to add to and embellish the pages.

They will be able to continue to work on these Smash Books as they learn more about the talks after General Conference, and they can sit with these books in Sacrament meeting and contemplate the words of our living prophets...as they re-read their own recorded impressions. 

This project is not only cheap/free-ish to make...it's also priceless, if you really think about it!

Almost as priceless as these photos of my little one that you are now going to have to endure, because I just can't not post them.  Plus they show just how much fun even little ones will have with these books.  She can't get enough!

Scroll down to find some links to free printables that you can incorporate in your General Conference Smash Books!

You can find free smash book add-ons for note-taking and personalizing your General Conference Smash Book all over the internet.  I printed these free tabbed journaling cards for my kids to cut out and take little notes on during Conference!  Have fun with it!

I plan on grabbing some free General Conference printable online and shrinking them to add to my smash book!  There are some free ones here.