Ways to Recycle Scrapbooking Paper

Scrapbooking papers are not only for scrapbooking, you can find other uses for scrapbooking papers such as creating beautiful, artistic things that you can use around the house.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This saying is also true with scrapbooking papers. Whether used or unused, scrapbooking papers should not be wasted or thrown away. In a world where imagination and conservation relates to preservation of life, there are countless ways to preserve and extend the life of your scrapbook paper leftovers.

Mini Photo Albums

Paper scraps are great materials for mini photo albums. Even kids can have an enjoyable time cutting pages from paper scraps for mini photo albums. This is a great gift idea for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, and the yuletide Season. It’s definitely earth-friendly and pocket-friendly. That’s just icing on the cake. These mini photo albums are priceless gift ideas for those who believe that gifts are made, not bought.

Photo Mats

If you have photos or prints to frame, use your scrapbooking paper as frame mats. Purchase inexpensive, plain frames. Cut out the center of a scrapbook paper to fit your photo for framing. Once done, your inexpensive photo frames will look like you bought them from an expensive novelty store.

Paper Lamp

Paper lamps are quite popular especially with the Japanese. From simple to elaborate designs, paper lamps recycled from scrapbooking papers are not just good to the environment but they are also very entertaining. Use paper lamps as decorative ornaments, to add accent to bedrooms and living rooms. Depending on one’s style and preference, designing and making paper lamps out of scrapbook paper leftovers is a fun way of expressing the artist in you.

Paper Toys

Long before the electronic invasion hit the toy kingdom, people used to create toys skillfully and painstakingly by hand. In the same tradition, moms and dads should also encourage their kids to use their imagination by hand-crafting toys out of scrapbooking papers. The activity will enhance your kid’s artistic inclination. In addition, the task itself is a perfect bonding activity between youngsters and adults. Instead of watching TV, let your artistic juice run freely and spend the weekend making paper toys with your loved ones. Some of the paper toys you can make are paper dolls, origami, pinwheels and many more.

Paper Envelope

Creating paper envelopes are other uses for scrapbooking papers. Colorful12”x 12” scrapbooking papers are quite useful for greeting cards, storing miscellaneous items such as weekly and monthly reminders, bills for payment and other assorted documents. Because of its quality, paper envelopes made from scrapbooking papers can last a long time.

Specialty Boxes and Gift Bags

Instead of buying an all-around container box, why not make your own? Cover old carton boxes with leftover scrapbook paper to produce a storage “chest.” Use scrapbooking papers to create specialty boxes for any occasion. In addition, you can also create gift bags instead of ready-made ones from stores. These items can be a source of extra income during the holiday season.

Decorative Accessories

Reuse scrapbooking papers to make paper collage, paper flowers, wall décor and even jewelry. Add a splash of color by using leftover scrapbooking paper of different designs and colors and put them inside a picture or print frame. Hang them in a series of threes along an expansive wall to create pizzazz to your décor. Create a paneled screen using rolls of scrapbooking papers to use as room dividers. This will help separate rooms and make your home cozier. These accessories and décor items are perfect gift ideas and are excellent home-based business ideas for those with artistic entrepreneurial qualities.

Scrapbooking papers are so versatile that you can find more ways to use them aside from just scrapbooking alone. You'll not only help the environment when you find other uses for scrapbooking papers, you'll save money, too.

How to Stitch and Embroider on Your Scrapbook Pages

I love the look of sewing on all my paper crafts, from scrapbooking layouts and ideas to greeting cards design. Sewing and embroidery adds dimension without a lot of bulk and has the added benefit of attaching elements to the page in the process.

You can sew by hand or with your machine. Both techniques are easier than you might think. Here is a simple how to.

Hand Stitching and Embroidery

Get Ready

Use a pencil to lightly draw the design on cardstock (regular paper generally is not strong enough to withstand all the extra handling that sewing requires.) Another option is to draw or trace a simple design onto lightweight paper (such as tracing paper) and temporarily adhere it to your page so it does not wiggle around during the next step.

What to stitch? It is generally best to keep your design simple and stick to just the outline of the image. You can embellish later when you fill in your design with chalks or colored pencils. Popular choices for scrapbooking embroidery include snowflakes, fish, hearts, and flowers, but you can use absolutely any simple design you can find.

Where can you find simple designs? Make a freehand drawing or trace your favorite designs from die cuts, stickers, stamps or templates. Here are two ideas I loved from Creating Keepsakes magazine: Trace a design from your kids' favorite coloring books or trace around your child's hand or foot and embroider the outline.

Get Set

Place your page on a surface that is firm, yet allows a little "give." I like to use a mouse pad or my Coluzzle mat. You can also use a pillow, cushion, or a piece of Styrofoam. Now pierce holes in the cardstock about every 1/8 of an inch depending on the effect you want to achieve, while following the lines of your design.

Choose a piercing tool most appropriate for the thickness of your thread. If you will be using thread or floss, use a straight pin, a needle, or a safety pin. For larger holes, use a push tack or a paper piercing tool. Again, you will want to consider the look you are trying to achieve before choosing a tool. (If you marked your page with pencil, this is the time to erase.)

Stitch!

Stitch the design. The backstitch is the simplest, but you can experiment with different stitches as you practice the technique.

Now you can fill in the design with chalk, if you wish. You can also apply chalk directly to the floss to create just the right color.

Machine Sewing on Paper

Machine sewing on paper is much the same as sewing on fabric. It takes a little practice, but try not to let the idea intimidate you.

A few tips:

• Before you start to stitch, make sure your bobbin has enough thread to finish the job. If your bobbin runs out of thread midway, you will be left with holes in the paper that you will have to work to conceal.
• Do not try to machine stitch more than 3 layers at a time.
• Do not "knot" the thread as you would when sewing on fabric by going over the same spot repeatedly. Secure the thread underneath by adhering it to piece of paper, and it will not unravel.

The Possibilities

You can stitch with thread, ribbon, yarn, raffia, jute, fibers, and embroidery floss, such as DMC. Floss is inexpensive, widely available, and comes in every shade imaginable. Plus you control the thickness because each floss is made up of 6 strands. Use them all, or just one or two. Or use one or two strands of more than one color.

Once you have had a little practice, you may want to start sewing on everything.

Here are more ideas:

• Create your own backgrounds and borders by piecing together cardstock blocks or strips.
• Embellish and attach die cuts for a custom, dimensional look.
• Create paper or fabric pockets to hold journaling blocks, extra photos, or simple memorabilia.
• Stitch around lettering and titles.
• Embellish journaling blocks.
• Draw attention to a photo by stitching on the mat.
• Adhere vellum to your background. (Vellum is translucent, so it will often show the glue that lies beneath it. Try stitching it on instead.)
• Create decorative handmade accents that you attach to a page. One popular technique combines sewing with tearing. Sew along an edge first, then tear just on the other side of your stitches. Push the torn edge up.

Find out more on Scrapbooking Paper

There exists selection of papers obtainable for scarp booking. You’ll be able to choose either patterned paper vellum color paper or specialty paper. Patterned paper will help you to generate scrap booking quickly and beautifully.

Sharon Ann baby boy papers have sixteen papers and a number of piece cuts to enter the initial 12 memorable months of one little one. The Sharon Ann scrap booking paper is obtainable for girl babies individually. The borders and styles are perfect and can make your memorable recollections thrilling.

Double sided patriotic papers are having twelve inches card stocks. You can also get Simple prints in paper like one particular color dot stripes plaid gingham and so forth. It is possible to get the outstanding colors here. Little one line papers will help you to design your scrap booking layout and listed below are 3 printed vellums and 3 textured card stocks here that allow you to operate superbly.

His story is the name of rugged texture design paper. It will consist of large gingham blue marbled brushed turtle shell and so forth. The sand stone and h2o coloration sand stone will offer you a powerful history that fits all of your outdoor photographs.

Patriotic patterns are excellent for almost any photographs. The stars alphabetical cord stocks scarlet stars red and blue stars on vellum are perfect back again ground for just about any pictures and photographs. The navy gingham and navy stars on vellum will supply a good looking back again ground and it will not disturb the photograph.

Paper addict could be the largest residence for scrap booking papers. Its a lot more than 6000 kinds of paper. There are numerous new additions to this listing. Ancestry assortment offers a large assortment of papers in which it is possible to keep loved ones photographs and photos. Ancestry family historical past manual guide has 38 pages produced up of soft papers and youll retailer any loved ones background here. Additionally it offers some outstanding lay out ideas.

Bo bunny is yet another paper assortment in paper addict. There is great deal of colourful paper types here. It contains flowers colorful dots hearts stripes and a great deal more. It is possible to decide on something from here that may suit your scrap booking needs. Basic grey model has gentle back again ground with colorful stripes dots monograms mini monograms and a lot more. This may be excellent for sending messages to pals and conveying regards to teachers.

Scrap bour Italian papers have amazing rose images as back again ground. Scarpbour velvet collections grace assortment Elizabeth collection Paul collections st.Danis collections sublime collections are the most important paper types that provide a powerful back ground to your scrap books.

Scrapbour Italian fashion collections are most appropriate to express your enjoy towards the spouse. The back again ground features a beautiful young lady image with flower track record. Scrapbour soire assortment has also stunning photos o a youthful lady but these papers are currently not offered.

Scrap guide papers should be beautiful however robust to make albums. You’ll be able to use the scrap guide paper layout in web internet sites to create scrap guide albums. They are not only funny but they will even remain for lengthier time period as being a token for the memory. You’ll be able to get separate scrap guide paper for Valentine’s Day, Xmas, Fathers day, Birthday and so forth.

Interesting Scrapbooking Style & Material

Scrapbooking Material - Finding the Most Interesting Embellishments You Could Use

If you search the internet today, you would find it really easy to stumble upon a variety of scrapbooking material and accessories that you would certainly have to complete your scrapbooking project. Actually, you may use almost any kind of object and material to serve as your decoration for it. But the most basic kinds of adornments found in every scrap booker’s toolset would be die cuts, tags, laces and ribbons, templates, stickers, stamps and many more.

What may be considered as the most popular scrapbooking material would be the stickers. This is probably due to the reason that they are easy to find and they come in wide types and various design. The most important thing to keep in mind is for you to pick stickers that will complement the general theme of your scrapbook. Furthermore, scrap bookers just simply adore them as they are super easy to apply. You simply need to stick them on.

Ribbons come second that can be bought in various types of forms, sizes, textiles and colors. These are typical because most scrap bookers do albums for the popular events like wedding ceremonies, birthday parties, baby showers or school parties. And for certain, the ribbon is an item that can really relate to any affair. Along with it, you may also create new shapes such as knots, bows or perhaps use it as edges of your scrapbook pages. You may also use it to gather together buttons and beads.

The buttons, beads and eyelets are important embellishments in spite of how small they may be. You simply have to stick them, preferably using a glue on, so that they won't fall off. These small objects can truly add extra decorative styles to your each and every scrapbook page. When you use eyelets, it can help if you would have an eyelet tool available also always.

Should you not want glue, you may then only sew them in tiny holes of the pages and use a simple needle to sew it on by making tiny openings. The brads are used to be inserted and secure any type of materials on your page to be fastly held. Other people also use tags as a way to put a greater feeling of journaling to your scrapbook project. It also makes it much more elegant and presentable and creates simplicity to anyone who may wish to view it.

Stencils can work quite a bit too especially when you like to include drawings to your pages. They are suitable for individuals who believe that they don't have the knowledge for sketching. The stencils through pencils allow you to draw objects with superb accuracy to make you feel better about your own drawing. So, despite the fact that you are not so imaginative when it comes to drawings, the stencils can help you considerably with the challenge.

Die cuts and pastels are essential embellishments to use too for your hobby. These may help provide a completely new look for your scrapbook and also be able to add several colors and shadings with your instruments and materials available.

What's Your Scrapbooking Style?

Even if we all chose the same page elements and photos to create a page layout, every page created would be different from the rest. No two pages would be exactly the same. The more you scrapbook, the more you will develop your own personal style. There are so many facets to a scrapbooking page. Consider how you use color, your handwriting or use of computer fonts, your paper choices and placement of embellishments. These are just a few ways that help define your personal scrapbooking style.

Your approach to scrapbooking changes as your experience in this hobby grows. Look back at the pages you did years ago. Now look at the pages you did recently. See the difference? Your style has changed perhaps from learning new techniques or experimenting with new products. Your albums reflect your unique personality, and each page shows your personal approach to this craft. There are so many different ways to scrapbook. No one way is correct. We each experience the creative process of designing a page layout in our own way.

Scrapbooking styles can be defined in different ways. Looking through a scrapbooking magazine, you will see a variety of different styles. Some pages will be simple. Others will be complex. Each page sets a different mood. It might be romantic or fun. Here are a few possible labels we could use to define scrapbooking styles.

Traditional

This approach to scrapbooking is usually clean and simple. Nothing fancy on these pages. The embellishments are left to a minimum, and the photos are cropped into standard square or rectangle shapes if they are cropped at all. The pages are sophisticated and classic.

Modern

This style uses lots of contrasting colors with bold patterns and strong accents. Pages elements will have hard lines and geometric shapes. There will be few fancy or decorative page accents.

Romantic

Sometimes this approach might be considered vintage or shabby chic. You'll see a lot of patterned paper and techniques like distressing used to soften the page. The colors usually are pastels, and often floral patterns. Handwriting, script or ornate fonts are used for journaling.

Whimsical

This scrapbooking style uses the newest techniques and mediums. Bold colors used in unique combinations along with playful patterns like dots, checks and stripes. You won't see many fancy page accents. Instead, you might see paper dolls, cartoon shapes and 3D elements.

Conservative

Earth tones define this style. Think of texture and monochromatic color choices. Pages will often have fibers, like jute, and torn paper edges.

Which scrapbooking style shines through in your pages? We may shift between and overlap style at times and even within an album. Sometimes it may just be a result of the theme we are working with or our mood on any particular day. However, for most of us, we will lean toward one style more often than any of the others. For new inspiration for your next page layout, try to apply a new style to your page. Have fun with the creative process and let your personality show in every page you make.

Creative Scrapbook Ideas for a Memorial Page

The loss of a loved one is something we learn to live with, but not something we truly ever get over. Keeping that person's memory alive by remembering him and introducing him to the next generation can help turn the tears into smiles. One way to do this is with a memorial scrapbook page.

Simple Vintage Memorial Layout

Use a neutral colored background. Place an “In memory of” banner across the top of the page. Convert a photo of your loved one into sepia tone and mount it on black cardstock with black photo corners or surround with nice border. Place the photo to one side of the page. On the other side, add a business-card-sized piece of card stock with name, birth date, death date and some famous quote of the deceased. Find a square color image (approximately two-by-two inches) of something you find pretty, such as a garden, the open sea with birds flying overhead, a sunset or something that person like. Affix it below the name card. Print the epitaph or a verse on a piece of vellum and cut it to a square slightly larger than the square image. Put the vellum over the image and, holding it in place, in the top center, punch two holes. Thread a small ribbon through the holes and tie a bow to hold the vellum cover in place.

Remembering the Good Times

Instead of focusing on your loved one’s death, create a layout focusing on her pass life. Use soft pastel hues for the background such as pink or blue or the color she like. Take the photos of your loved one and use photo-editing software to convert it to almost black and white. To do this, reduce the color saturation until it is just tinted. Increase the color tint so that it is slightly red. This will give a hint of a glow to the skin and some other areas of the photo for a surreal look. Line the photos up on the page and use small tags to journal your memories of the person on your scrapbook page design.

Goodbye Mommy/Daddy

Allow children who are grieving for a lovely parent to express themselves with their own memorial scrapbook pages. Provide them with scrapbook materials and help them select their favorite photos and images. Look around for other mementos the child may like to include, such as brochures from a vacation they remember, a photo copy of the bedtime book that was read to them every night, or tickets from a recent circus trip. Don’t give the child a lesson in scrapbooking, simply allow her to create as her instincts guide her, and help her when she has trouble. As an adult, this may become one of her most treasured memories of her lost parent.

Unborn Child/Newborn

Miscarriages and stillbirths are tragic because of the loss of what might have been. Make a small memorial scrapbook and give it a memorial title, such as, “Our Lost Angel.” A memorial page can feature a pregnant belly, a dad holding up a baby T-shirt, a decorated nursery, an ultrasound image, death announcement, or a postmortem photo.

Two-Page Scrapbooking Ideas

An ideal way to feature several pictures from one event is to create a two-page scrapbook layout. This two-page layout allows you ample space to showcase your pictures, text and concentrate both pages on the same theme. If you incorporate extra elements such as the use of corresponding accents, titles, borders and decorative items, providing a focal point and arranging your pictures in a symmetrical fashion, you are sure to complete a cohesive two-page scrapbook layout.

Theme Design

Tie your two-page layout together by featuring the same event on both pages. Themes that incorporate a lot of difference size of pictures work well on two-page spreads layout, such as birthdays, weddings, vacations, family reunions and children's milestone events.

Type of Paper

Use the same patterned or solid paper on both pages. Another option is to use paper that coordinates from the same package of paper, such as using a patterned paper on one side and a solid paper on the other side that are in the same color family.

Pictures

You have several options for displaying pictures on your two-page layout. One option is to include a larger picture, such as an 8-by-10 on one page and a series of smaller pictures on the corresponding page. Another option is to include journaling about the pictures on one page while displaying the pictures on the other. You can also place pictures in the same location on the two pages to make it look like one large page. Placing a picture on the edge of one page, trimming it down the middle and gluing the other side of the picture also helps to create a cohesive design, an alternative method is to create a collage of pictures that spans both pages with tiny decorative items.

Page Titles and Borders

Make a title for your two-page layout that is split between the two pages. For example, you can have the phrase "Our Family" on one page and "Vacation" on the other page to finish the title. Use the same type of letters and font for the title portion on each page to unify the design. Similarly, add a border from the beginning of the left page and have it wrap around to the edge of the right page to have nice look and feel. A corresponding title and border will help your pages look like one large layout.

Accents

Mirror the accents from one page to the other to achieve symmetry. Repeat the same shapes from punches, texture with paint or embossing, stickers, adhesive accents and themes of quotes. Both pages should look like they belong together and are part of one overall design. If you use a picture frame or corners on one page, repeat the look on the corresponding page. If you place journaling tags inside small pockets, add coordinating pockets on the other page.

Focal Point

Create a focal point between the two pages. Arrange pictures and embellishments in a triangle shape to make the pages more fluid as you direct the eye from one direction to another across both pages.

Doodle Ideas for Decorating a Scrapbook With a Pen

Doodling is a popular free-form style of drawing by using any type of drawing tool. It's an extension of your personality and creativity. Inexpensive and not meant to be perfect, doodling adds whimsy and flair to scrapbook layouts and design. It is something that comes so naturally that many people don't even know they are doing it all the times. People start doodling as early as elementary school and some may start even early -- filling notebook pages with random drawings of self expression. Use that creativity and put it in the pages of your scrapbook design to create the accents that will make it unique and stylish.

Scrapbook Page Borders & Corners

Page borders add a finishing touch to scrapbook layouts. Make doodles free-hand directly on the background page or add them to stickers and color paper already used as borders. Even a few small doodles can change the look and feel of a page design. If you are scared of making a mistake free-hand, use a stencil for the base of your border and embellish with more doodling. Waves, zigzags, dashes, vines, vertical or horizontal lines make ideal borders. Doodles in the corner of pages can accent your theme and help utilize the full page design of your scrapbook layout.

Beautiful Hand-Lettered Titles

Titles in your own handwriting add an authentic touch to your page layout especially the title of the page. Sometimes you just don't have the correct font type or sizes in your collection of stickers, rub-on transfers or die-cuts for titles. When this happens make your own font style from doodles. Draw a light line in pencil as a guide to keep your letters straight and erase it after you have finished your title. Chisel-tip pens held at a 45 degree angle are ideal for calligraphy lettering, while fin-tipped pens are best to add curls, dots and hearts to ordinary letters.

Polka Dots & Swirls

Random doodles are perfect for filling dead space on a page. You don't need expensive embellishments, stickers and die-cuts to liven up a page. To add a festive flair to your page try doodling stars, polka dots, swirls or random drawings. Thin-tipped markers work well for doodles. First draw your doodle lightly then once the ink is dry go over it again with the same pen or another color to accent it.

Stylish Photo Frames

Doodling a photo frame will liven up a photo. If you can't find the perfect paper to use as a mat just free-hand dashes, dots, waves, zigzags or your own thin and thick or add some color lines to create your own frame. The possibilities are endless to your imagination and creativities as to what you can draw to make a photo frame stand out. Have a layout that is pet-themed? Doodle small cat faces or paw prints all around your photo of you and your pets. Have a photo of a child's birthday? Doodle birthday candles or small cakes all around the photo to make it festive.