Scrapbooking Ideas

Free scrapbooking layout ideas: valentines day themes

2007-11-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

AN EASTER BASKET OF JOY:

This is a great way to fit up to a dozen photos in a single layout without any clutter.

You will need:

Several sheets of cardstock (your choice of coordinating colors)

Oval or Egg-shaped template

Self-adhesive photo laminating sheets (or your laminating machine)

Dinner plate

Scissors or craft knife

Scrapbooking glue

Adhesive– glue stick or photo mounting tape

Pencil

Ruler

Choose your background color cardstock and set aside. Choose another cardstock that will serve as a giant basket on your page. This can be patterned or solid, but it must be cardstock (not paper). Place the dinner plate on top of it and trace around it. Remove the plate. Using a pencil or ruler, divide the circle into two halves. Cut one half out. This will be the bottom of your basket. Decorate it if you like, with ribbons or embellishments.

To create a basket handle, choose another sheet of cardstock in the same or coordinating color. Use the dinner plate again as a template to trace a circle. Place the ruler across the diameter of the circle, then move the ruler down an inch or two so that it is not across the circle’s widest point. Draw a line across. Cut out the circle and across the line. Take the larger half and cut along the inside so that you have what looks like a large letter “C” if you turn it sideways. Rotate it so that the two end points are facing down. Affix the handle to the background cardstock first.

Take the basket bottom and, along the back of the page, use glue along the circular rim. DO NOT apply glue all over the back of the basket, or along the cut edge of the circle. You want to create a pocket. Liquid or gel glue will work better than a glue stick for this job, as they have a stronger grip; a good, double-sided mounting tape will also work well. Affix the basket bottom to the cardstock background with adhesive, overlapping the end points of the basket handle by an inch or two. Set aside to dry completely, if using glue. When dry, add any other decorative elements, such as sticker groupings in the corners or a title across the page. Just be sure to leave the inside area of the basket empty to receive your photos.

Take anywhere from 6 to 12 of your Easter photographs. Center your subject in the template and cut the photos into an oval or egg shape (approximately 4 to 5 inches in length). You can also cut some sheets of paper in the same shape, and use them for journaling memories about that day, Easter poems, or biblical quotes. You must have an even number of elements.

Take your accent color cardstock. Cut them into slighly larger oval or egg shapes than you did the photos/journaling elements. These will be your mattes. You will need half as many mattes as you have photos or journaling elements to display. Mount one photo or journaling element on each side of a matte with tape or glue, so that each matte is double-sided.

Now it is time to laminate your photo eggs. If you have a laminating machine, you will have no problem laminating your photo eggs in clear film. Trim around egg shape to get rid of excess film. If you do not have a laminating machine, try to obtain self-adhesive photo laminating sheets that do not require heat or a machine to use them. You may also want to check with your local scrapbooking specialty store or office supply store to find out if they have laminating services.

You now have three to six, double-sided photo eggs to slide into place in your basket pocket on the page. Spread them out so that they can be seen peeking over the edge and each other. When you wish to show off your photos, pull your eggs out of your basket and pass them around.

RELIGIOUS LAYOUT

Are you an adult who is tired of the childish Easter fluff? Are you seeking an elegant layout for the holiday featuring the real reason for the season? This is a simple but great way to show off your church photos in a dignified way.

You Will Need:

Black cardstock

White cardstock

Yellow or gold cardstock or paper

White or clear vellum

Silver Metallic opaque pen

Scissors or craft knife

Ruler

Circle template or cup

Adhesive– glue stick or double-sided mounting tape

Square or rectangle template (optional)

Black photo corners (optional, but a nice touch)

Take your white cardstock. Using your ruler and a pencil, make a large cross for your page (For a 12X12" book recommended cross size is 6" in height and width). Cut it out.

Lay the white cardstock cross on the black cardstock background. Center it. Use a circle template or cup and lay it over the intersecting section of the cross until centered. Use a pencil to mark its place. Remove the cross and replace the template on the black cardstock, using the pencil to fully mark the boundaries of the circle. Using a scissors or craft knife, cut the circle out of the paper.

Take the yellow or gold cardstock and lay it on the table. Place the vellum paper over it, matching up the corners. Affix it in the corners with a glue stick or double-sided tape. Then place the black cardstock with a circle cutout over the vellum. line up the edges and corners and affix the pages together. Place the cross back on the black paper, over the circle, centering the intersecting part over the circle. Use a glue stick to affix it there permanently. The cross will now have a circular “aura” around it created by the vellum and yellow paper.

Use your opaque marker (alternately you can get alphabet stickers or die cuts) to write a page topper caption, such as, “He Is Risen... And We Rejoice!” Cut your photos into squares or rectangles that will fit along-side the cross. Four photos surrounding the cross and very slightly overlapping the yellow “aura” make for a nice, balanced look. Mount the photos on white cardstock mattes with black photo corners for a nice, finished touch. Mount the matted photos onto the page.

by M.S. Beltran

Free scrapbooking layout ideas: easter themes

2007-11-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

AN EASTER BASKET OF JOY:

This is a great way to fit up to a dozen photos in a single layout without any clutter.

You will need:

Several sheets of cardstock (your choice of coordinating colors)

Oval or Egg-shaped template

Self-adhesive photo laminating sheets (or your laminating machine)

Dinner plate

Scissors or craft knife

Scrapbooking glue

Adhesive– glue stick or photo mounting tape

Pencil

Ruler

RELIGIOUS LAYOUT

You Will Need:

Black cardstock

White cardstock

Yellow or gold cardstock or paper

White or clear vellum

Silver Metallic opaque pen

Scissors or craft knife

Ruler

Circle template or cup

Adhesive– glue stick or double-sided mounting tape

Square or rectangle template (optional)

Black photo corners (optional, but a nice touch)

Take your white cardstock. Using your ruler and a pencil, make a large cross for your page (For a 12X12" book recommended cross size is 6" in height and width). Cut it out.

by M.S. Beltran

Simple beginning scrapbooking tips: planning designs and colors

2007-11-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

DESIGN PLANNING

THEME: When choosing your photos or memorabilia for a scrapbooking layout, whether it is for one page or a several page spread, the first thing you will want to consider is the theme. The theme can be stated as a page title or caption, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be obvious, such as kids in pajamas ripping into a pile of presents under a twinkling tree. But even if it is so subtle that it is barely noticeable, your theme should be kept in mind when starting your layout.

A theme unites all of the photos and elements of a layout so that it tells one specific story. Photos in a theme don’t have to come from the same moment, day, or even the same roll of film. They do have to have something in common to achieve a sense of continuity in the layout, rather than having a random grouping of images.

PLACEMENT: Once you have chosen your photos and colors, you will want to begin considering their placement on the page. Begin this step by choosing a focal point. Consider the focal point as the star of the show, with all other elements of the page playing supporting roles. In a scrapbook, a focal point is usually a photograph, but can also be a piece of memorabilia or journaling.

You can make your focal point more prominent in a number of ways. You can make it larger than the other elements or photographs on the page, matte or frame it differently or more elaborately, cut it into a different shape than other photos on the page, or group embellishments around it to draw attention to it. If you are featuring a single photo on a page, you can center it, but off-center placement of your focal point can add visual interest, whether it is alone on the page, or accompanied by secondary photos.

Once you have your focal point, you will want to begin experimenting with your photo arrangement in order to achieve balance. If a page is well balanced, one area will not seem “heavier,” or more cluttered, than another area. This does not mean you must achieve perfect symmetry, though symmetrical layouts, when using an even number of photographs, can bring about a nice balance. You can also achieve balance by using an odd number of photographs, such as arranging three in a triangular shape, with a photo where each point would be.

Keep your photos and embellishment groupings spaced fairly evenly. If they aren’t spaced evenly, it should be a deliberate placement, not accidental. In art design, this is known as proximity. Be careful of what appear to be blank gaps that seem like something is missing. You can use embellishments, such as a die cut or sticker groupings (odd numbers are more visually appealing in groups) to fill these spaces. Don’t be afraid to have some negative space, or space that is left blank. Too many elements or photos jumbled on the page can appear cluttered.

Another element of placement you will want to consider is flow. This is when you arrange the photos in a way so that they eye moves seamlessly from one area of the page to another. One way to achieve flow is to have your subjects facing inward toward the center of the page, or secondary photos facing toward the focal point.

TEXTURE, DEPTH AND DIMENSION: While not necessary, you can make your pages more visually interesting if you consider texture, depth and dimension in your layout.

Texture can be achieved by using paper and elements that have some texture to them, such as hand-made papers, velvets, meshes, leather, embossing, or even patterns that achieve texture through optical illusions (bricks, pebbles, wood grain, etc.). Try layering different textures in order to create an interesting look.

Depth can be achieved with shadowing and highlighting elements. One easy way to do this is to double page elements, such as mattes or die cuts, in two colors. Put them on top of each other, slightly askew, or off-center, so that the bottom peeks out just a bit around one edge of the top. If the darker color is on the bottom, it will give a shadow effect, while if the lighter color is on the bottom, it will give a highlight effect. You can do the same thing using pens, markers, or even chalk, making a slight shading around one or two edges of the elements directly on the page.

Dimension comes best from adding three dimensional elements to your page, such as paper flowers, buttons, bows, or raffia. It can also be achieved by using the many pop-up book techniques to create pop-up scrapbooking pages.

COLOR

HOW COLORS AFFECT PHOTOS: Your choice of colors will have a huge impact on your page. The right colors can make a photograph seemingly pop out and come to life. The wrong colors can clash with your subject, wash it out or overwhelm your layout.

Try this experiment: Select about a half dozen sheets of paper in different colors. If you haven’t purchased any scrapbooking paper yet, simply use any color paper, such as construction paper, or go to a store that sells scrapbooking paper by the sheet. Take your photo and lay it on one sheet of paper. Ask yourself what tones and hues are brought out of the photo against that color. Are those tones and hues flattering and natural, or do they discolor or wash out the subject? Does the color brighten or dull the colors of the photo? Does the background color clash with the main colors in the photo, or compliment it? Place the photo on other colors, and notice how different each background can make the photo look. With the results of this experiment in mind, remember to always have your photos with you when choosing your page colors.

This doesn’t mean you cannot use a color you had your heart set on in a layout. You can neutralize the effect of one color by using another color as a barrier between it and your photograph. For example, if you wanted your “Baby’s First Christmas” layout to have a red background to go with your page embellishments set you got– but, alas! The red cardstock causes your baby’s naturally pink complexion to appear unnaturally red and blotchy. What to do? Use the red as a background paper, and try mounting the photo on a green, navy blue, white, or even a patterned or textured paper matte. Make sure the matte color is more flattering to the photograph, and that it also goes with red. Make sure the matte exceeds the size of your photograph at least a half inch to an inch on each side so it will keep the red far enough away to avoid it bringing out the undesirable undertones of the photograph.

HOW COLORS AFFECT MOOD: Color can also dramatically affect the mood of the layout you are creating. Bold, high-contrasting colors can make a layout look playful and whimsical. Rich jewel tones are also striking, but in a more formal way. Neutrals or muted tones give a relaxed, earthy appearance to a layout. Pastels soften the look of the page. Black-and-white combinations are great for achieving formal elegance, or a vintage look. Keep your theme and the mood for which you are striving in mind when choosing the colors for your page.

CHOOSING COLOR COMBINATIONS: There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how many colors should go on a page, or which colors go together, except that they should flatter your photo and look good together on a page.

The best way to choose your color combinations is to purchase an inexpensive color wheel. You can find one at art stores and many places that sell arts and crafts supplies. Colors at opposite ends of the color wheel compliment each other best, as do triadic colors. Triadic colors are at the three points of the wheel that would form the points of an equilateral triangle; for example, red, blue, and yellow form a triad on the color wheel. Colors that are right next to each other give you a monochromatic pallet.

If two colors go well together, but you feel that the combination is so strong that they detract from the photo you are using, try using one as a solid, and the other in a patterned paper that contains the second color. This will give you the combination you want without creating a design that is overwhelming.

The most important thing about color is to try out all possible combinations with your photo before using any adhesives. If you plan your color scheme well in advance, you will waste less paper and make fewer mistakes in your page designs.

Free scrapbooking layout ideas: high school graduation themes

2007-11-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

High school graduation is a time to celebrate and dream big. Traditionally, people referred to high school as the “best years of your life.” While this may not be true for you, finally graduating has got to feel good even if you’ve had a mediocre high school experience. Carefully select images from your high school photo collection and from photos from the day itself that will help you remember the teachers, friends and family who helped you reach this milestone.

If you are not a fan of mushy love songs, you may want to listen to some just to get some ideas for your scrap book pages. Mushy love songs are full of clichéd messages that may be overused but are easily understood and work very well as celebratory themes. Some examples of clichéd but appropriate themes are: Flying High on Eagles Wings, Climbing the Highest Mountain, Friends Forever and Reaching for the Rainbow. Not everyone graduates from high school, so you deserve to pat yourself on the back and bask in the glow of overused idealism. As time passes, you will look back and smile inwardly at your response to one of the first major accomplishments in your life.

In addition to using mush to explain your emotional response, don’t be afraid to be realistic about your high school impressions. If you snap a photo of the “Dragon Lady” who was your toughest math teacher, go ahead and build a page around this theme. Perhaps include a few instructors on a page who were difficult. Add some red scribbles and broken rulers. Add accessories that explain your difficulty dealing with these people. You may also want to include a few labels for the people who made your high school years less then heavenly. Art allows for freedom of expression. Although others may be leafing through your scrapbook, include a few pages that honestly reveal your emotional impressions of an experience to help you recall the events in richer detail as time passes.

Devote at least a page to the program and a description of the ceremony and the themes of the speeches. If a famous public official speaks at the ceremony, include some pictures or information about the speaker on a page. Recall the moods of your favorite people. Were your friends happy, sad, nervous or apprehensive about the future? Use color and contrast to reflect the moods of the people you include on your page. Try to include the words that they said to you on this special day. Who wished you luck? Who said something really memorable? Who ignored you? Also include snapshots of the stage and the arena where the event took place. Consider how this setting played a role in your overall impression of the experience. What was the weather like the day you graduated? Was it sunny and warm or rainy and dreary? If the weather played a role in the experience, isn’t it worth remembering? Include stickers or cut out little suns, clouds and raindrops as appropriate.

High school graduation is a major life milestone and should be celebrated and preserved as an important memory. Consider the lyrics to dreamy songs to anchor your emotional response to an event. When you commemorate your experience, use a bit of mush to keep your head in the clouds, but when appropriate add a bit of sour commentary to authenticate your response. A bit of reality always adds character. Years later you will appreciate your attempt to honestly capture this very important moment in time.

by Stephanie Arado

Free scrapbooking layout ideas: gingerbread page ideas

2007-11-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

“C” IS FOR COOKIE! LAYOUT

Create a gingerbread page bordered page to show off your baking day.

You will need:

Coordinating background and accent color papers of your choice

Brown paper

Paint pens (white, black, red)

Scissors

Small 2" gingerbread man template (see below)

Piece of cardboard

Pencil

To make your small gingerbread man template, simply photocopy a picture of a gingerbread man at a reduced size until it is approximately a half inch to an inch high. Cut it out, place it on cardboard, trace the outline, and cut it out. You now have a gingerbread man template.

Take the brown paper and cut out strips slightly taller than your gingerbread man template. Fold the strip back and forth accordion style, making sure that the width of each section is equal and just a hair under the width of the gingerbread man template.

Place the gingerbread man template on the top section of the “accordion” and trace it. Cut the figure out with scissors, going through all of the sections of paper, leaving the arms attached. You now have a set of gingerbread men paper dolls who are holding hands. Repeat this process with four more strips of brown paper so that you have four strips of paper dolls.

Using the paint pens, decorate the gingerbread men as you would decorate a gingerbread cookie with royal icing, using white for trim, black for eyes, and red for buttons and mouth. Set them aside to dry thoroughly in order to avoid smearing.

When they are dry, use a glue stick to affix a strip of gingerbread men across each edge of your page. Turning them so that all of their heads are facing inward toward the center of the page.

Cut a 1 ½" square out of the brown paper. Slightly round the sharp corners so that it resembles a ginger snap cookie. Using a white paint pen, draw a border around the edges of the square, and a big letter “C” in the middle. Affix it to the upper left corner of the page, and use a paint pen to write the rest of the letters “IS FOR COOKIE.”

Your page is now ready for you to mount your favorite baking photos or cookie recipe.

CAN’T CATCH ME!

This is a great layout honoring the classic gingerbread man fairytale, for pictures featuring a small child on the go.

You will need:

Brown cardstock

Tan cardstock

Red cardstock

Paint pens (white, black, red)

Red zig-zag border trim

Red letter stickers or die cuts

Gingerbread man cookie cutter

Pencil

Scissors

Adhesive– glue stick or photo mounting tape

Photos of a young child on the go

Take the cookie cutter and place it on the brown cardstock. Using the pencil, trace the shape of the cookie cutter onto the brown cardstock. Cut out your gingerbread man with scissors and decorate him using the paint pens like you would decorate a cookie with royal icing. When drawing the eyes, make one “winking,” then use red for buttons and a smile, and white for trim. Set the gingerbread man aside and let it dry thoroughly.

Matte your photos on red cardstock. Use the zig-zag red border trim around the edges of the tan cardstock to create the page border.

Arrange the gingerbread man and the photos on the page and affix them. Using the letter stickers or die cuts, Fill in blank spaces with the words, “Can’t catch me..!”

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD HOUSE

The open windows and doors of this cute ginger bread house will frame your winter holiday photos.

You will need:

Brown cardstock

*Die cuts or stickers of candy (candy cane, peppermints, gumdrops)

Paint Pens (white, green, red)

A background paper or cardstock in the color of your choice

White cardstock

Scissors or craft knife

Adhesive– glue stick or photo mounting tape

Pencil

Ruler

2" circle template

2" square template

Cut out a house shape as large as your page will accommodate. Simply use a square base and triangular shaped roof to achieve the effect.

Place the square template at the bottom right corner of the house and mark the space. Then, use the circle template at the top of the square so that the top line of the square cuts across the diameter of the circle. Mark it with your pencil. This will create a rounded doorway. Cut it out.

Use the square template and pencil to mark one window to the right of the door, and one or two more windows above the door (depending on the size of your house). Cut them out.

Place your photos underneath the house and arrange them so that the subjects can be seen through the door and windows. Use the glue stick or tape to affix the photos to the back of the house shape. Trim the photo in the door at the bottom so that it is even with the bottom of the house.

Affix the house to your background paper. If you like, use a strip of white cardstock along the bottom to resemble snow.

Use your candy stickers or die cuts, and your paint pens to decorate and add details and trim to your gingerbread house.

* If you cannot find candy stickers or die cuts, create them yourself using red and white striped paper for candy canes and mints, and cut out gumdrop shapes (slightly square, but narrower at the top, with rounded edges) in assorted gumdrop colors, such as red, green, and yellow.

by M.S. Beltran

Free scrapbooking layout ideas: newborn baby girl themes

2007-11-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

MY GIRL LAYOUT

What you will need:

A photo of baby girl

A sheet of patterned paper: sky blue with clouds

A large die cut yellow sun

White cardstock (scraps or new sheets)

Yellow cardstock (scraps or new sheets)

Pink sticker or die cut letters

Pink marker, fine tip

Adhesive (glue stick or double-sided mounting tape)

Scissors or craft knife

Pencil

Ruler

Take the white cardstock and sketch out two clouds. Cut them out and set them aside.

Take the yellow cardstock. You will need a strip as long as the page you are working on. Cut the strip out, approximately 1" wide, with a slight wave to it.

Using a scissor or craft knife, cut a circle out of the center of the sun as large as you can make it. Place it over the photo of the baby and center her face in the circle. Trim the photo so that the edges cannot be seen beyond the sun frame (note: do not use your only copy of the photo!). If you can’t find a yellow sun die cut, make your own sun out of bright yellow cardstock that is large enough to accommodate the photo. Adhere the sun frame to the baby’s photo with glue or tape.

Take the patterned paper and set it before you. Place the baby’s sun-framed photo in the center of the page. Across the top of the page, use the letter stickers or die cuts to spell out the words “MY GIRL.” Center the words on the page before adhering, using a ruler to keep them straight.

Take the wavy yellow strip of cardstock. Write on it with a pink pen, “I’ve Got Sunshine On A Cloudy Day.” You may need to practice this on similar cut sheets to ensure the letters are the right size and spread out enough to span the entire strip. When you have the writing just so, adhere the strip to the bottom of the page.

DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL LAYOUT

What you will need:

A photo of the baby girl and her daddy together

Sheet music to the song “Daddy’s Little Girl”

Acid neutralizing spray

2 to 3 sheets of cardstock in your choice of colors

Adhesive (glue stick or double sided mounting tape)

Scissors or craft knife

Use the famous song, “Daddy’s Little Girl,” written by Bobby Burke and Horace Gerach in 1949, to create a beautiful background. It will not be too difficult to obtain the sheet music, as this song is still the number one request for the father/daughter dance at weddings.

Take the first page of the sheet music and spray it with an acid neutralizing spray according to the directions on the can. These sprays are available at most scrapbooking supply companies. It is important to spray the sheet music because the paper it was written on will not be of archival quality and could eventually ruin your layout. The spray will neutralize the acids in the paper and make them safe for scrapbooking use.

Take a sheet of cardstock in your choice of color (mint, yellow, lavender, and, of course, pink, work well for baby girls). Place the sheet music page on top of the cardstock and tilt it so that the corners go slightly off the page. Adhere it with a glue stick or double-sided tape. You can trim off the corners or fold and glue them to the underside of the page.

Matte the photo of the baby girl and her daddy on another piece of cardstock, cut just slightly larger than the photo. If you like, use a complimentary color and double-matte it by placing it on yet another piece of cardstock just slightly larger than the first.

Mount the matted photo directly onto the center of the page, right over the sheet music. Most of the beautiful words of the song will still be seen around the photo.

Tip: if you want to create a spread, use a different page of the sheet music as a background for each.

IN MY DAUGHTER’S EYES LAYOUT

What you will need:

A photograph of baby girl and her mommy

Mommy and Baby’s hospital ID bracelets

Mint cardstock

Pale yellow cardstock

Pink Cardstock

Pink fine-tipped marker

Pink letter stickers or die cuts

A Vellum envelope

2 yards of 1/8" pink ribbon (approximately)

Hole puncher

Adhesive

Scissors or craft knife

Ruler

Pencil

“In My Daughter’s Eyes,” by Martina McBride, is the ultimate mother/daughter song. To begin this layout, create a matte out of pink cardstock, leaving a 1/8" border all around your photograph. Then take yellow cardstock and create a second matte that leaves a ½" border around the first.

Mount the photo on the pink cardstock matte with adhesive, then double matte by mounting that onto the yellow cardstock.

Take a pencil and ruler. On the back of the yellow cardstock, approximately 1/4" from the edges, make a dot with the pencil in each corner. Then make dots approximately every 1/4" until you have worked your way around the edges of the matte.

Using your hole puncher, punch a hole on each pencil dot. Then, take your ribbon and, starting at the top center, thread it in and out of the punched holes. Finish back at the center, where you can tie it into a bow on the front, right above the photograph.

Take your mint cardstock and use the same technique to mark and punch holes around the border. Thread the ribbon in and out. Again, start at the center, work your way around and finish at the top center with a small bow.

Make a 3X3 inch square of yellow cardstock, then matte it with adhesive onto pink cardstock, leaving a 1/8" border. Using the pink marker, in your best handwriting, journal a line from the song, “...when she wraps her hand around my finger, it puts a smile in my heart...”

Take the vellum envelope. On the center of the flap, punch two holes. Thread the remaining ribbon through it and tie a bow on the front.

Across the top of the page, centered beneath the ribbon, use the letter stickers or die cuts to spell out, “In My Daughter’s Eyes.” Then, arrange the matted photograph, the vellum envelope and the journaling on the page until you are pleased with their placement. Because there are three, a triangular arrangement will probably work best. Try tilting them and slightly overlapping the edges in order to create visual interest.

Affix the elements to the page with glue or tape. Make sure the vellum envelope flap is facing outward. When they are set, place the hospital bracelets in the vellum envelope as a keepsake.

by M.S. Beltran

Free scrapbooking layout ideas: creating great borders

2007-11-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

BASKET WEAVE BORDER

This border adds not only great color to your page, but a wonderful texture that makes for a very interesting layout. It can be used for just about any occasion, depending on the colors you choose, but make an especially nice addition to Easter layouts. Try using this technique to make mattes for your photos as well.

You will need:

1 sheet of cardstock in your main background color

Cardstock in your accent colors

Scissors

A ruler

A pencil

A glue stick

Using your pencil and ruler, draw light guidelines, 1 to 1 ½ inches from each page edge of your background cardstock. We’ll call these your “border guides.” There should be a square in each corner of the page.

Using your scissors, cut out each of the squares. Then, laying your ruler across the page horizontally under the top square notches. Begin drawing guide lines from the edge of the page to the border guides on each side. These lines should be spaced approximately 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch apart as you work your way down the page. The smaller the spacing, the tighter the weave you will achieve. It is very important that you space the lines evenly, and that they are straight all straight.

Rotate the page and repeat this step again on the remaining two sides.

With your scissors, cut along each line inward, stopping at the border guide. When you are done, your page should now resemble a patch of material with frayed edging.

Take your accent colored cardstock. You can use paper, but the stiffness of the cardstock will make it easier to work with. You can use one to three colors of your choice. If you have long strips of scraps (they must be the length of the page or longer), you can use them. If not, trim from a fresh page. You will need to cut strips that are equal or greater to the length of your page. Use your ruler to measure them to the same width of the lines you cut in your background page. For example, if you made 1/4 inch notches, make 1/4 inch accent strips. You can cut them out using a scissor, craft knife, or, if you have one, a paper trimmer. How many strips you will need will depend on the depth of your border and the width of your strips. It can take anywhere from 16 to 32 strips to complete the page. You can cut more as you go along if you find you need them.

Take your first strip and your background page. Along one edge, weave the strip in and out of the cuts and push it in as far as it will go without tearing. Take another strip (an alternate color if using more than one accent color) and weave it in and out of the opposite cuts on the same side of the page. In other words, if for the first strip you stared going under then over then under, for the second strip start over then under then over. Push it in until it is up against the first strip. Continue doing this until the strips have reached the edge of the page. On the back side of the page, use a piece of one-sided tape to hold the strips in place. Then, repeat the process on the other three sides of the page.

Once you have woven all of the edges, you can weave the strips where they meet at the corners of the page. Again, use one-sided tape to hold the corners in place. When you turn your page over, you will have a great woven look along the edges.

“STAINED GLASS” BORDER

The effect of this border is reminiscent of the beautiful stained glass windows. It can make an elegant yet striking background for any layout, and is particularly for church occasions, such as baptisms or weddings.

You will need:

1 sheet of black cardstock

1 sheet of white cardstock

An assortment of colored vellum paper (scraps are fine)

a ruler

a pencil

a swivel blade craft knife or fine tip scissors

a glue stick

Lay the black cardstock on a cutting board, or self-healing cutting mat to protect your work surface. Use the ruler to measure off a 1/8 inch square border around the edge of the page. Make another square inside of the square border, this time about an inch smaller in all directions than the first.

In the one-inch space between the squares, use the pencil to create small shapes. You can create simple geometric shapes with a ruler and pencil, or try making some interesting freehand shapes. Make sure to leave about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch line of black between the shapes. Continue doing this on the inside space between the square until you have gone around the whole page.

Carefully with your swivel tip blade, or a scissors made for fine detail cutting, cut out each of the shapes, being sure to keep the black lines between them intact.

If you have any small scraps of colored vellum paper left over, this is a great use for them. If not, you can simply cut some small pieces out of a larger sheet. Piece them together over the cut-outs you have created. Trim them as necessary and adhere them to the black frame using the glue stick so that when you turn the cardstock over, the vellum can be seen through without overlapping.

When you have covered all the cut-outs with vellum, turn the black cardstock over and place it over the white cardstock. Adhere the black cardstock to the white cardstock, putting the glue toward the middle of the page so that it won’t be seen under the vellum. The white cardstock will bring out the colors of the vellum better and brighten them up.

NATURE BORDER

This look has a nice, earthy look. You can also adapt the technique to do different looks by using different colored papers, chalks and different shaped paper punches.

What you will need:

1 sheet of a light, neutral cardstock (white, cream colored, tan)

1 sheet of forest green cardstock

A ruler or decorative edge template

Brown or rust colored chalk

Cotton, cotton swabs, or an eye shadow sponge applicator

One or more small to medium sized leaf paper punches

Take the light sheet of cardstock. If you have a decorative edge template, you can create nice wavy lines, or scallops, or whatever design it is made for. If not, a simple ruler can create a simple, straight line. Place the ruler or template about an inch in from the edge of the page. Hold it down flat

Rub cotton, a cotton swab, or a sponge eye shadow applicator on the chalk. If you don’t have specialty scrapbooking chalk, you can use any colored chalk, but you might have to scrape some off into a paper plate for best results. Rub the chalk from the edge of the paper to the ruler or template, holding your ruler or template in place, to make a nice, soft edge color. Repeat around the other three sides of the paper so you now have a one-inch border around the page. If you used a ruler and feel the edge is too sharp, take a clean cotton swab and, in a gentle, circular motion, rub the edges of the line. This will soften the line and blend the color into the page.

Using the leaf paper punch(es), punch some leaves around the paper inside of the chalk border, approximately 1/4 to ½ inches apart. You can punch them all uniformly, or you can turn the punch or paper over to vary the direction of the leaves.

Place the decorated cardstock directly on top of the green cardstock, so that the color can be seen through the punches, turning the leaves green. If you like, save the punch outs that you created to scatter around the page, or to use on your photo mattes.

Free scrapbooking advice: what to bring to scrapbook retreats

2007-11-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooking has taken the nation by storm. All over the country, you can find scrapbooking clubs meeting on Friday nights, as more and more people have thrown out their old photo albums and replaced them with high-quality scrapbooks. No longer will a simple photo album do. It must be enhanced with stickers, borders, layouts and journal entries.

If you have the pleasure of attending a scrapbooking retreat, do it. These retreats usually span one or two nights and can take place at a local bed and breakfast or at a host’s house. The group gets together over the course of the weekend to share ideas, borrow cropping tools and, essentially, get inspired for their own personal scrapbooks. The question is, though, what should you take to one of these scrapbooking retreats?

For starters, pack comfortable clothes. You want to be able to feel totally comfortable when you are scrapbooking, just as you normally would at home. Many people work on several scrapbooks simultaneously. For example, I have a friend who has at least four scrapbooks going on at any given time: a family events scrapbook, a holiday season scrapbook, a scrapbook devoted to her dog and a scrapbook devoted to her children. Pack all of the scrapbooks you are currently working on. You may get inspired at any moment and, instead of waiting until you get home and possibly losing the idea, you can create a scrapbook page at the retreat itself.

While many hosts and hostesses will provide cropping tools (corner rounders, page cutters, shape makers), bring your own tools anyway. You don’t want to be waiting in line for the person in front of you to finish using the tools so that you can get started on your own scrapbook pages. If you do not have one already, purchase a storage box with dividers so that you can store your pictures based on the specific event or specific scrapbook. Once you are at the retreat, you will want to start scrapbooking right away, instead of wasting your time going through your pictures to see which ones go where. Many scrapbookers gather their journal entry ideas from the diaries or day planners they keep. Make sure to pack these along as well.

You will also want to bring along all of your scrapbook enhancements. These include die-cuts, stickers, pre-printed borders, card stock and any other specialty papers you may have. One great thing about these scrapbooking retreats is that those who attend are usually more than willing to borrow and trade enhancements, so make sure you bring all of your stickers and papers. You will especially want to bring along any materials that you do not want or do not use so that you can donate them to other members.

Most importantly, bring along your ideas. More than anything at this retreat, you will leave inspired by the other guests as they will be inspired by you. In a nutshell, bring anything you have that is scrapbook-related. You never know when inspiration will hit or if one of the other members may get inspired by your own creations. If attending one of these retreats, I recommend investing in some sort of large scrapbook organizer that will hold your pictures, your stickers, your specialty papers and your scrapbook tools all in one location.

by Tammy Vela

Simple beginning scrapbooking tips: hole punches

2007-11-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today’s marketplace is full of accessories and supplies for the creative scrapbooker. The costs can accumulate quickly, so the wise crafter should evaluate the flexibility of each tool before it’s purchased. One tool that is relatively inexpensive has a wide variety of designs, and many uses is the paper punch.

Perhaps the first crafter to use a paper punch discovered that she could use her handheld hole puncher to make piles of dots from different colored paper. Maybe she painstakingly glued each dot onto her design. Whatever the technique, today’s crafter has an almost endless supply of designs and uses. Paper punches are usually available from specialty catalogs or craft stores for anywhere from $1.50 to $12.00. They are sometimes sold in sets with basic shapes such as stars, moons, squares, hearts or snowflakes. Entire alphabets are also available for purchase. Sizes range from a half inch to jumbo paper punches up to 5 inches wide. The paper punches have become more like mini die cuts than the original hole punch circle.

Paper Punch Ideas

1) Use the paper punch to make a border for your scrapbook page. To do this, cut strips of paper using a paper cutter. Make all the strips the same width. Use one or more paper punches to make a pattern in the border. The page color will show through the areas that you punched. Glue the border onto the page. For extra flair, put the corners together and punch through both to get a design in the corners.

2) Highlight photos with a paper punch frame. Cut out a shape that is approximately ¼” to ½” larger than the photo a piece of paper that compliments the photo. Now do the same thing to a contrasting piece of paper. This piece will be layered right on top of the photo. Cut out the middle of the shape from both pieces of paper. Using a hole punch, cut out designs around the perimeter of the first piece that you cut. Layer in this order: photo, contrasting piece, piece with hole punches. The contrasting piece of paper will show through the paper punch outs, making a creative and attractive frame.

3) Save all the little pieces of paper that you’ve punched out from various projects. It’s best to sort these when you first cut them, using baggies, envelopes or small plastic containers. Use these little pieces to decorate pages, borders, make a confetti party page, etc.

4) Use balloon punches (available at craft stores) to add cartoon-like text above pictures.

5) Make a scalloped edge for a scrapbook page by punching along the edge of a piece of acid-free paper or cardstock, connecting the shapes like an old fashioned paper doll.

6) Make “pop ups” on a scrapbook page by using small pieces of coiled wire with a hole punched design on the end.

Maintenance

To lubricate a hole punch, punch through wax paper a few times. To sharpen an often used punch, use it on tin foil. If your punch seems to be “sticking”, rub soap on a piece of cardstock, and punch through it a few times with the offending hole punch.

Paper punches are a wonderful way to add flair to a scrapbook page. Whether used as a border, a highlight or a main feature of your page, you’ll find new ways to use them as you expand your scrapbooking techniques.

by Theresa Gwyn

Free scrapbooking layout ideas: halloween themes

2007-11-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

SPOOKTACULAR NIGHT:

Create a graveyard scene running the length of the bottom of the page. Start with a dark blue or starry night sky paper as a background. For the ground, you can use a tan or brown strip of cardstock as wide as your paper. Use your scissors to cut into the top edge in a jagged, random way to resemble bushy grassy. Use die cuts or hand-cut elements for the graveyard, such as tombstones, pumpkins and the moon. You can do your journaling on the “tombstones,” or write funny names on them. Across the top of the page, using orange die cuts or Halloween letter stickers, write, “Spooktacular Night,” or the title of your choice.

To matte your photos, make two mattes in the same size, approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch larger than your photo on all sides. The top matte should be the same dark blue as the sky, the hidden one underneath should be a bright orange or some kind of autumn leaf color. Mount your photo on the top matte, then, using one or more small, leaf-shaped paper punches, punch leaf-shapes into the border of the matte. Mount the top matte on the orange (autumn colored) matte so that the color shows through the punched leaves.

Mount your matted photos on the background sky, under the title but above the graveyard scene. For embellishments, cut a few small (approximately 2 inch tall) ghosts out of solid white vellum paper. Draw two big, black eyes and a wide, open mouth on them. Adhere them to the page with invisible adhesive so the glue will not show through the vellum, or simply put the adhesive behind the eyes and mouth.

OUR LIL’ PUMPKIN:

Surround your “Lil Pumpkin” with a pumpkin patch wreath. This layout is best to do with a single, large photo layout of a small child or baby.

Begin with a black cardstock background. Using a plate or circle template, crop your photo into a large circle. Then, using a piece of orange cardstock, cut out another circle of the same size. Using a slightly smaller plate or circle template (about 1/4 to ½ inch smaller), cut a center hole out of the orange circle. The orange ring you just created will be for your pumpkin wreath.

To make the pumpkins, you can purchase some small pumpkin die cuts, or you can simply use oval and circle templates to cut them from cardstock. They can be different sizes and shapes, but should be no more than 2" in diameter. You will need enough to slightly overlap them on the orange ring so that they will go all the way around. Decorate their faces using tiny hole-punch designs for eyes (stars, circles, or more traditional triangles) and a half-circle punch for smiling mouths. I like to punch the eyes and mouths out of yellow scrap paper and glue them on, so that they resemble lit-up jack-o-lanterns.

When you have finished creating your pumkins, begin adhering them to the orange ring. Add some brown raffia clips to resemble stems and vines, and some punched-out green leaves to embellish.

Mount your photo on the center of the black paper, then mount your pumpkin ring right onto it. Across the top, using yellow or orange die cut letters, or Halloween theme stickers, write “Our Lil’ Pumpkin,” or your preferred title.

HAUNTED HOUSE:

This layout can get as simple or as elaborate as you would like to make it. The basic elements you will need for this is a dark background paper (I used a patterned paper that depicted a starry night sky), and one sheet of brown or gray cardstock. Out of the cardstock, cut a basic house shape. This can be as simple as a squared-off bottom and triangular shaped roof.

Get a square or rectangular template, or use a ruler and pencil to mark off the shapes. Cut out a door by cutting up from the bottom of the paper house on one side, and across the top. Then fold it back so that it opens and closes. Cut out windows by cutting a vertical line up the center of the square, then across the top and bottom. Fold back the flaps, which will resemble shutters.

Now you can decorate your house. Make roof shingles, either with a pen or by layering small squares of paper. Make little shutters by using a black pen to draw lines across the window flaps. Decorate the door as well, adding a punched circle for a doorknob, or two small, brown, rectangular strips to place across the door saying, “Do Not Enter.” Use a ruler if you like, and make lines down the house to resemble boards. If you really want to get creative, draw some knot holes or wood grain on the boards.

Lay your photos on the table and lay the house on top of them Open the windows and the doors and arrange your photos on the inside so they can be seen through the openings. Use double-sided mounting tape or glue a glue stick to adhere the back of the house to the photos. Be careful to make sure when you open a door or a window that the subject is visible.

Lay the house on your background paper. If you like, use strips of brown (for a dried fall look) or green paper cut jaggedly to resemble grass. Lay the strips across the bottom, making sure they are not in the way of the opening door or windows. If you like, add bushes, a spooky-looking tree, a moon, or any Halloween die cuts or stickers that enhance the look (a hooting owl, a black cat, a witch on a broomstick flying over the house).

by M.S. Beltran

Free scrapbooking advice: the essential elements of every layout

2007-11-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

The first thing that you will want to consider when planning your page layout is what photographs or memorabilia you are planning to display. After all, the whole point of scrapbooking is to preserve and display our memories in a beautiful way. If you are doing a single page layout, you can choose one single, striking photograph, or several that go together. You can also do a two or more page spread for your photos if you feel that there are too many to display on one single page.

The important thing to remember when planning a layout or a spread is to create a theme. A theme can be very obvious, such as, “Mom’s Garden,” or, “Trick-or-Treating,” or it can be a more subtle theme, such as, “Our daughter.” You can use the theme in the title of the page, or just let it speak for itself. But the point of the theme is that all the photos and memorabilia on the page(s) go together to tell a story.

The next important element of your page is your paper. Paper will be used to create your background and show off your photos. Always bring your photos with you when going to choose your paper, either at the store or out of your stock. Lay the photos against the paper to see the tones it brings out. You will be surprised how different a single photo can look against two different colors. Choose two or three types of paper that work well with the photos. Another thing the paper should do is bring out the desired mood you are trying to create. For example, if you want the page to be lively and whimsical, then bright colors and bold patterns will accomplish this much better than neutral tones and elegant vellum.

Once you have your photos and your paper, you will want to consider how you will frame or matte your photographs. Framing is when you cut out a paper or cardstock frame and lay it over or around the photo, just like a framed picture. Matting is when you lay the photo on a piece of paper cut slightly larger than the photo itself. With this method, you can double or even triple matte your photos with coordinating colors and patterns, each layer slightly larger than the one on top of it. When creating mattes or frames, you can simply straight cut them; but for a more detailed look, try cutting them with decorative edging scissors, or using paper punches to create designs in them. You can also carefully rip them around the edges instead of cutting to create a look that is very rugged and natural.

The next thing to consider on the page is if you intend to do any journaling. Journaling is the term used in scrapbooking for any writing you want to do on the page. You can tell a story, write a poem, give your thoughts or observations about the subject of your photo, or simply tell details about the moment the photo was taken so that you can preserve them as well. You may want to journal directly on the page, or you can hand-write or print out the journaling on a separate piece of paper, cut it to size and adhere it to the page. Journaling is not necessary, but it is a wonderful way to truly preserve the memories.

Finally you will want to choose your page embellishments. These are the fun or interesting things that you will use to enhance the look of your page. There are many options for embellishments: stickers, rubber stamped images, die cuts, pressed flowers, beads, mesh, ribbons, raffia, twine, buttons, tags, envelopes, page borders– the list goes on and on. Just make sure that, like your paper and any ink that you may use, your selections are acid and ligning-free so that they will not damage your photos.

Now that you have all the elements for your layout, simply begin to play with their placement until you are pleased with the result, and begin adhering them to the page.

by M.S. Beltran

Free scrapbooking layout ideas: baseball themes

2007-11-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

Creating a scrapbook leaves an infinite number of possibilities for the ultimate outcome of the book’s design, but with some careful contemplation and creative thinking, a unique and fabulous book of memories can be yours. Below are a number of suggestions for taking your baseball theme to the top, but use your own ideas to make a festive and fascinating baseball scrapbook.

1. Collect baseball related items to place in your scrapbook. Great examples include memorabilia from games, ticket stubs, baseball cards, bubble gum wrappers, and of course, photos you have taken of yourself, friends and family attending the games. Be sure to get a picture of the stadium from afar and a few closer shots to include with your memories. Get the team mascot on film, too, if you are close enough.

2. Be on the lookout for baseball-theme die cuts, or small and colorful cutouts of baseball players, mitts, bats, baseballs and so forth. The small adornments will look great in the corners of your scrapbook pages and also scattered about.

3. Get creative with stickers! With hundreds of brands and countless options to choose from, dressing up your scrapbook has never been easier. Choose from itty-bitty stickers to prismatic ones, puffy ones, holographic ones, fuzzy ones, scratch-and-sniff ones and more. The possibilities are endless when you begin your search for the perfect stickers.

4. Search for free baseball images online, download the graphics and print them out for a nice supplement to your photographs. While searching, you may want to look up a few baseball jokes or quotes to make your scrapbook pages come alive.

5. Using your own creative artistry, paint, draw, sketch or design your own baseball art and dress up the pages as you like. Use charcoals or pastels for baseball players or scenes, or try paints on paper or other lightweight surfaces such as canvas.

6. Scour the newspapers for comic strips that address baseball and clip them out to add a little more variety to your scrapbook. While you’re at it, check the sports sections to see if anything strikes your fancy.

7. Dig out your old magazines, and those that your family members have long ago discarded. Search for key words and phrases that deal with baseball and for images or quotes as well. As a worst case scenario, clip out words done in fonts that you like and cut each individual letter so that you can craft your own amusing and appropriate quotes and sayings.

8. Find some old material and trace baseball, catcher’s mitt, peanut and popcorn and uniform designs on the material with a marker or pencil. Carefully cut out the designs and work on them so they are no longer rough around the edges. Space them out on the pages of your scrapbook so that you get a good variety of designs and patterns throughout the pages.

9. Do not forget to include any autographs or scraps from pompoms, pages from programs, rosters, schedules and so forth. Anything that relates to the game and reminds you of your experiences belongs in the scrapbook.

10. If you play baseball, consider asking your teammates to write you special messages that you can include with your memories. Be sure to take a lot of pictures at your final couple of games – a full team shot, a few of you by yourself, some with your closest friends – and do not forget about your coach!

11. Remember to swap photos with friends and family members, as the pictures you have taken will vary on some level from the ones taken by others who are close to you.

12. As far as individual page layout goes, you may want to consider designing a few “specialty” pages. Using construction paper or artwork you create yourself, think about making a baseball diamond with the bases being tiny frames for small pictures of players – friends of yours, or the actual athletes who hold those positions. Another idea would be to make a stadium type background with oil paints, pastels or other craft supplies, and add a few pictures of friends or family members in the stands.

Whatever you decide to do with your baseball scrapbook, you can bet your friends and family will be happy to be a part of it, and you will no doubt be glad to have it years down the road. As you collect your supplies, do not forget the glue and scissors. Gather craft supplies and quotes and jokes until you are ready to actually put the book together, so that when you do sit down to create the memory book, you will have all of your supplies and adornments at your disposal. Create the perfect album and do it all over again next year!

by Kathryn

Simple beginning scrapbooking tips: card stocks

2007-11-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Card stock is a great type of paper to work with for most scrapbooking projects. This paper is particularly thick and heavy, generally 36 - 38 pound paper. This means that a particular stack of this type of paper weighs 36 to 38 pounds. Compare that to common copier paper, which is usually 20 pound paper, or high-quality resume paper, which is usually around 28 pounds, and you can imagine the difference. Heavier paper is easier to work with in many cases when doing basic scrapbooking techniques.

Card stock usually comes in the standard sizes of 12X12", 8.5 X 11", and 8.5 X 5.5". Like any of your scrapbooking paper or supplies, the card stock you purchase should be of archival quality to protect your precious photos and memorabilia. Make sure it states on the label that it is acid-free and ligning-free.

Solid colored card stocks are the most useful and versatile, being that it makes great background and matting paper, and are easily adapted in just about any layout. They can be purchased in packages of 10, 25, or 50 just about anywhere that sells scrapbooking supplies. At specialty scrapbooking supply stores and craft outlets that have large scrapbooking sections, they can often be found by the sheet, or in medium and very large assortment packages.

Card stock also comes in patterns and textures. Textured card stock is often referred to as “mulberry paper.” It is made with linen and has a wonderful, hand-made look, with thread lines and discolorations throughout. These types of card stock are usually more expensive, but if your budget is small it can be purchased by the sheet or in small variety packs on an as-needed basis. If you can’t find the patterns that you want, try creating your own patterned card stock paper by using stencils with chalks or markers, rubber stamps, or printing patterns directly onto the paper from your computer.

Card stock can be used in a number of different ways in scrapbooking, from backgrounds to embellishments. First and foremost, it provides a sturdy background for a page or matte for a photograph. When you pick up a page you are working on that is holding heavy photographs and several layers of page elements, card stock will hold up without bending. If you have a thinner, patterned paper you wish to use as a background, you might want place it over a sheet of plain white card stock in order to make it a sturdier foundation upon which you can work.

Heavier paper is stiffer and easier to cut, especially with decorative-edged scissors. It doesn’t “wilt” when you are holding it, and gives you a clean, sharp line. It is also easier to attach brads, snaps and eyelets to card stock paper, and it will hold them more securely. Since it is stronger, it is less likely to rip or tear.

If you want that torn look, card stock is easier to “direct” when tearing by hand, and gives you that nice, jagged edge without the rip getting out of control. Try tearing the edges of mattes or putting a torn strip across the page to put your title on for a natural, hand-made look. Mulberry card stock makes a particularly nice ripped look, as it gets fuzzy around the edges and has a fabric-like appearance.

When punched with a paper punch, card stock makes sturdier cut-outs that are easier to use. You may have noticed that light weight paper cut-outs are harder to pick up, fly away easily, and can crease and bend when handled. Card stock cut-outs hold up much better when working.

Because it is stronger, card stock is also a better paper to use if you are attempting to emboss letters or stencils onto the page, and the embossing is sharper around the edges for a more pronounced look.

Every beginning scrapbooker should consider getting at least a couple of 10 or 25 sheet packages of card stock in assorted colors to add to their starting supplies. Assortment packages are often grouped by color tones (neutrals, pastels, jewel tones, earth tones, bold). Single color packages can also be obtained if there is a particular color or two that you find yourself using frequently in your layouts and don’t want to run out. This will save you money in the long run, because purchasing by the sheet can really eat up your scrapbooking budget. Nor does it pay to continuously purchase the same assortment just to get those five sheets of green you love, when you don’t use half the other colors in the package. It is beneficial to have at least one package of neutral toned card stock (black, white, creams, tans), since these colors tend to be used most often. When beginning your scrapbooking supply collection, card stock should be at the top of your list.

by M.S. Beltran

Simple scrapbooking instructions: how to use the tools of the trade for beginners

2007-11-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooking is a wonderful way to chronicle the happenings in the life of your family! With the tools and materials that are available in hobby shops, scrapbook stores, and even discount centers, great pages can be made in minutes.

Basic supplies for the beginning scrapbooker include acid-free paper, stickers, die-cuts, and page protectors. Tools include standard and decorative scissors, stencils, and gel pens. Glue sticks and double sided tape squares are available to put it all together. The only other thing you need is that box of photos you’ve been meaning to put into albums.

Any standard loose-leaf notebook can be used with 8 ½ x 11-inch paper and standard page protectors to form a scrapbook. Or you can choose to invest in a scrapbook with larger 12” x 12” pages. When buying page protectors, or any other materials to use in scrapbooking, look for the terms “acid-free,” “lignin-free,” and “archival quality.” These materials will preserve your photo-art so that it will last for many years.

When choosing paper and other supplies, consider the theme of the photos you are wishing to display. Do they include babies? Children? Sports? Weddings? Whatever the topic, you will find a multitude of beautiful papers that echo the theme.

Die-cuts are heavy paper that has been cut into basic shapes or picture frames. These are useful in that the cutting is done perfectly. Die-cuts come in all sorts of shapes from storks for baby pictures to wedding cakes - you name it!

Scrapbookers are fond of the saying, “Crop ‘til you drop!” Cropping refers to cutting the photos to make them more useful and attractive. By cropping, you can save one beautiful face from an otherwise mediocre photo, and place it in a little heart-shaped frame. Or you can eliminate an untidy background. You can use a photo that is too large for your space by eliminating extra sky. The possibilities are limitless.

Stickers are a scrapbooker’s best friends! They come in all sorts of motifs for every possible use. They can be used to attach photos to the page, as well as simply to decorate the page. They also are available in a wide array of decorative alphabets, which can be used to make titles and labels. Sticker alphabets eliminate the need for an artistic hand when lettering.

Stencils are useful tools for scrapbookers, too. A basic stencil may contain different sizes of circles, rectangles, rounded rectangles, or hearts. Lay the stencil over the photo you wish to crop. Find the right size and shape to crop the photo as desired. Trace with a pencil or pen carefully around the interior of the stencil shape. Then simply cut on the line with standard scissors.

If you wish to frame this photo with colored paper in the same shape, simply use the technique called layering. Using the colored paper cut the same shape in a larger size. Now center your photo on this “frame” and glue it down.

When cutting shapes of papers or photos, decorative scissors are a lot of fun. These cut the paper with a shaped border, such as scallops or waves. Deckle scissors cut the paper in an irregular pattern that almost looks torn. This edge can be very elegant looking.

The tools, papers, stickers, etc. used in scrapbooking can get pricey! There are methods of saving money and still making great pages. An old pair of pinking shears that are too dull to cut fabric but can still handle paper can be used as effectively as a new pair of decorative scissors. I found one such pair at a yard sale.

Of course, it’s a good idea to save all your scraps of good paper for use on other pages.

Sticker alphabets are an expensive way to do labels, but lettering can make or break a page depending on how professionally it is done. The easiest lettering I’ve found is the informal country look with dots on the ends of the letters. These are cute when uneven and irregular.

Books are available which illustrate entire alphabets in easy to duplicate styles. You might be able do use computer fonts, but I’m not sure what that would do to the acid-free status.

When starting on a scrapbook page, first assemble the photos you want to use, paper(s) that echo the theme or are in a complementary color, themed stickers, die-cuts, frames, etc. which fit the theme of your photos. Now arrange them as desired on your paper.

You may wish to have them tilted and even running off the edge of the paper. Now is the time to decide what still needs to be cropped. Get some idea of frames and other decorations you wish to use, as well as your title.

Four or five photos are usually the most that can be used on one page, fewer if they are the larger 4” x 6” size. If you’re using a large die-cut teddy bear or something, you won’t have as much room for photos. (If you have more photos on the same topic, consider making a coordinated two-page spread or even an entire small scrapbook.) Be sure to leave room for your title, such as “Baby Makes a Splash!” or “A Day at the Beach” or “Sarah’s 5th Birthday,” etc. Be creative and funny if you like.

Decide on and assemble any layered or die-cut frames. Attach in place as desired. Use glue-sticks, tape squares, or stickers. If the photos extend off the edge of the paper, glue them down (making sure you won’t crop something you wanted to keep!) and then turn the paper over to trim off the excess along the edge of the paper.

Gel pens are useful for sprucing up your page. You can draw bubbles, squiggles, or stitches around the outside of a frame. It’s always a good idea to label names, dates, and pertinent memories in neat lettering. These don’t have to be as perfect as the main title of the page. And of course, even titles are optional, since this is YOUR scrapbook! Have fun!

by Barbara Wood