Scrapbooking used to be rather ho-hum … but not any more. Since its renaissance as an art form, creating incredible pages has become a modern-day version of therapy and artistic brilliance. And boring? Never! For instance, look at the printable alphabet to the left: how many letters do you see in the form of your favorite feline? In this episode of our series on scrapbooking, you will learn even more clever ways to decorate your pages, more than any one person will probably ever use.
You will find links to the first three posts in our series at the foot of this page.
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#43. Textured Paper
Textured paper can add extra dimension to your scrapbooking page. Textured paper can be used to highlight focus items on your scrapbook page. Textured paper can also be used as a backgrounds or border to give your page an interesting fresh look.
Textured paper is available in a variety of textures and colors and is available in most craft and office supply stores.
#44. Book Jacket Backgrounds
For an added personal touch and artist flair use a book jacket as a background. This scrapbook technique looks especially nice when the book jacket is the reader’s favorite book or author, adding a wonderful personalized touch.
Be aware, however, that the glossy coating on the book jacket creates an added challenge to sticking objects to this background. Alternative attachment methods include sewing and eyelets.
#45. Adding Dimension
One good way to add dimension to images is to use double stick foam tape. Double stick foam tape literally allows items to pop out at your reader adding realism to items. This technique is especially useful in children’s art and educational scrapbooks.
Simply, cut the foam tape into whatever shape and size you want. Then, attach to shape onto your scrapbook page. Double stick foam tape is available at most craft stores in various colors and thicknesses.
#46. Ribbons and Lace
Ribbon and lace are by far the most common, and most beautiful, border embellishment. The flowing nature of both materials encourages a touch of softness and elegance. Ribbon and lace are especially popular in gift and memory scrapbooks and you can see why with the gorgeous 16 shades of satin ribbon available on Amazon for a tiny price. This gorgeous selection will supply ribbon for countless projects and they will last for many years.
Moreover, ribbon is easy to glue and attach. Lace requires a bit more patience.
For an interesting change from ribbon and lace, try using jute or raffia.
#47. Embroidery Cotton or Silk
Embroidery floss, whether cotton or even silk, can be used in a number of interesting scrapbooking ways. Individual fibers can be used to highlight focus items or used to add dimension to artwork or drawings.
Embroidery fibers can also be twisted or braided for use in artwork or as imaginative borders. Moreover, embroidery cotton can even be used as to tie down other items in a beautiful and creative way.
#48. Hemp
Hemp can be used for a number of purposes in scrapbooking. Single, twisted, or braided fibers can be used to accentuate focus objects, as picture frames, or along the edges of the scrapbook page as borders. Hemp looks especially good in western themed scrapbooks. However, hemp can also be used to make a scrapbook appear more masculine.
Hemp glues quite easily and hides glue messes well. To increase the likelihood that a piece of hemp will stay in place while the glue is drying, place a piece of scotch tape over the rope until the piece dries fully.
#49. Puzzle Pieces
Puzzle pieces make playful embellishments and borders. Puzzle pieces give a creative and playful look to children’s art and educational scrapbooks.
Since, the bottom of the puzzle pieces is flat, gluing and placing puzzle pieces is simple. Be aware, however, that puzzle pieces are generally not lignin free and acid free. This could drastically reduce the life of your scrapbook page.
#50. Sequins
Sequins can add a creative flair and a dash of color to scrapbook pages as embellishments. If placed randomly in a variety of colors, sequins cause a dramatic, abstract, playful attraction to items and pages. This might be good for a young adult or college student scrapbook.
However, if the sequins are placed in specific patterns and colors the effects can be elegant and dainty. This might be appropriate for scrapbooks for older individuals.
Simply glue and place individual sequins using tweezers.
Sequins come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Sequins are available at any local craft store.
#51. Rhinestones
Body art rhinestones can also be added to embellish scrapbook pages in a creative and colorful way. Rhinestones add color and shine to your scrapbook pages making any dull page more exciting.
Unlike regular rhinestones, body art rhinestones have an adhesive backing. Thus, body art rhinestones are easy to place directly onto scrapbook pages.
Rhinestones and body art rhinestones come in many different shapes and colors. Both types are available at most craft stores.
#52. Feathers
Feathers make exotic and interesting embellishments and borders. Feathers add an air of softness. Feathers may be useful in scrapbooks with a freedom, peace, or quiet theme.
However, colored or exotic feathers may add a touch of adventure or a feeling of a far away land to a scrapbook page.
When gluing feathers, place a thin line of glue along the center of the feather. Alternately, use embroidery cotton to tie the feather in place.
Keep in mind, however, that feathers are not acid free. This will reduce the life of your scrapbook page.
#53. Dried Flowers
Dried flowers make elegant embellishments and accents in scrapbooks. Flowers can be placed whole, in bunches with other flowers, as petals, or punched into various shapes. Flowers can be used to add a homey touch to photographs or to draw the eye away from cluttered scrapbooks. Flowers can also be used to add to an outdoor or elegant theme.
When gluing flowers, place a thin line of glue along the stem or directly on each petal. Alternately, use embroidery cotton to tie the flower or a bunch of flowers into the appropriate place on your scrapbook.
Remember that flowers are not lignin free and acid free. This will reduce the life of your scrapbook page.
#54. Natural Objects
Various natural objects can be used as interesting and creative embellishments for your scrapbook page. Choose items that will add to your theme of outdoors or personal hobbies.
Keep in mind that objects such as shells, pine cones, leaves, and twigs become quite brittle and messy. These items are not appropriate for long lasting scrapbooks.
#55. Popcorn Garlands
Add popcorn garlands to your Christmas scrapbook pages.
Just use a cloud punch to create the individual popcorns from regular paper. Next, crinkle the individual popcorns and roll them into tight balls. Then, glue individual popcorns together to make garlands. Add a red punch cranberry for additional color.
#56. Using Fur
Fake fur can be used to add details to drawings and embellishments on your scrapbook page. Fake fur is fun on children’s artwork, to create animal embellishments, or to create wild designs.
To attach fur, simply cut out the desired shape. Then, paste the fake fur onto your scrapbooking page or onto an object.
To reduce static electricity, place a drying sheet over the fake fur before you glue it into place.
#57. Glitter
Glitter can add a wonderful sparkle to your borders and fonts. This creates an artistic look to your child’s artwork.
Glitter can also create a huge mess if you don’t apply it properly. The best solution is to reduce static electricity before you add the glitter. Just place a dryer sheet on top of the page before you work.
Next, place the glue in the areas that you want glittered. For even better results, Xyron the objects use want glittered. Then, using an eyedropper, apply the glitter. The eyedropper allows better control of the glitter and reduces mess. To clean up, simply brush away the remaining glitter once the object is completely dried.
#58. Wax Resist
You probably experimented with the technique of wax resist in elementary school. You take a clear or white crayon, draw a pattern, write words, create a background, and then color over the design element with acrylic paints, Lumiere, walnut ink, etc.
The wax will resist the paint and show through, resulting in a great design. Wax resist makes a creative background for children’s artwork as well as children’s scrapbooks.
#59. Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint can be use to draw and paint embellishments or create accents around focus objects. These embellishments and accents can be as simple or as fancy as you desire and your talent allows. Furthermore, acrylics are opaque so you won’t be able to see the text underneath the paint as long as you go over it a few times.
For more control, use a dry marker as a paintbrush. To clean these markers paintbrushes, simply wipe with a damp cloth.
Acrylic paints come in every imaginable color and is available at most craft and office supply stores.
#60. Liquid Appliqué
Liquid appliqué can be use to draw and paint embellishments or create accents around focus objects. These embellishments and accents can be as simple or as fancy as you desire and your creativity allows.
Liquid appliqué is fairly easy to use. Just gently squeeze the liquid onto or around the desired image or form.
Best of all (or worse should you happen to mess up), the liquid is quick drying.
#61. Fabric
Fabric can be used in many ways to enhance scrapbook pages. Fabric can be used as a background or as a border to enhance dimension and texture to your scrapbook. Various shapes and sizes can also be cut or punched out of fabric. These items can then be glued onto your background or borders.
The various colors, textures, and weaves of fabric allow a great deal of creativity and imagination.
#62. Kool Aid Dye
Kool Aid makes a fabulous paper and fabric dye. This dye can be used to create a funky pattern on fabric.
Just mix a packet of Kool Aid with about twelve ounces of water and stir until the mix dissolves. Next, place the paper or fabric you want dyed into the Kool Aid for a few minutes. Then, rinse the material under cool water and set to dry before use.
#63. Pockets
Sometimes, you may want to temporarily store objects in a pocket. Pockets allow you take out and put back items or journals as you see fit and replace them without damage to your scrapbook page.
The easiest pocket is simply an envelope. However, pockets can also quickly and easily made by folding a piece of paper in half and then gluing three of the side edges.
Pockets can also be made of fabric sewn together. In this way, pockets can be virtually any texture, color, and weave to suit your required needs.
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Scrapbooking series 1
Scrapbooking series 3
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