Sometimes the best tips and tricks are so easy you feel silly for not thinking of them yourself. Here are some ideas to make your scrapbooking projects a little easier, more interesting, and fun... | |||||
The latest tip sent in regarding color copying (or scanning) an original piece of children's art work is great. For those of us who do not have scanners, the key is to take your own acid-free paper into the copy shop with you. That way you not only know the paper is acid-free but you should also get a discount on the copy job. I have done this with finger painted pictures (done in colored pudding) by my two year old. Leslie Kepner - PA | |||||
I recently bought the new two inch super jumbo circle punch. I expected to use it for background circles for lettering stickers in my titles. While it works great for that, I am thrilled that now all my punches are silouette punches. I use a regular punch, then turn my jumbo circle upside down so I can center the orginal punch out in the circle. Now I not only use the punchie but the outline as well. It turns out to save money in paper, too. Janet C. | |||||
While working on a "Book of Us" for my husband and I, I decided to create a time line using themes rather than actual years. For me, I have had many, many different hairstyles over the years so I made a time line, a two-page spread, showing hairstyles I have had before and after I met my husband. For my husband, I did a similar layout using the different pairs of glasses he has had. You can even use the unflattering photos in these sort of layouts, because this is just for fun and you have the "good" photos in the main part of the album. You can use this same concept for before and after weight loss, tracking a pregnancy, school pictures, sports teams, etc. Alison Rasmussen | |||||
Can't find a die cut in the right shape or size? Browse through computer clip art CD's to find what you need, then resize and print. You can print directly onto colored paper if your printer can handle it (acid-free paper, of course) or on white paper to use as a template to cut your "diecut" in the desired paper. Use the "flipping" or orientation features of your computer program to rotate the clip art for mirror images. Kathleen Wheaton - Fairport, NY | |||||
Take all those pictures that either don't have a theme or you don't want in a particular album, to make an ABC album. For example "A is for ..." can have a picture of Aunt whoever, Johnny eating an apple, the alligator from the zoo, etc. If you use a circle cutter for cropping you can get several pictures on a page. Then decorate with paper and stickers (ie: apples, airplanes, ants, etc), and finish with some brief journaling. ABC albums are great ways to save pictures you have taken of flowers someone sent you, a quilt someone made for you, and any other picture that you want to keep, but don't know what to do with. | |||||
Keeping in mind that you shouldn't cut Polaroid pictures, I have an idea of how to do a scrapbook page with Polaroids without having it look like a bunch of square pictures. I create mats to place over the pictures…all shapes and sizes. Sometimes I use die-cuts and then cut out the center for the image to show through. This way you can incorporate those Polaroids into your scrapbook and still have some variety to your pages. Chris Steenhoek - Kansas City, MO | |||||
We went to a fireworks show and dedicated a whole roll of film to the fireworks. We got some great shots, and from them I chose 2 of the best to put in my page layout. I used the rest of the pictures to cut out the letters "4th of July" traced wit letter and number die cuts. The letters were big enough to see that they were made out of fireworks and it gave a different heading to my page! Lucille Lovett | |||||
I almost always like to have my photos matted. However, creating mats can take up too much room and background paper, so I outline my photos to give them more dimension. I also outline my stickers and die-cuts with the same color I have used on my photos. It looks great and is easy to do. Although your pages will look like you've spent alot of time on them, this technique is really quick! Stephanie Martin - >Chandler, AZ | |||||
You ever wonder what to do with that extra picture that won't fit into the layout, or the smaller paper scraps and leftover stickers? I got a 5x7 album to create an album for my husband. He takes it out to sea with him and while he is gone I am able to make new pages that are easy to mail. He can just slip the pages into his album and enjoy. He really likes this and is more excited about 'his' album than he is the larger family albums. Tanya Murphy - Oahu, HI | |||||
When journaling on the back of your photos, write the names and dates where the subject is. That way, when you crop your picture, you don't cut off the valuable info!! For example, if the subject is in the center of the picture, then journal on the back in the center! Don't forget to use acid-free pens! Jana Bald - Kearney, MO | |||||
I just discovered the greatest way to be able to cut out a photo or piece of paper and NOT have to draw on it! Use your template and an embossing tool--small size works best. It just dents the paper or photo and then you hold the paper where the light hits it and cut along the line! It works so well I think I may throw away my blue pencil! Laurel Smith | |||||
Make your own borders (and confetti) using acid-free colored paper and punches. For smaller pages, cut strips about 1 or 2" wide by 8 1/2" long. For larger pages/borders, cut the strips 1-2" wide and 11" long using TWO colors of paper. Take your punch and make a design on ONE of the strips. (Collect the "scraps" for confetti!) Back the 'punched' strip with the other colored strip and secure it to your paper!! To save paper, you might want to cut the 'backing' strip of paper only wide enough to show through the punch design (e.g. 1/2 to 1" wide). For example, use green to punch your Christmas tree and then back it with red. Use blue for punching the snowflake and back it in gray/silver. Use brown for punching teddy bears and back it in cream, etc. You can also have the reverse effect on the same or opposite pages by adhering the punch outs (confetti) on the opposite color strip. | |||||
Use your word processing or desktop publishing program to print out various fonts using common letters or numbers. After you print them out, use a light box to trace your fonts onto acid-free paper to use in your scrapbook pages. You can also print out letters onto cardstock and cut them out for a stencil. Kati DeLaurier - Pine Mountain Club, CA | |||||
If you are trying to align stick-on letters to pages so that they are straight, try placing them on a piece of tape runner scrap so that the bottoms all line up, and then place them on your page. Kelly Bullington - Rolla, MO | |||||
Sometimes you may want to only include a part of memorbilia such as a map or flyer of where you been. Instead of using the entire flyer or map which may overtake your page, try tracing the piece you're interested into your scrapbook. For example, you can trace a logo of an amusement park or part of a map of a place you visited. You can add fun detail to your page by including some of the information from where you've been as background items, with out letting it take over the whole page. C & J - CutNFun | |||||
You can use the 2-in-1 glue pen for lettering and bordering. Use the glue pen to write the word. Don't do too much at once, because you want the glue to stay wet. Sprinkle embossing powder over glue and set with a heat tool for rubber stamp embossing. It adds depth, texture and elegance to your page. [Remember to use the powder BEFORE you put your other page items down to avoid getting the powder on your other items. - C & J]. Lisa Glenn - Yakima, WA | |||||
If you go somewhere with your family and there is any kind of a brochure, ticket, or other memorabilia, you can use it as the background for your pictures. For example if you go to Sea World, grab a brochure, use it as the background for some of the pictures you take while you are there. [If you are unsure if the memorabilia is safe for your scrapbook, be sure to mount it where it does not come into contact with any other item in the scrapbook or use a page protector for safety - C & J]. Tiffanny Hansen - Mesquite, NV | |||||
When pulling a page protector over your page, it can be a pain to get the protector over your die cuts and pictures without it getting stuck. Use the cardboard that comes with the page protectors (at least CM protectors do) to put over each side of the page. Slide the page protector over the 2 pieces of cardboard, then just pull the cardboard back out. Jennifer Kazunas - South Hamptom, MA | |||||
When trying to add variety to your lettering, separate letters or words with dots, hearts, or stars. Try using a different color for each letter. Try all lowercase. Try writing tall and thin. Try writing short and wide. Write on a curve above photos or use as a headline. Lindsay Ostrom ABC's of Creative Lettering | |||||
When you make a scary error while writing in your scrapbooks using permanent ink, use a sticker or die-cut to cover up the boo-boo. Creative placement of stickers or die-cuts can hide even the most monster of blunders. John and Carrie - Cut'N'Fun | |||||
Use decorative background paper for "instant frames" on your photographs. They really dress up the pages, and are a fast and easy way to scrapbook. Jennifer McBride - Decatur, AL | |||||
I use my color scanner to scan in my photos and edit them. Then print them out on glossy paper and cut them out, that way I don't have to use the original photo if I don't want to. This works especially well if you are putting a family memory book together to give to someone, and have to use other people's photos, because they want them back. Dawn Miller - Benton, KY | |||||
I have struggled with trying to get open the top opening plastic sheets that I put my scrapbook pages in. I have found that if I use the edge of my rubber glove, fold it over the top and rub gently, they open right up. Linda Reilley - Coon Rapids, MN | |||||
Use Photo tape (any double sided tape where one side has strip to keep it from sticking. Put it across your paper, then use your pretty punches to make instant stickers. Bridget Flores - San Marcos, CA | |||||
If you decide that the sticker you placed on your scrapbook page is in the wrong place - use the sticker liner to lift the sticker off the page. All you have to do is place the sticker liner under one corner and gently slide under the whole sticker until the sticker is off. Evelyn Ball - Montgomery, AL | |||||
Purchase a package of overheads (a.k.a transparencies) from an office supply store. You can either hand draw or trace from any flat source the shape that you want with an overhead marker. Simply cut it out and you have your own template. You can place it over pictures or paper and trace. And because it is clear you can get exactly what you want centered in the shape. They won’t get bent or ruined like their paper counterparts. Anything traceable is fair and there is no need for a light box. And you can also purchase overheads that you can print onto right from your computer- any clip art or design you want- in any size or proportion imaginable. What a great way to take full advantage of the scrapbook clipart packages available. The computer printable overheads are a little more expensive but they are worth their weight in gold for those scrapbookers who aren’t blessed with the gift of drawing. Printable transparencies can also be taken to your local photocopy store and anything you can photocopy can be transferred to them. Overall homemade stencils are more useful and more economical then purchased templates. Catherine Ghaffar - Cincinnati, OH | |||||
Use border rulers to cut out paper backgrounds. Yole Chapin - San Antonio, TX | |||||
I use a cloth diaper to remove my blue pencil when I am cutting out my pictures. It’s soft enough to not scratch and also works great when using my pages to get any marks my pencils have left off my templates as well as my die cuts. Sharon Henry - Plano, TX | |||||
|
