Are all of your scrapbooking pages starting to look the same? Many times our creative juices can run low and we need new inspiration. A lot of times, this inspiration can come from fellow crafters. Scrapbooking has been claimed to be the fastest rising market in the arts and crafts business sector, so don't miss out on all of the latest trends! Being highly involved in this pastime myself, I am willing to share a few of my favorite and unique page ideas. If you are one of the 25 million people in the United States who participate in this wonderful hobby, try these six ideas to bring some new life to your photos.
Making Tracks
Photocopy the tread of a shoe in black and white using a regular copy machine. Then color the treads in colors that correspond to your picture. Try mounting in on black paper. I used this idea when making a scrapbook for my sister of her first marathon. It made a fun and interesting background.
Another variation of this idea would be to copy and then shrink the image and repeat it for a border. It would also be possible to simply trace a pair of flip flops on a page and use them as a background for beach, vacation, or summer pictures. You could color in the flip flops with markers, or fill them in with a fun patterned paper.
Using Lyrics
Try typing out a phrase that corresponds to the pictures on your page. For example, I have used the lyrics to "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" and "Happy Birthday." Cut the phrase apart either into single words, or short groups of word. Then use the words on your page as a border or as a way to fill in empty space on the page.
Remember to carefully choose your font and color of paper you print on, because these two small details can really impact a page if chosen appropriately.
Seeing Double...or Triple
Print multiple copies of the same picture in varying sizes or color tones. It is amazing what details are brought out when the same picture is printed and displayed in a variety of ways. You can arrange these pictures in a filmstrip type fashion, or randomly on the page. You could also choose to crop each picture differently for several unique vantage points of the same moment.
Quilted Background
You can create a quilted or woven background by layering strips and crossing strips of paper. Choose two pieces of paper (I would recommend one printed piece and one solid colored piece) and cut them into strips (1½ - 2 inches). Starting at the top edge of your scrapbook page, glue a one inch portion of each strip, alternating your two styles of paper strips. Repeat this on the left hand side of the scrapbook page. Then starting in the top left hand corner, weave the strips in an over under pattern until you reach the right edge of the scrapbook page. Repeat the weaving for all strips of paper and until you reach the bottom right hand corner of your scrapbook page. Put a one inch thick strip of glue along the right hand side and bottom edge of the page. Push all strips firmly down. Trim off any excess paper past the edges of the scrapbook page. You can now arrange pictures and other embellishments on top of your beautifully quilted background.
I used this technique in my son's alphabet scrapbook for the letter Q. I included a picture of him lying on the quilt my mother made him.
Typed Journal Boxes
Instead of handwriting your memories, type journaling boxes on a computer. Then print, cut, and glue them to your page to add a professional looking quality to your pages. It is also fun to play around with font choices and colors to make each page stand out in its own way. This could also be done with quotes or with phrases to use as page headings.
Beautiful Backgrounds
Get creative when choosing your background paper. Why must it always come from a store package? Start with a plain scrapbook page and then try covering the entire background with a different material, for example, newspaper, wrapping paper, a page (accidentally torn!) from a favorite book, tissue paper, a page from an atlas or part of an old folded map from your car, even tin foil. You will be amazed and what you can find around your house that will make your scrapbook look unique and distinctive.
Some say scrapbooking has been around since before the 16th century. Don't let your books look like they belong with those archaic original attempts at memory keeping. I hope that you have found these ideas useful and I have sparked new inspiration for your next (or current) scrapbook project. Don't be afraid to try new techniques, whether your own or others. More times than not, I think you will be happy with the final product. Happy scrapping!
Making Tracks
Photocopy the tread of a shoe in black and white using a regular copy machine. Then color the treads in colors that correspond to your picture. Try mounting in on black paper. I used this idea when making a scrapbook for my sister of her first marathon. It made a fun and interesting background.
Another variation of this idea would be to copy and then shrink the image and repeat it for a border. It would also be possible to simply trace a pair of flip flops on a page and use them as a background for beach, vacation, or summer pictures. You could color in the flip flops with markers, or fill them in with a fun patterned paper.
Using Lyrics
Try typing out a phrase that corresponds to the pictures on your page. For example, I have used the lyrics to "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" and "Happy Birthday." Cut the phrase apart either into single words, or short groups of word. Then use the words on your page as a border or as a way to fill in empty space on the page.
Remember to carefully choose your font and color of paper you print on, because these two small details can really impact a page if chosen appropriately.
Seeing Double...or Triple
Print multiple copies of the same picture in varying sizes or color tones. It is amazing what details are brought out when the same picture is printed and displayed in a variety of ways. You can arrange these pictures in a filmstrip type fashion, or randomly on the page. You could also choose to crop each picture differently for several unique vantage points of the same moment.
Quilted Background
You can create a quilted or woven background by layering strips and crossing strips of paper. Choose two pieces of paper (I would recommend one printed piece and one solid colored piece) and cut them into strips (1½ - 2 inches). Starting at the top edge of your scrapbook page, glue a one inch portion of each strip, alternating your two styles of paper strips. Repeat this on the left hand side of the scrapbook page. Then starting in the top left hand corner, weave the strips in an over under pattern until you reach the right edge of the scrapbook page. Repeat the weaving for all strips of paper and until you reach the bottom right hand corner of your scrapbook page. Put a one inch thick strip of glue along the right hand side and bottom edge of the page. Push all strips firmly down. Trim off any excess paper past the edges of the scrapbook page. You can now arrange pictures and other embellishments on top of your beautifully quilted background.
I used this technique in my son's alphabet scrapbook for the letter Q. I included a picture of him lying on the quilt my mother made him.
Typed Journal Boxes
Instead of handwriting your memories, type journaling boxes on a computer. Then print, cut, and glue them to your page to add a professional looking quality to your pages. It is also fun to play around with font choices and colors to make each page stand out in its own way. This could also be done with quotes or with phrases to use as page headings.
Beautiful Backgrounds
Get creative when choosing your background paper. Why must it always come from a store package? Start with a plain scrapbook page and then try covering the entire background with a different material, for example, newspaper, wrapping paper, a page (accidentally torn!) from a favorite book, tissue paper, a page from an atlas or part of an old folded map from your car, even tin foil. You will be amazed and what you can find around your house that will make your scrapbook look unique and distinctive.
Some say scrapbooking has been around since before the 16th century. Don't let your books look like they belong with those archaic original attempts at memory keeping. I hope that you have found these ideas useful and I have sparked new inspiration for your next (or current) scrapbook project. Don't be afraid to try new techniques, whether your own or others. More times than not, I think you will be happy with the final product. Happy scrapping!
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