Make 3-D Gifts using your Scrapbooking Supplies

Here are just three examples of great projects you can make:

• Frames – Buy a cheap frame from a garage sale or a craft store, or use an old frame of your own and decorate it with paper, embellishments, and journaling, just like your albums. Makes a unique, personable gift that you can tailor to the recipient’s tastes.
• Building blocks – What kid didn’t play with building blocks at some point? If you don’t have some in your house, they’re very cheap to buy and easy to find. Once you’ve acquired the blocks feel free to cover up the letters and numbers on the blocks, or work with them to spell out words (ie. “Welcome” or “Home”).
• Puzzles – Need a small gift to send to a friend or family member overseas? This is so quick and easy and makes a great interactive gift. If you have an old small puzzle with large pieces, assemble it, glue a photo on top and then cut it along the puzzle piece lines. If you don’t have a puzzle handy, make your own. Use a piece of heavy weight cardstock or even the cardboard backing on a notebook as your base. Glue a photo on and cut your own puzzle pieces.

Some basic tools that may come in handy are decoupage glue, acrylic paint, a hot glue gun, sharp scissors or a craft knife, and all of your favourite scrapbooking supplies.

Break out of the 12x12 rut

Sometimes we get stuck in the 12x12 album rut.

I know I have.

I like the 12x12 format because it gives me some room to include a lot of pictures and more freedom when creating embellishments.

Sure, they’re a great size, but they’re also time consuming. Nothing feels better than completing a project, checking something off your to-do list and clearing a group of photos off your desk.

Try to add some variety to your routine. For your next album, choose one event – one holiday, one hike, one wedding– and commemorate it in a single album.
I find it’s better to use a smaller album and focus on one event than keep making 12x12 page layouts in a never-ending scrapbook.

Also, it sparks a whole new fire of creativity. Just looking at a different page allows you to think of different layouts, creative ways to use your space, and makes you crop your photos a little tighter (something we could all probably do – who wants to see the shag carpet you used to have in your living room?)

My quick tip? Stick with square albums. This may simply be personal preference, but I like the 9x9 or 8x8 albums, as opposed to the rectangular 8.5x11 variety. A rectangular page forces you to have a vertical layout – title on top or bottom, photos layed out close together and stacked, and embellishments wherever you can squish them in.

Paper bag art

You may be sick of packing sandwiches in them or tired of the boring meal they might represent, but there is a whole new meaning to brown-bagging it in the scrapbooking world.

Who would have thought that paper bags would be so versatile? They’re the ultimate new scrapbooking treasure, inexpensive and great for so much more than packing lunches.

There are so many creative ways to use paper bags:
-Make a cute mini-album
Just fold four paper bags in half and secure the fold with a staple or some ribbon. This makes a great 16 page album that has built in pockets for extra memorabilia. Quick and easy, these make great gifts.
-Decorate and use as a gift bag
The perfect size for CD’s, DVD’s, video games, books or any other gift that you can squeeze in, paper bags make excellent gift bags. Sturdy enough to hold a growing boy’s lunch, yet easy to embellish and disguise.
Quick Tip: Try running your paper bags through a paper corrugator for a quick decorative look.
-Add them to your pages as pre-made pockets
These bags are perfect additions to a layout and can be trimmed down to fit any space. Ideal for holding mementos, journaling, or even extra pictures, they add texture and flair to your page.

These are just a few ideas to get you started, but for a few bucks, you can get hundreds of paper bags and let your imagination run wild.