45 Scrapbooking Tips

Was just blurfing as you do when I came across JessicaLynn's blog where she listed the following list of scrapbooking tips. There are times when it is good to be reminded of the basics of scrapping layouts.

45 Scrapbooking Tips On the Go

That's what scrapbook tips are wonderful for. And this list of fabulous tips is something beginner scrapbookers would love to get their hands on.

1. Choose a focal-point photo. Treat other photos as "accessories" that help you to tell the rest of the story. As we read from left to right, the top-left hand corner is an excellent point for your focal-point photo when you have several photos you want to use on your layout.

2. You don't have to mat every single photo on your scrapbook layout, unless you want it to stand out from the background. Always mat your focal-point photo though.

3. Run out of adhesive dots to hold down your ribbon to the page? Fret not, tack down the ribbons using brads at each end.

4. How to spread liquid adhesive quickly over a large surface area? Instead of dumping those phony plastic credit card you received in mail, save them. Save your used phone cards too. Then you can simply use these wasted plastic cards as glue-spreaders! Use the plastic card to swipe and spread the liquid glue into a thin, even layer of glue over a big surface area. What's more? You can just wipe the card clean and reuse them again and again.

5. Want an eye-catching background? Cut a piece of patterned paper into a large curved shape and attach it to your cardstock. It instantly creates visual interest to your background. You can use freehand, bowls, plates and anything round to help you draw the curved shapes.

6. You can also add visual interest to your background by using punches. Punch out using cardstocks and add these page accents to help you create an interesting background design.
7. Wrap ribbons around your focal-point photo to add emphasis.

8. Lace a strip of ribbon through punched holes along one side of the border to create a pretty-looking page accent.

9. Do you love the stitched-look but can't sew or you want a simpler method? Use rub-on stitches or here's where I would normally do, use a fine-tip pen and draw the dashes to resemble the stitched look without needle and thread! Not perfect, but it saves me plenty of time.

10. Add on a premade envelope to your layout to tuck in the extra journaling. Give your envelope a unique look by customizing it to your own preference. You can also use library pocket to tuck in your extra journaling too.

11. For fast page accents, simply cut out designs from patterned papers. Adhere these cut accents to your page and you're done! Saves money too.

12. To add more visual interest to your flower accents, add a brad to the flower center. And brads can help you fasten the flower to the page.

13. Besides brads, you can you can add a button to the flower center. If you're using buttons, you can even tie a knot with embroidery floss. Then add an adhesive dot to the back of the button to adhere it to your layout.

14. For a great page title, cut out letters from patterned paper.

15. For a quick page accent, print or handwrite a quote on a strip of cardstock and adhere it to your page.

16. Customize your patterned paper by layering a piece of vellum or printed transparency over it.

17. For another great background, cut out tall triangles from patterned paper. Ink the edges of the cut triangles to add emphasis. Then adhere these triangles to your cardstock and you got an edgy-looking background.

18. Don't have inking stamp to add emphasis to your edges? Use a fine-tip black pen and draw lightly on the edges to create an inked look.

19. Want to create a unique handwritten title? Handwrite with wide enough space between each letter. Cut out each handwritten letter and mat it on a cardstock. Be amazed by how your handwritten title will look like a unique font!

20. Don't have any ribbons to add to your scrapbook layouts? Cut out strips from your lined patterned papers and adhere these faux ribbons to your pages.

21. Handwrite your journaling on cardstock. Cut it into strips and adhere them to your layout with glue or staple them in order. Give your page a random, fun look.

22. Scraplift (copy) a page to quickly achieve a fantastic-looking layout! I love looking at others' layouts and I love scraplifiting those designs that caught my fancy. Even with scraplifting, you can create very different looks. So you'll still retain your unique look. Look through others' scrapbook layouts. See any inspiring layouts that you really like? Scraplift that page.

23. Enjoy tearing pages? Now you can give a more textured look to your scrapbook page by tearing off one side of your cardstock or patterned paper. Fast and easy way to add more visual interest to a layout.

24. For an interesting way to adhere word definition sticker or word accent to your page, use a paper clip. Your office stationery does come in handy.

25. To make your photos pop, just add a white mat. To save time, ask your photo lab to print your photos with a white border.

26. For interesting contrasts to your page, pair colored photos with black & white photos.

27. Use ribbons or buttons as page accents. Buttons create a fun, cute look while ribbons can lend a sweet and pretty look to your layouts.

28. Use chipboard letters for an outstanding page title. Do mix both letters and matrix-portions for an enhanced look.

29. No place to write out your journaling? Journal on a tag or a piece of cardstock and tuck it neatly behind a photo. Here's where you can write more heartfelt words without others looking at it too.

30. Want to draw the eyes to the focal-point photo? Use colored photo corners to spotlight your focal-point photo instead of matting it.

31. For a cutting-edge look, print your page title on a piece of vellum and place the printed vellum over a piece of photo. Cool.

32. For a soft and classy look, write your journaling on a piece of cardstock then place a piece of vellum over the journaling block.

33. Be bold with your fonts. Mix fonts in your page title to create a dynamic, fun and random look to your layout!

34. Don't throw away your soda tabs! Save them and use them as "buckle" on your ribbons. If you want, you can sand the rough edge down a bit and even paint on them to match the color of your ribbon. I've used this tip several times and I really like the look. It works with paper strips too.

35. Give your layout a edgy or casual look by using staples to fasten journaling blocks, page titles or page accents.

36. Use fabric as your background design or cut it up in strips and use them as ribbons for your layouts.

37. Using journaling strips on your page? Ink around the edges of the journaling strips for emphasis.

38. Want to add decorative elements to your photo mat? Then keep the mat quite thick, at least 1/2" so that the mat won't look cluttered up.

39. Love the look of matted letters and yet don't have the time to do so much cutting? Trace around each letter with a fine-tipped pen. Leave some space along the edges for you to color in the edges.

40. Tips on choosing pens: Pick a fine-tipped pen for a simple look. Pick a bolder pen for a more casual look. Have a few sizes on hand and experiment with different ones.

41. Is your background competing with your photos? Lay a piece of vellum over the background to mute the strong background colors.

42. Add more texture to your cardstock by crumbling it. Cardstock can be quite stiff, so runs it under a drizzle of water to soften it. Then start crumpling the cardstock. To dry it, flatten it out and use a towel to absorb the moisture. Let it dry completely before using it.

43. Want a more energetic look to your page? Tilt your photos slightly to create "movement" on your page.

44. Personalize your layout with your handwritten journaling. Lightly draw some straight lines with a pencil, sketch in your words, then go over them with a pigment-ink pen. Erase off the pencil marks, and you'll have almost perfect handwriting.

45. Save time by matting a few photos on the same piece of cardstock to create a "filmstrip" effect. Just place and space the photos evenly and cut. A time-saving technique I enjoy using.