Aren't we all!! I saw this article in the Spring issue of Canadian Scrapbooker by Heather Starosielski. It's about using your scraps. Do you use yours? Up to what size to you keep? I have to confess...I'm not very good at keeping scraps...The smallest I'll keep is likely about 1/4 of a page...but her article gives quite a few awesome ideas for scraps ...made me re-think what I do. I do however not have a very good storage system for small pieces. I currently store my paper in paper files and put the scraps back into them. I do like this mainly because it keeps all the colours together. How do you store your scraps?
Her storage ideas were--> file folders, clear plastic containers, photo boxes, drawer cart, baskets, or even an accordian file. If I had a dedicated room with lots of space..I might consider the basket idea...I think it would look good with a few different baskets on a shelf.
Scraps of paper can be used for all sorts of projects as Heather explains...
Cards--> Since cards are smaller, you need to use smaller pieces of paper for them and what better way to use up your scraps. Even something as small as 1" x 1" could be used as an embellishment on a card!
Tags--> Tags are even smaller then cards, so even your smallest scraps can be used for tags or even use them to make gift tags for the next holiday or birthday party
Die Cut or punches--> I LOVE punches....and I forgot totally about using up smaller pieces of paper for punches but it makes perfect sense. I am guilty of using a full sheet of paper to punch a shape which seems so wasteful.
Paper Piecing--> I haven't done a paper piecing in forever...but once again...using up smaller pieces of paper can defnitely save your full size sheets that would be better for backgrounds
Strips--> I love this idea..Place a strip underneath a title or row of pictures to create focus on that element!!
Journaling Blocks--> This I do quite often...I reach for a piece of my scraps and use it for a journaling block. You can even print out your journaling on a regular piece of paper, then cut a scrap to fit , attach it to the regular piece over top of whats printed and send it back through your printer and voila...a printed journal box!
There are so many cool things you can use your scraps for but if you are like me at all, you need a little push to think OUTSIDE the box. You can ink, stamp or even chalk small pieces to add dimension. If you have some smaller pieces of pattern paper, you could cut a shape out of the pattern paper and add it to your project using a pop dot for even more dimension.
If you still find that you have just way too many scraps to deal with...consider giving them to someone just starting to paper craft..or a school teacher. Children are sometimes the most thankful and also the most creative when it comes to using up those bits of paper.
No matter how you decide to use up those scraps...have fun knowing you are stretching your scrapbooking budget!!
T, this is a great article! I LOVE my scraps and have a tendency to keep them ALL! I use my scraps for all the ideas that have been given here. I figure if I throw the scraps away, I mine as well just be throwing away my money!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE punches and die cuts too, and therefore use my scraps lots for this purpose. I also teach classes at the LSS and I tend to use scraps quite a bit when prepping for classes! LOTS of punches and dies get used in my classes, and so it is nice to be able to use scraps up this way!
Some great ideas there T! I but my big scraps in different plastic sleeves by colour family. I try to remember to use them up when I'm looking for just the right colour. I would hate to cut a whole piece of paper when you have scraps!
ReplyDeleteI am pretty good to use mine up oo!
ReplyDeleteI have mine filed in folders by colour...and have made it a habit of going in there and using what I have...
I have an excess of Blue paper though?
Go figure...
Thanks for posting T!