Brads and snaps are decorative fasteners that can be used in scrapbooking to attach different elements to a page. Since they come in a variety of colors, shapes and styles, they can also be used purely as embellishments.
Brads are similar to the page fasteners many of us use in offices or have used in school. In order to use a brad on a page, simply make a small hole. Push the metal prongs through the hole, and spread them in the back to hold them in place. They can easily be removed by pulling the prongs up together and pulling the brad out of the hole.
Snaps are more like eyelets you find in sewing kits, but without the center hole. To attach a snap to a page, put it through a small hole. Make sure the hole is not larger than the snap itself, or it will just fall through. Turn the page over, and pound the back of the snap with a hammer to spread the metal fasteners. In order to do this properly, you will need to do it on a hard surface, such as a sturdy wood table or a counter top. Unlike brads, once snaps are fastened, they cannot be removed without tearing the paper.
Brads and snaps are available at most places that sell scrapbooking supplies, such as craft stores and internet scrapbooking supply web sites. Prices vary depending on the size, shape and detail. The simplest designs are small circles, squares, hearts, stars, flowers, etc, which can be purchased in packs of 50 or 100 for a few dollars. These usually come in single or an assortment colors. Some of the more elaborate designs, such as cast metal or specialty shapes (snowflakes, Christmas trees, fish, etc.), can run much fewer in a package for the same price. There are some very detailed specialty designs, such as molded butterflies with imitation jewel inlays, that can cost a few dollars a piece. They may be expensive, but if your scrapbooking budget allows a few of them, they can be gorgeous additions to any layout page.
Brads and snaps purchased at stores that sell materials specifically for scrapbooking are usually made of metallic compounds which are of archival safe quality. However, if you are purchasing them from another source, such as simple brass page fasteners from an office supply shop, you may want to make sure that they are of a rust-proof metal before using them on your pages.
Some things that you can do with brads and snaps are:
- Use them to attach photos to mattes
- Use them to attach mattes to a page
- Use them to embellish mattes by surrounding the photo with them
- Use them to embellish the corners of the page
- Use a row of them to divide a page into sections
- Attach tags or journaling cards with them
- Create a page border with rows of snaps or brads
- Use them to attach ribbons to a page
- Use them to fasten raffia or netting to a page
- Use them as embellishments in die cuts, such as eyes for animals or centers for flowers
- Use them to attach large die cut letters
With a little experimenting and a lot of imagination, there is no limit to the uses you may find using these fun scrapbooking elements.
