Imagination is all it takes to create original and interesting scrapbook pages. Using everyday items on your pages can make then truly unique!
Scrapbooking is the fastest growing craft in the country right now. You can't visit a craft store without seeing aisle after aisle of scrapbooks, paper, scissors, stickers, embellishments, tools, storage containers, magazines and idea books. But good scrapbook pages don't have to cost a lot of money to produce. There are plenty of every day household items that can be used to enhance your pages. All it takes is a little imagination and in many cases, some strong glue dots!
One of the most popular "household" embellishments are buttons. Buttons can be used to accent pages, frame photos, spell words and titles or even as closures of mini books included on pages. One sentimental idea is to use the actual buttons from a piece of clothing being worn in the photo to accentuate the page.
Heritage scrapbook pages are popular. Using photos and recalling memories of days gone by help people remember "the good old days". An interesting item to use with heritage pages are old keys or coins. They lend an air of authenticity to the page. Look for coins that have older dates on them and keys that have interesting tops or skeleton keys. If you don't have any of your own, you can try flea markets and yard sales. Make sure the items are clean and free of rust before using next to your photos.
Metal accents can make an interesting focus on a page. You can use paperclips as they are or bend them into shapes and letters. Twist several together to make a stick figure as a skeleton on a Halloween page or as a scarecrow on an autumn harvest page.
Fibers are all the rage in scrapbooking as well. But guess what? Yarn is a fiber! You can find inexpensive yarn on sale, or even raid Grandma's stash for some funky colors and textures. Use the yarn to frame photos, create lines, or hang things from. Lots can be done with yarn and fibers, just use your imagination!
On a trip to the craft store, pick up one or two "stems" of silk flowers. Pull the leaves and flowers off the stems and use them to accent your pages. Depending on which types of flowers you use, you can achieve very different looks. Ask an employee if there are any "droppings" - flowers or leaves that have already come lose. Sometimes they can go into the back and give you a handful for nothing! Stay away from dried flowers and things like eucalyptus as they can damage your pages.
Wood can also offer something different for a scrapbook page. You can use craft sticks ("popsicle sticks") to create fences or bridges on a page, as well as to frame a photo. Use chalking or watercolor paints to add color to the wood. Other items that can bring a 3-D look to your pages are cotton balls, perhaps as clouds, cotton swabs, maybe as oars for a kayak, feathers as accents or to frame bird photos, plastic toys to embellish children's pages and the list goes on!
When on vacation and taking photos, keep your scrapbook in mind. Look around and see if there are souvenir type items you can use. Going to Vegas? Make sure you bring back a few casino chips for your page. Heading to the beach? Tiny shells put into specially made containers add a wonderful accent to your page.
Don't forget other items like felt and foam. These are very inexpensive at craft stores and can be used for letters, titles or accents for die cuts. Be sure not to use liquid adhesive with these items though, as they tend to absorb the glue.
All of these ideas can be engineered to fit your own personal style of scrapbooking. The most important thing is to be creative, let your imagination run free, capture the memories with photos and journaling and have fun! Happy Scrapping!
