Tuesday, September 28, 2010

How to Use Your Scraps and Bits

No, I'm not a quilter and I'm not talking about fabric scraps and bits although they could be used.  What I'm talking about is those scraps and bits of paper that are left when you finish your scrapbooking page.  What will you do with them?  Some just throw them away and never think about them again.  Others keep every little scrap because they "might use it sometime."  Somewhere between these two extremes is the true scrapbooker.  The scraps they save are the scraps they already have an idea how to use in another project.
Being able to see in your mind's eye how a page will look is a talent.  A lot of scrapbookers have this talent.  I'm not one of them, though sometimes I manage to "see" a page before I make it.  On the other hand, I have a daughter whose talent is well-developed. When she tells me she is keeping a scrap or a bit I know she already has a good idea how she will be using it in another project.
Here are a few examples:  Scraps of paper can be used to make frames for your photos.  Larger scraps can just be cut slightly bigger than the photo.  Smaller scraps can be cut in strips to put around the edge of a photo. Sometimes you just need a scrap to make a tag or a small embellishment.  Small scraps glued to a plain button add interest to a page. You can save the leftovers from using your Cricut to make lettering or designs.  Sometimes these inverted letters or designs can be used on a different page.
Get your creative juices going and think of some ways you can use some of your scraps and bits that are left over from making your scrapbook pages.