For some reason, I can't break my addiction to patterned paper. I know that if I visit a store that carries it, I will walk away with what seems to amount to another ream of paper. That means lots of scraps. I do keep my scraps, but I prefer that the edges be cut neatly in straight lines, no random punched holes, tears, etc. I still haven't come up with a good way to organize my scraps, but I have come up with some nifty ways to use them. I made the above puzzle piece ornaments using large puzzle pieces glued to the wrong side of the patterned paper, then I used an x-acto knife to cut around the rounded edges, sanding the edges smooth. I decorated the ornaments with bits and baubles from my also ever growing embellishment stash.
If you have a lot of cardstock to use up, make some of these cute origami cup folded treat totes in a Halloween or Christmas theme. I used a simple circle punch to make the characters and paper punches for the handles. For a tutorial on making origami folded cups, see my post here.For the cup part, you will need a 8" square of double sided paper that gives easily, such as origami paper, or even contruction paper. Raid your cardstock stash for different colors of cardstock that will make up a penquin, polar bear, santa, snowman, etc.
Use your patterned paper scraps by pairing them with your recycled items and create some elegant tube favors. Paint the tubes inside and out, close one end and machine sew shut. Cut a piece a patterned paper to the length and width of the tube and wrap around. Embellish with pretty crochet flowers, a stamped sentiment, self adhesive gem stones, etc. Cut the top with scalloped edged scissors. Wire makes cute handles for these patterned paper scraps favor tubes.
Another idea for using your patterned paper and cardstock scraps is to create decoupaged jewelry. Here, I used tiny flower punches, wood shapes and coordinating beads to create a turquoise and copper jewlery set.
The beauty of this idea, is that you can vary your paints and beads to match whatever colors of patterned papers you might have an hand.
Another great gift idea that involves using your patterned paper and cardstock scraps is to create "custom flowers" to give to a friend who enjoys paper crafting, cardmaking and/or scrapbooking. Punch or die cut flowers from scraps and give them away in an embellished recycled jar.
Like the idea of creating custom embellishments with materials you already have on hand? How about punching out tiny motifs to glue to buttons, then lining the images with stickles?
How do use your patterned paper and cardstock scraps? Leave me comment and tell me. Stayed tuned for part two of this article coming soon!
Live Life Creatively,
I love your ideas! I don't scrapbook, but I have lots of scrapbook paper, lol. I love using it in collages, in art journal pages and in altered art.
I'd love for you to check out one of my favorite journal pages, where I used scrapbooking papers to help me 'paint' a picture: http://creativeartitudes.blogspot.com/p/my-art.html
Posted by: Cynthia H | October 8, 2011 at 03:59 PM
some really awesome ideas here, thank you so much for sharing them!
Posted by: kelly(flutterbyes) | September 19, 2011 at 08:28 AM
They are all so pretty. Thanks for sharing with us.
Posted by: rebecca | September 18, 2011 at 09:02 AM