It is a proven fact that most scrapbookers seem to have a pretty nice sized stash of paper. This could be because papers are a huge part of the art of scrapbooking. However, it could just be because there are so many beautiful papers out there that we love to use in our albums. Whatever the reason you have a lot of paper, I bet you are looking for ways to stretch the paper as far as it can go. And there are a few tips to make sure you’re getting the most out of your papers.
Measure Each Time – The best advice I’ve ever been given regarding using paper on my layouts, is measuring. If you measure the area you plan to put the paper on your layout. Measuring ahead of time can save quite a bit of paper for your next layout. It also gives you a pretty good clear idea how much you will have left for future layouts.
Use a Cutter – If you don’t have a good cutter that has measurement marks and the ability to see where you are cutting or even to cut into half the piece of paper, and then turn it to cut the rest, you really need to consider investing in a new trimmer. Making straight cuts, and using measuring guides is an essential tool for stretching that paper. I have a cutter that allows me to cut out the inside of the paper so that where a photograph would go, I can save that remaining paper. It is one of my favorite features of my cutter.
Sketch It Out – Many scrapbookers enjoy using sketches for their layouts. If you are using a sketch it makes it much easier to pre-measure and have leftover paper for more than one layout. You can also use graph paper to graph it out and see how the other paper will work on more layouts. Sketches work real great, and if you have a sketch idea book (for instance: Becky Higgins Sketches) you can pick a few layouts and them measure and cut and have the paper for multiple layouts.
There is nothing more frustrating that having scraps of paper leftover that won’t work on anything else. For more great ideas for working on scraps, be sure and check out the upcoming article Using Scraps for Cards.