You Can Use Scrapbooking Bits & Pieces To Add Texture And Color To Your Scrapbook

71. Scrap Backgrounds

Use your scrap bits to create great funky backgrounds. These items add texture and color to your work. Some interesting scrap material suitable for backgrounds include furniture casters, bits of linoleum, and carpet swatches.

Be aware, however, that some of these media alternates are extremely difficult to work with, break easily, and may not preserve well.

72. Shrink Paper

Shrink art can add an abstract or child like feel to your photographs or scrapbooking pages.

Shrink art is easy to use. First, print a photograph directly onto shrink plastic. Next, punch a small hole into the top of the photograph. You will use this hole to later attach your photograph to your scrapbooking. Then, cook the photograph until it shrinks.

Shrink art paper is available at your local craft store.

73. Smudging

Smudging by accident is an easy task, smudging for effect is quite another. Using a marker, add color to a paper towel or make up sponge. Then, smudge the color onto the page. With a little practice, smudging can create a hazy or smoky effect. This effect can be used to create a relaxed, outdoorsy feel to your scrapbooking page.

74. Tinting

Tinting is a great way to add a touch of color to black-and-white photos. Tinting can be used to draw focus to a certain portion of a photograph or add color to a dull black and white page.

A special product called Photo Twin pens is useful for tinting. The basic idea is to draw on the photograph with these pens to create custom tints. For example, you can add a health blush to Grandma's cheeks.

In real-life, however, this is much easier said than done. A great deal of practice is required to get these pens to create the desired results, and in the beginning, you're probably better of practicing on pictures that you never plan on using in your scrapbooking.

Photo Twin is available at most local scrapbooking supply stores.

75. Crystal Lacquer

Crystal lacquer adds shine and protection to your photographs. This shine adds a soft elegance to any scrapbooking page. However, crystal lacquer looks especially nice on more formal gift scrapbookings.

Basically paint your photograph with the crystal lacquer and let it dry. Be especially careful not to let the lacquer spill over the edge and ruin other parts of your scrapbooking pages.

Crystal lacquer is available at most hardware and paint stores.

76. Drybrushing

Dry brushing is a technique used to highlight or shade objects or areas of a scrapbooking page. Drybrushing gives the appearance of weathered wood. This can be used to increase focus to a certain photograph or to add a little energy to dull scrap booking pages. Drybrushing is a great technique for that old fashioned look.

To create this effect, dip a dry paint brush into acrylic paint. Next, wipe the brush back and forth on a paper towel. Then, lightly brush the item you want drybrushed. Set the item aside to dry.

77. Embossing

Embossing is basically painting using heat. Embossing adds color and metallic shine to items. Embossing can be used to add a metallic feel to a truck or train in a children's website or add a masculine touch to a graduation scrapbooking.

To emboss an item, sprinkle the embossing powder over the surface you want embossed. Then, heat the powder until it melts. Aluminum foil placed over the object can be used to quicken the heating process.

To reduce static cling and a mess afterwards, just place a dryer sheet on top of the item before you work. To clean up, simply brush away the remaining powder.

Embossing powder is available at most craft stores in a wide variety of colors and tints.

78. Scrap Metal

An interesting alternative to regular paper tags is using scrap metal. This adds a masculine touch that is great for those interested in cars, trains, airplanes, or metalworking.

Any bits of metal can be used. Using a metallic Rub on you can change or enhance the color of the metal to add a dramatic touch to your scrapbooking page.

Simply, rub the product on the metal. Then cover the item in a clear embossing powder and heat. Optionally, you can stamp the item with black ink before you emboss for an even more dramatic result.

79. Beading

Beads can add color and design to a scrap booking. Beading can be as simple as gluing a few beads onto a scrapbooking page or as complex as a sewn beaded design. Beads can be added abstractly to a children's scrapbooking for a child-like look or carefully placed to make homey titles or artistic designs.

Beads, microbeads, and necklaces can be attached using two-sided tape or Xyron adhesive.

Beads are available at your local craft store in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

80. Quilling

Quilling can be as simple as gluing a few precut strips onto a scrap booking page or as complex as artful designs. The design you create depends only upon your creativity and talent. Quilling creates an exotic handicraft look to scrapbooks.

Quills are available in specialty craft stores.