Using Your Scrapbooking Paper Scraps in Card Making

Do you wonder what to do with all the scraps of paper you have leftover from your scrapbooking projects? They are too big to throw away; there must be something you can do with them. Why not make some quick and easy cards using your scraps? In this article you'll find ideas for quick and easy cards, including instructions for 4 specific card ideas using your scrapbooking paper scraps.

One of the very best tips for making cards using your scrapbooking scraps is to make a card using your layout leftovers. After finishing a scrapbook layout or another paper project, gather all your scraps together and make a card. You'll already have coordinating scraps, as well as your matching embellishments out and ready. You could even mirror the sketch of your layout on your card.

Any scrap that is big enough to use a circle punch on, is fair game for this card idea. Use a circular paper punch circles of coordinating scraps of patterned paper such as from the same line, or in matching colors, or even different shades or patterns of the same hue. Arrange on a card made from matching cardstock. Arrange four, six, nine or twelve circles, depending on the size of your circles and the size of your card. You might use six one-inch circles on a card made from an 8.5x5.5 piece of cardstock, folded in half. Or you could put 9 one-inch circles on a card made from a piece of 6x12 inch cardstock, folded in half. Use whatever size punch and leftover cardstock you have. Use a corner rounder to round the corners of the card. Use a rubon or write a greeting on one of the corner circles, the middle circle, or inside the card.

Long strips of paper can be easily used to make a card. I often have half-inch strips of patterned paper from trimming a 12x12 inch piece of patterned paper to fit into an 11.5x12 inch Creative Memories scrapbook album. Half-inch is a good width for a strip of scrap paper to use on a card. Here are some ideas for how to use strips of paper scraps to make cards.

Arrange coordinating strips of scrap patterned paper to cover the entire front of a card. Attach a large flower using a brad, or add another circular element to contrast with the stripes of patterned paper. You could punch out a circle of matching cardstock and put your greeting on it, for example.

Another card idea is to place strips of patterned paper in different lengths across the front of the card. Align them to the left side of the card and separate them to reveal the cardstock between each strip. The different lengths will also leave the cardstock visible at the right.

Another way to use a strip of scrap paper on a card is to secure one strip of patterned paper across the front of your card, securing each end with a brad or eyelet. Write your greeting on the strip of patterned paper, or just above or below it.

For more ideas on using scrapbooking scraps to create cards, see my article titled, "Using Leftover Scrapbooking Embellishments in Card Making."