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Store-bought embellishments add up fast, and half the time they do not match your page. Ashley Fowler makes her own from the scrap bin. She stamps words and sentiments onto paper scraps (even the back of product packaging), punches them into circles, clouds and scallops, then layers them with cork and wood veneer. The result is a stack of flat, matching pieces sized for scrapbook layouts, Project Life cards and planners.
Almost anything flat works. Ashley's favorite find was the back of a paper packaging sleeve with a printed grid. Matte paper takes ink best. Glossy paper smears. Try cardstock offcuts, patterned paper you did not love on a page, envelopes, receipts, book pages and kraft bags. Patterned paper is worth trying as a stamping base too, even though most people only think of white.
A crisp black pigment ink like VersaFine gives sharp small text that reads well at embellishment size. Add one dark accent (Ashley uses navy) and one soft color (pink). Three colors keep the set matching. If a stamp prints patchy on patterned paper, swap to a bolder stamp or re-ink and press longer, rather than stamping twice on the same spot.
A 1.25 inch and a 1.5 inch circle punch cover most needs. Layer the small circle on the large one for an instant two-tone piece. A scalloped punch gives a frame, and a cloud punch adds a softer shape. Punch upside down so you can see exactly what word lands in the middle.
Ashley's style moved toward simpler embellishments because she uses them in Project Life pockets and planners every week. Bulky clusters will not fit in a page protector or close a planner. One layer of paper, one of cork or veneer and a word strip is plenty. Save the thick 3D pieces for album pages that lie open.
New to the hobby? Start with how to scrapbook. Use your pieces on a pocket page or in a junk journal, and frame them with washi tape.
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Make your own scrapbook embellishments. Stamp paper scraps, punch circles and clouds, then layer with cork and wood veneer. Flat and planner friendly. An easy project: about 45 minutes. You need 14 things, including paper and cardstock scraps, clear word and sentiment stamps and black pigment ink pad. The 10 steps start with gather Paper Scraps, Stamps and Ink for Scrapbook Embellishments, stamp Words All Over a Scrap Paper Background and stamp a Sentiment on a Cardstock Scrap.
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Pull a handful of paper scraps, a few clear stamp sets and two or three ink pads. Ashley starts with the back of a product packaging sleeve that has a printed grid. She liked how it looked when she used it as scratch paper. A matte finish takes ink well. Add an acrylic block for the stamps and set out your punches.
Pick a small palette, like black, navy and pink, so the pieces match.
Ink a small word stamp and press it onto the scrap again and again, turning it a little each time. Overlap the edges so the words build a busy, all-over texture. You are not making one neat sentiment here. This becomes background paper, and the punch will pick out a random patch of words later. Black pigment ink keeps tiny text crisp.
Re-ink every two or three impressions so the print stays even.
Now stamp single sentiments on other scraps. Ashley adds a round stamp to a blue striped cardstock offcut. Round stamps are handy because a circle punch fits right over them. Leave space between impressions so each one can be punched out on its own. Use a darker ink on light paper and a light ink on dark paper.
Stamp a few spares. One always prints crooked or faint.
Try stamping on patterned paper too. Ashley puts navy round sentiments on pink patterned scraps, which gives each piece color with no extra layer. If a stamp does not print well on a busy pattern, switch to a bolder design. She swaps to a word stamp and covers another scrap with "love these details" for a second background.
Press straight down and lift straight up to avoid a doubled image.
Flip the circle punch upside down and slide the stamped paper in so you can see where the circle lands. Center the round sentiments, or catch an interesting patch of the word background. Punch a mix of sizes. A 1.25 inch and a 1.5 inch punch let you stack one circle on another later. Keep the pieces in a little pile as you go.
Let pigment ink dry a few minutes first, or it smears in the punch.
Switch to shaped punches for variety. Ashley uses a scalloped circle punch for the red and pink pieces and her favorite cloud punch for a lighter stamped paper. A scallop makes a frame behind a plain circle. The cloud is a softer shape that breaks up a page full of rounds. Punch two or three of each.
Save the punched-out holes. The leftover frames make fun backgrounds too.
Start pairing pieces. Set a small stamped circle on top of a bigger scalloped circle and stick it down with dot adhesive. Ashley also puts a piece of cork behind a purple circle and stamps right on top of it. Two layers are enough. More than that gets bulky in a page protector or a planner.
Offset the top circle slightly for a more casual look.
Dig into your wood veneer for small accents. Hearts, stars, ampersands and tiny mugs all work. Look for one that fits the word on the circle, or one that echoes a shape on your page. Ashley tries a few on the scalloped stamped piece before choosing. Stick each veneer down with a strong dot of adhesive.
Veneer is thin, so it stays flat. Chunky wood pieces will not fit in pockets.
Type a few short words on cardstock with a typewriter, or print them small, and trim each into a thin strip. Ashley adds one to the "today" stamp and two more to other pieces. Stick them across the circle with adhesive, or fix them with a tiny stapler for a handmade look. The strip adds a personal note to a generic stamp.
Words like "today", "love" and "be fearless" fit almost any page.
Finish a few pieces with cork. Ashley pre-cuts adhesive-backed cork into hearts, half circles and scallops, so she can peel and stick. Press a cork heart onto a stamped circle and the set is done. Lay everything out together and check that the colors and shapes look like one family. Store them flat in a bag.
Cut a whole sheet of cork shapes at once so you always have some ready.
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How to Fussy Cut Patterned Paper
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How to Make Scrapbook Embellishments From Paper Scraps and Stamps
E6000
E6000 Craft Adhesive, Clear (3.7 oz)
The industrial-strength craft glue that bonds glass, wood, ceramic, metal, fabric, and concrete. The one adhesive most craft projects reach for.
Gorilla
Gorilla Dual-Temp Full-Size Hot Glue Gun
Dual-temp so it handles delicate florals and heavy materials alike. A precise nozzle and built-in stand make it the everyday craft-table gun.
OLFA
OLFA 18" x 24" Self-Healing Cutting Mat
The pro-standard cutting surface. Gridlines for square cuts, self-healing so blades never leave grooves, and big enough for paper, fabric, and leather.
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