paper saving tricks & a giveaway WINNER

i promised i would take some photos yesterday of my simple paper saving trick. i came really close to forgetting all about it, but managed to take these super quick in between projects. forgive the sad photos. i had to clear off a space on the desk, and didn't have much room since i was surrounded in CHA goodies ;)

so, here's my layout i shared yesterday. i have mentioned a few times that i have a few paper saving tricks, so that i'm not using full sheets of pattern paper on my layouts. even though it basically looks like i am. this isn't rocket science, and i'm not thinking i just invented some massively unique technique. lol! but i know that sometimes, visuals help things make sense.

so, if i know i want this star paper to be my background paper, but i also know that i'm going to cover the entire middle of the paper, i'll do a little paper trickery. i start by cutting 4 strips of my pattern paper. for these, i cut them into 1 inch strips. if you want more showing around the outside border of your layout, you can cut them wider. this also totally works for cardstock as well, if you're using cardstock as your background and don't want to waste a good color.

i turn two of the strips over, and butt two of the ends together, just as if i was adhering them to 2 edges of the layout. i take one of my 17 rulers, and line it up from the outside corner, to the inside corner, where the papers meet.

then i draw a line. i do this on the backside, so that i don't have to worry about marks on the front of my papers. i usually use a pencil, but all i had handy was a pen.

then i cut the first diagonal piece off the end of one strip. i use that piece as my guide, so that i can trim the second strip of paper, and then the other end of the first strip. only do this on two strips of the papers.

then i take a piece of scrap cardstock that i really don't care about. i usually use kraft, since i have a ton, but am not a fan of scrapping with it. i know, i know. why do i own a ton of it, if i don't like it very much? i have no clue. i adhere the two strips of pattern paper that i did NOT cut the ends of, one on either side of the scrap cardstock. so they're opposite each other.

then i adhere the two strips of pattern paper that i did cut the ends of, to the two opposite sides of the cardstock. so you essentially create a frame.

and the corners actually look a bit like a frame, don't you think? you can get really crazy, and machine stitch or hand stitch those corners, for a really finished look. or add staples or something. then you just build the rest of your layout on top of this, and no one will ever know that you didn't use a full sheet of paper. all it took was a 4x12 inch piece of pattern paper.

here's another example, where i did a little paper saving tricks too. i was layering 2 different pattern papers on top of my white cardstock background. but that green pattern paper is not a full piece.

i just grabbed some green cardstock to demonstrate. i did cut the cardstock (or the pattern paper in the layout example) down to the size i wanted it to be on the layout. i wanted the white cardstock to be on the top, left, and bottom edges of my layout. so the green cardstock would go right up against the right edge of the page. once the paper is cut to size, i then use my trimmer to cut a chunk of the paper out, leaving the 3 outside edges. i just cut in, and leave about an inch or so of paper. doesn't have to be perfect, since the inside edges will be covered. 

that leaves you with something that looks like this. that's one piece of cardstock, with 3 edges. you could also easily get this same look with 3 strips of cardstock or pattern paper. in fact, that would save you even more paper. but it would take me forever to get those lined up perfectly on my page, even with my 17 rulers ;)

then i simple adhere that down, and then adhered my other pattern paper or cardstock right on top. easy peasy. and i have extra paper saved for other projects.

and now, time to announce the winner for the new special issue from creating keepsakes, scrapbooking ideas for every season.

congrats brenda! email me with your mailing info, and i'll have them get that issue sent right out to you.

Comments

[Diana Waite]

this is FABULOUS! thanks for the tip, your way is MUCH easier than my way! :)

[April W]

Awesome tips Laura...thanks!
- April

[Nirupama Kumar]

yay! I love saving extra paper scraps like that. I always thought I was a little crazy for doing that, good to know I'm not the only one!

[Karine]

congrats to the winner, and thank you for sharing your tips with us.

[Kathy Martin]

I need to adopt these tricks...I use the whole sheet unless it's a pattern I love and don't have much of. Thanks Laura!

[Eileen Van Dyke]

Wow, thanks for showing how you do this! You just saved me a ton of paper!!! I always hate using a paper sheet as the big background because I feel like I'm wasting so much of the pricey paper. Now I can use it!!!

[meredemaison]

Congrats, Brenda! I hope you get lots of great ideas from your new book!
Laura, thanks for posting these pics! The e-mail of your blog posting is going into my "papercrafting" folder so I can easily pull it up whenever I want to use your awesome idea!

[Sara Rossi]

Yes I so NEEDED to see this in action. I tried this but I angled the edges of all my papers. Your way is SO much easier! Love the LO's!

[Donna C]

This is sooooo brilliant! Janet over at 2peas linked up your post to the mb and i'm so happy she did!