Scrap your scraps: How to Make a Card From Scraps

(In the spirit of the “use what you have” theme of this article, I’ll let you in on a little secret. This is an updated version of an article that I wrote earlier this year. It is so appropriate for not only this time of year, but any time you want to use up some of those scraps and “extras” that you have hanging around in your stash, that I wanted to share it with you this month.)

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You know you have them. I have them too. We all have them. They seem to mock us from our scrapbook drawers, bins, baskets, and paper holders. I’m talking, of course, about paper scraps. Yes, those leftovers from scrapbook pages, cards, and other paper projects that we just can’t bear to throw away. We have to keep them because we paid good money for that paper, or because we don’t like to waste things, or because of a dozen other reasons. In any case, let’s just put those little bits of loveliness to use, shall we?

Here is what you will need to make a card from scraps:

· Cardstock cut to desired size (I used a piece that is 4 ¼ x 5 ½ inches when folded in half.)

· Sheet of printer paper or other scrap paper cut to the same dimensions as your card base (In my case, it was 4 ¼ x 5 ½ inches.) We will trim this to a smaller size later.

· Scraps of paper or cardstock that can be cut into strips

· Adhesive (Dry works best.)

· Paper trimmer

· Sharp scissors

· Stamped image or other focal image

· Greeting (optional)

· Assorted embellishments

1. Trim your scraps into strips of varying lengths. You will want some wider than others to create interest. You will want them a little bit longer than your scrap of printer paper.

2. Generously apply adhesive to your computer paper.

3. Beginning at the top, place your strips of paper on top of the adhesive, butting them up against each other to make sure that they are straight. The strips should overhang on each of the side edges of the paper.

4. With scissors, trim the strips flush with the paper base.

5. Using your paper trimmer, trim the background piece that you have created to ¼” smaller than your folded card base.

6. Adhere the background piece to the card base.

7. Add your focal image, greeting, and embellishments.

This is a great project to use up all those extra “things” that you have in your stash. You can also mix in some of your new supplies to jazz things up a little. Use some of those flair and wood veneer shapes you’ve collected; add a few enamel dots from the piles that you have stuck in a drawer; glue on a couple of sequins that you bought on sale at the craft store.

I hope this has inspired you to grab some of those leftover scraps and supplies and make a card for someone who is special to you.

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Happy Holidays, everyone!