|
|
|
|
Scrappin' Tool SecretsHere are all of the great secrets that we have gathered to help you use your tools in creative ways, maintain your tools better, or get more mileage from your scrapbooking tools. To submit your great tips and hints and have them posted on our web site, go to the Submit a Tip Page. |
 |
 If your punches become dull, try
folding a piece of tinfoil in half a couple times and then punch through the foil. It
sharpens the punch so it is easier to use. If your punch keeps getting stuck, try doing
the same thing but with wax paper. -- Jen from Orland Park, Illinois |
|
The most important tool I've
purchased for my scrapbooking is a lightbox. now I can trace ANY image to use as a
template for my book. iIuse colored pencils or chalks to color the pictures in. This adds
a new dimension to my scrapbook and also saves me the money I would have spent on stickers
and fonts, etc. I've even found that I can lightboard my daughter's coloring books so that
I can include them in my pages as well. -- Roe from Bayside, New York |
|
When buying page protector go to
Costco or Sams (what ever the area you are in)you can get 200 for about $9.00. --Anita
from Marina, CA |
|
My scrappin' buddy
Becky told me this great money saving idea. A plastic milk jug makes perfect template
material. This works great for smaller shapes and by punching a hole in the corner and
puttin it on a ring you can organize your shapes according to categories. I use this with
my paperdoll shapes and clothes. Some milk jugs I find better than others, "Price
Costco" milk jugs are the best for me due to their flat sides and the type of
plastic, it's great to cut through. -- Renee from California. |
|
I wanted a light box,
but I wanted one bigger than the ones at the craft stores, and I thought most of them were
a little pricey. I purchased a piece of glass(15 x 15 inches) and my dad made me a box out
of 1 x 6 boards. It stands about 6 !/2 inches high, and it has a working surface of about 25 inches. My dad used a router to make the wood recessed for the glass and the surface is flat, and I can use 12 by 12 pages, and never crimp a corner because of the page hanging over the edge and my arm accidentally creasing it. Also, it is wired with lights in it. You can purchase all of the stuff needed for that at any hardware store. Total cost for wood, glass, and light kit=less than 20 dollars. -- Donna, from Fort Smith, Arkansas |
|
Got a night light, 13X9
clear glass baking dish and an extension cord? You've got a light box and you didn't even
know it! Plug in the extension cord, add the night light to the extension cord and place
it under the dish...now trace away!! -- Denise L., from Gardnerville, Nevada |
|
Don't waste money over
and over on die cuts. Instead Save the plastic sheet that comes with Bacon or bye a blank
stencil sheet and trace your die cuts and cut them with and exacto knife to make a stencil
sheet that you will have forever. -- Julie W. from Anchorage, Alaska |
|
When your punchers
become hard to punch, try putting them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This should
make them easier to use. -- Lisa C., from Detroit, Michigan |
|
I'm new to
scrapbooking, but I was looking at the light boxes and found that most were pretty
expensive. My 3 yr. old son received a Crayola light box which works on batteries. I've
worked with it for clip art and it works great and my sister said it only cost around
$14-19 depending on where you get it. -- Nancy C., of Petersburg, MI |
|
When I am using my
photosplits to mount smaller articles I will peel the backing off and cut it into four
smaller pieces. This really saves on your photosplits and actually will hold your items
down better because you will get closer to the edge. -- Dawn M., of New Martinsville, WV |
|
Save all your die cut
"leftovers" to trace and retrace your favorite die cut shapes. Using an Exacto
knife comes in handy for those sharp corners and tricky inside cutouts. -- Julie A.,
Medina, OH |
|
I sometimes use cookie
cutters to get diecut shapes that I dont have on hand. The basic shapes are great and
they're rather inexpensive. -- Angi, Knoxville, Tennessee |
|
When you want a shape
cut, but don't have a template, head out to the kitchen and look through your cookie
cutters. They make fantastic templates, especially for themes such as Christmas,
Halloween, Easter or any special holiday your family celebrates. Don't forget Grandma's
kitchen if you don't bake cookies yourself. Simply trace around cookie cutter, and you
have a new template you probably couldn't have found in a store. -- Susan W., Carthage, MO
|
|
Never throw anything
away! When I free hand a frame or corner stencils, I keep them with the rest of my
templates and things. You never know when you will want that same shape again and have to
do it over. -- Billi Sue B., Arcanum, OH |
|
To sharpen your
straight and decorative edged scissors, cut through aluminum foil several times. Also
helps punches! -- Abby S., Livingston, AL |
|
Check your kids schools
or your church for die cutting machines. Then you can take your own paper and get lots of
"free" die cuts for yourself or for swaps. -- Elizabeth K. |
|
I like to use
rubberstamps in my scrapbooking...many suggest stamping on a magazine for a softer
surface; I stamp on a mousepad; It works great! -- Denise C., Morris Plains, NJ |
|
When your decorative
scissors get dull cut a piece of tin foil, it will sharpen them right up! -- Brenda M.,
Kingston, MA |
|
Need a particular shade
paper for your punch? Grab a couple paint chip samples and punch away! Either that or
bring them along to match up paper you have with paper you need. -- Stephanie H.,
Portsmouth, NH. |
|
Store your punches in
clear film canisters. If you don't have the clear kind, tape a punch to the lid for quick
reference. -- Stephanie H., Portsmouth, NH |
|
I tried those glue pens
only to discover I couldn't glue the whole photo and place before the glue went from blue
to clear. Instead of throwing the pen away since I couldn't get permanent adhesion, I use
it to temporarily organize my page then use my traditional photo splits. -- Cori W.,
Inglis, FL |
|
I just learned a new
way to use those great corner punches from Family Treasures, like the lace edge ones. On
each side of the punch is a grey piece of plastic that can pop out easily with a finger
nail or butter knife. These are the corner guides. With the corner guides out you
can use it to punch along a straight edge! It looks great! And when you're
done, just pop the corner guides back in place! It's easy! |
|
If you're in a pinch
for a corner rounder, I found that a nail clipper works just as well. The large nail
clipper (for toe nails!) works great! - Madge O.
|
|
For a change from
markers try using decorator chalks to color in your scrapbook. They are acid free
and very easy to use. Just use a Q-tip or makeup applicator to color with the
chalks. They give a beautiful subtle effect. |
|
Cut your photosticks in
half when you are sticking on small die cuts or shapes that have thin parts, such as
flower stems, small leaves etc. You can even cut your photosticks all the time if
you want them to go further! |
|
Have you
noticed that each pair of Fiskars paper edgers have a different colored handle? I
have memorized what color my favorite scissors are and it makes it so much easier to find
them just by looking for the color of handle that I want. |
|
Don't
have a corner rounder? Try using Fiskars Paper Edgers Seagull pattern scissors to
round your corners; just make sure that you have them centered on your corner. Works
great in a pinch! |
|
Are your punches
getting stuck? Try punching through wax paper a few times to fix the problem. |
|
Use a
paper crimper to add texture in your scrapbook. It's especially fun to crimp letters in
your title that you have cut out of contrasting paper. Just remember to flatten them
a bit so the deep ridges don't imprint on nearby pages. It still looks great after
you flatten them a bit! |
|
Try
sponging on white photo corners using ink from an ink pad or marker to make them any color
that you want! This way you aren't stuck with the same old colors and you can make them
match your page exactly |
|
Store
all of your markers horizontally, especially all of those great double tipped markers.
That way one end won’t dry out. This will really increase the life of your markers. |
|
Don’t
use your fancy edge scissors for anything except for paper, cardstock or pictures. Using
them on other materials will dull the edges. |
|
Get
creative with die cuts; you can use them for journaling, layer them etc. |
|
Send e-mail to scrappin@alysta.com with questions or comments. |
