Great Techniques For Your Scrapbooking Layouts

If you love doing scrapbooking layouts as much as I do, then you're always looking for new ideas and techniques to try on your next scrapbook! There's nothing more exciting than discovering a new idea that adds creativity to yourscrapbooking layout! That's why I decided to put together this article dedicated to a few of the really cool new scrapbooking tricks I've learned!

The first technique I want to tell you about is how to make pockets in your scrapbooking layouts. Now, there are many different ways this could be done and many different pieces of material that you could make a pocket out of... In this article, I'll go over two ways making pockets for yourscrapbooking layouts can be accomplished.

One way to add a pocket to your scrapbooking layout is to use a piece of posterboard(or any sort of paper with about the same thickness, postcards work great for travel basedscrapbooking layouts.) You should cut the posterboard into the size and shape you'd like it to be before doing anything else. If you want to cut a little design into the pocket seam, now is the time to do that as well.

After your posterboard pocket has the right size and shape, it's time to add it to your scrapbooking layout! To do this, I've found that taking some foam mounting squares and cutting them into strips works best. That way, the pockets seem to stay secure and don't come loose from the background.

Another thing you might like to try with this technique is using two different colors of posterboard. Cut both pieces into the sameshape(or different shapes if that's the creative touch you want to add to your scrapbooking layout) and then cut a design into the middle of one of the pieces of posterboard(like a flower for example.)

When it's time to add your pocket, place the piece of posterboard that DOESN'T have the design cut into it down first and lay the piece with the design cut into it on top of it. This way, the color of the posterboard you have underneath shows through where you cut your design out on the top piece and there you have a creative little pocket!

Another material you can use to make pockets for your scrapbooking layouts is fabric. There are lots of fun colors and patterns when it comes to fabric, which I think is just wonderful! To start making your pocket out of fabric, first select your fabric and cut it down to size.

To securely mount your fabric pocket, I suggest using a hot glue gun instead of foam mounting squares. Make sure you're very careful with the hot glue gun and that you press the fabric down firmly enough before the glue has too much time to cool. If you leave the glue too much time to start to harden before you're able to press it into position, it will not stick right.

Another cool creative little twist you can put on this is to turn your pocket into a button up pouch! This requires only a few extra, very simple steps.

Now, first I should say that it's a lot easier to put your pocket pouch together if you haven't already attached your pocket to your layout. (Though it's not hopelessto turn your existing pocket into a pouch either!)

For the purpose of this article, we're going to back up a step on our fabric pockets to just before we're ready to attach the pocket to ourscrapbooking layout. Just to clarify, this means you should have your fabric pocket already cut into the shape you want it to be in.

For the next step, make sure you cut another piece of fabric that is the same width as your pocket and a little longer than half of it's height. Then, lay your fabric pocket down and take the other piece that you just cut and place one end of it underneath the top of your pocket(just enough to provide enough material tosecure it to the background.) Next, fold the corners in on the top half of the material you just cut and then fold the material over your pocket to measure everything and make sure it fits the way you want it to.

If everything measures out right, the next thing we're going to do is add a button to your pocket. (Keep in mind, we haven't glued or mounted anything yet!) With your pocket pouch still being held in place, place a button over the pouch flap you have folded over the pocket to see how it will look. When you have it positioned right, lift the flap and place the button on the pocket, then place the flap back over it and cut a slot for your button in the flap and sew your button onto the pocket.

Also, an extra tip, it may be easier to pin the folded in corners of your flap in place while you make the cut for your button hole.

All you have left to do now is to glue it all together! For this, I would start gluing the bottom half of the pocket first then, before you glue the top half, measure everything one more time, place your pouch flap where it should be and glue it into place, then finish gluing the top half of your pocket pouch. And, finally, you're ready for the last step!

So far, your pocket and your pocket flap should be glued into place and you should have your button hole cut into the flap and the button sewed to the pocket. Now, you need to set the flaps to stay in their folded position. If you have pinned your flap into place, now is the time to remove your pins and glue it into place with thehot glue gun. Again, please remember to be careful with the hot glue gun, but also make sure you firmly press the fabric together before the glue cools off too much.

The finished result will give your scrapbooking layouts creative fabric pockets that you can button and unbutton! These are really great for keeping little keepsakes in!