Whereas I am a huge advocate of repurposing leftover material to decorate my scrapbook layouts, I don’t go out of my way to embellish exclusively with environmentally-friendly products.
To get me to “go green” my neighbor recently gifted me with a large stack of plain chipboard. The specialty scrapbook embellishment (very thick pressed cardboard paper) is made from recycled products. Chipboard is used to add color and dimension to layouts in a variety of ways, including letters for titles, photo corners, frames, decorative shapes, page borders and tags.
Scrapbook supply shops sell a variety of chipboard accents. These vibrant embellishments are great for beginner scrappers or crafters who don’t have a lot of time to design their own decorations from plain chipboard. While the premade accents cost a bit more, they are worth it if you are in need of a fully decorated embellishment (such as flowers, stars, or balloons) in a pinch. What’s more, most chipboard accents come with self-adhesive backs, which allow you to simply peel and place them on your page design.
Purchasing ready-made chipboard accents also eliminates the need to purchase extra-durable adhesive. Since chipboard is a bulky embellishment, you will need to find an adhesive that will keep it in place. Depending on the size of your chipboard accent, this can prove quite challenging. Your best bets are double-sided tape or glue dots. Don’t bother trying to attach chipboard to your page with a glue stick. Trust me; it doesn’t work.
To make the most of your chipboard investment, select accents that you can use on multiple layouts. For example, chipboard alphabets are extremely versatile. The raised letters can be used to create a page title as well as spell out words on a photo frame. You can also buy chipboard stickers which work well on themed pages. During the holidays I purchased a package of glittery snowflake chipboard stickers and placed them on pages that needed a little sparkle.