Creating your own background paper is a really simple way to get what you want from your scrapbooking supplies. It isn’t hard nor is it expensive, and often times can save you time and money. There is nothing better than the feeling of a completed coordinated layout, and with the ability to create your own background paper, you can achieve that effect anytime you find yourself without what you need.
Here are a few ways to create your own background paper:
Inks
You can use a brayer or the ink pad by itself to add ink in different patterns or styles across your paper. A cool technique I saw done recently, was to use those small square ink pads, find two or three coordinating colors and ink your paper in a patter randomly with those squares. Where one ends, stamp another. It looks great.
Watercolor or Chalk
Using watercolor pencils or just watercolor, you can easily achieve a beautiful blended color background. Vary the firmness of your pencil on the paper to achieve a darker look in some areas and a lighter look in others.
Chalks can be used the same way, and you can vary the way you apply them to the paper by using different application methods, like a cotton swab, cotton ball, sponge or an actual piece of chalk. You can also blend your chalk drawing for a much softer effect.
Collage
If you have loads of scrap pieces, try randomly adhering the pieces all over another sheet of paper. This collage look is awesome for tags or journaling blocks, but be careful using them as a mat for your photographs because often they can look too busy and detract from the photograph.
Markers, etc.
Any type of coloring or drawing utensil can be used to create all type of effects. Grab colors that coordinate with the papers or photographs you already have and you can create some amazing backgrounds.
Can you think of some other ways to create your own background papers?
Nicole Humphrey writes articles for the Scrapbooking Blog and for the Frugal Blog. She also guest blogs on a variety of topics. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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The Coordinated Scrapbook Page