Scrapbooking Ideas for Using Paper Strips to Design Page Foundations

Paper strips present many options to be creative and thrifty when it comes to the scrapbook page. They are also a great place to start when it comes to creating your first “foundational” layers.

See four ways our Creative Team has use strips to create a page foundation.

1. Rows

Deborah Wagner says, “This is a photo of my energetic and spirited granddaughter.”

“I used rows of paper strips to form a backdrop for my photo and title. The paper strips allowed me to bring in lots of color and vibrancy and to emphasize the theme of my page. Since I am a digital scrapbooker, I clipped full sized patterned papers to the rectangular ‘strip’ shapes.”

 

Marcia Fortunato says, “My layout is about the new loft bed that my daughter-in-law’s father and brothers built recently for my grandson.”

“I used rows of paper strips that mimicked the steps on the ladder leading up to his bed. Any time I cut a decorative branding strip off the bottom of a piece of patterned paper or trim a strip of paper from the edge, I throw these strips into a scrap drawer I have. The column I created on this page came from this stash of strips. I used more strips for my journaling in order to continue the vertical column. “

 

2. Columns

Jill Sprott says, “While studying abroad in Florence, my daughter found a home away from home in the form of La Ménagère, where she discovered incredible cappuccino and made friends with the baristas. When putting this page together, I wanted to capture the feel of the city and its coffee culture.”

“Being a bona fide hoarder of paper strips, I rummaged through my ‘stash o’ scraps’ and selected a mix of vintage ledger, coffee-inspired, and map-related papers. I layered the vertical strips (with a slight tilt) across the page to create a column-based foundation over which I arranged photos and into which I tucked the journaling and a few accents. Although the placement may seem sort of freestyle, there is intention in some areas: note the way the map of Italy peeks out, along with areas that resemble coffee stains. In addition to serving as a foundation, the strips also contribute to the tone and theme of the page, helping to tell the story.”

 

3. Bracket

Sian Fair says, “This page records my feelings about New Years Eve. I used a bracket foundation, with strips on either side of my photo, because I thought that was especially suitable for a page about a day which is sandwiched in between the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one.”

“My paper strips actually came from the little pile which gathers up beside my guillotine-style paper cutter and from scraps on my desk.These are trimmings and leftovers, even slices cut from photos: I don’t throw very much away!”

 

 

4. Shelf

Christy Strickler says, “My cat Jujubee is both shy and a diva. It has taken her 2 years to adjust to our move, to stop hiding so often and be more interactive with the family again.”

“Since this is the first time she has posed easily for me in almost two years, I wanted her photo to be center stage. I print photos at home which sometimes leaves me with glossy strips of paper. I layered these first in what started out as a shelf foundation which then morphed a bit. I stitched them down and then added a few items. The white glossy strips added some shiny texture to the page.”

 

Kelly Prang says, “I recently recieved access to a ton of photos of my husband as a child from his brother who scanned all their family slides and sent us a copy. I loved looking through the photos and noticing similarities in the way my husband looked as a little guy to the way our own three kids looked at various points in their lives so far.”

“I used the shelf foundation as I felt that these photos needed some pretty paper and interesting edge treatments to help give the photos weight and ground them on the page. I wanted the finished look of my strips to look like they are also from an earlier time as the photos were.”

“As a digital scrapbooker, I don’t really ‘cut’ strips with any of my supplies, but I had a lot of differently shaped pieces of papers with many edge treatments to which I ‘clipped’ patterned papers. That helped me make an eclectic layered look on this page.”

 

Stefanie Semple says, “This page is about my new kitten who likes to play fetch. I used a strip of green paper to contrast with the brownish colored floral background paper. The garden is very dry at the moment, but the spring green is a happy playful color.”

“As a digi scrapbooker it is easy for me to cut pieces of paper without worrying that I am going to need the full 12″x12” sheet later. I love adding additional layers for dimension and texture. Layering with contrast creates a focal point: the eye is drawn to that difference.”

 

Kelly Sroka says, “I am not a huge football fan, but I do enjoy watching the Super Bowl. This year I watched the game at home with my family. I made delicious appetizers, and we cozied up on the couch to view the game. In order to scrapbook the photographs from this event, I used paper strips to make a shelf for my pictures.”

“When I scrapbook, I make a kit from my supplies that I use to create pages for a month or so. I really try to use up the entire kit before pulling out more product. When I get close to using up a kit, I have lots of strips of paper left over from other projects. For this page, I used a variety of paper strips to create a nice shelf to ground the photographs on my page. Using paper strips is one of my favorite ways to use up patterned paper and add depth to my page.”