So I've joked a few times over the years that I'm a scrapbooker who doesn't scrapbook. I could spend hours walking through those aisles at the craft store, but I've scrapbooked exactly two pages in my life -- about 15 years ago.
Is this even allowed? I feel like a fraud -- do people like me annoy scrapbookers everywhere? I can't help it. I must have all the pretty paper and doodads and stickers.
I have found many good uses for the scrapbook paper in decorating though. Holidays especially -- that could be a whole other post. I shared our "new" living room last week and one of my favorite parts is how the gallery of frames works so much better now:
Our old large couch used to sit under them and I was trying to fill that huge wall with something relatively easy and inexpensive. (The frames were half off at Michael's.)
I have had them up for three years now and at Christmas I put my Fa la la's inside:
Buhbye ginormous couch!
But, a little secret, the fa la's ususally stay in there till about March every year and after that they've stayed empty. For three years! I've had every intention of filling them with free printables but I've never taken the time to sit down and find what I want.
So a few months ago I was hosting a party and yet again, those frames were empty. Literally hours before everyone arrived I grabbed this scrapbook stack and started tearing out the papers in colors I liked:
I've had this pack for at least five years and I think I got it from Hobby Lobby? I found it here online -- I can't believe it's still being sold! This little book of paper has given me tons of projects! I've used it to mat photos, make art and now to fill these frames.
I just picked out colors that I liked in the space -- the papers are pretty tones and the textured paper adds a little something too:
Someday I'd still like to find prints to use in these, but for now at least they have something in them -- that's huge for me people. :)
If you've been around for awhile you may remember I used these same papers for my Ballard Designs knock off years ago:
The possibilities are truly endless with pretty scrapbook paper. The other day I "matted" a print from Yellow Bungalow Shop on paper that looks like wood:
I LOVE making labels with scrapbook paper too:
You can see how I made these basket labels for the basement here:
Those are still holding up great two years later!
Obviously I use scrapbook paper a lot -- now if I could just find a good use for all the stickers that I want to buy. I feel like a ten-year-old who wants to fill her sticker book when I walk through those aisles. Remember sticker books??
Anyway, it's certainly a cheap way to add some texture and color to your spaces. Love it. Are you a non-scrapbooker that is obsessed with this section of the store as well? Have you done anything fun with it? Please share if so!
