Using Clear Acrylic Shapes as Templates

You knew you could use Clear Scraps acrylics as surfaces for scrapbooking. Did you realize that you can use all of our shapes and album pages as templates too?

Here's an idea for you to try in your own scrapbook layouts:

Take any of our acrylic album pages, embellishments, or XL shapes. Position it on your paper. Since the acrylic is clear, you can see right through it. That makes it handy for finding the very best spot to use if you are using patterned paper- cool, huh? Then trace around it onto paper with pencil, and cut the shape out. Voila!

To make the layout pictured above, I used one of the Dazed XL shapes as my template. I used it to make the black shape in the center of the layout.

Other Supplies Used:

• Transparencies: Hambly & My Little Shoebox
• Stamp: Inque Boutique
• Flower: Prima
• Marker: Zig Painty Pen

Use the Negative Space Too!

After you've cut out your shape, you might think that the leftover paper scraps are trash. Wait a minute! Don't toss those scraps yet! Maybe you can use them for something else...

Before:
Here's a piece of patterned paper. It's been in my stash for years. The edges on it are beat up and distressed. Let's dress this baby up, and hide the messy edges while we're at it!

After:

That's better!

This is a technique you can use over and over if you have papers that look outdated. Don't purge them from your stash - just give them a face lift with this technique!

I like my paper's new look a lot better, and I'll be using it in a layout soon.

So I've used my Deco shape twice now, but I still have the shape itself! It's like having my cake and eating it too, almost. I could keep making dozens - or hundreds - more Deco-shaped papers like this before I finally decide to use the shape itself in one of my projects.

One More Example:

To make this scalloped heart-shaped paper, I used paper by My Mind's Eye. The heart template was actually a page from the Clear Scraps heart-shaped album. This example is a little more complex than the first example I posted; there are a couple of extra steps you need to do. Instead of a pencil, you'd use a colored marker to trace around the design. Then you'd cut around it with decorative scissors, and color in the edges. Hopefully you get the idea, but if that sounds confusing, I wrote a step-by-step tutorial with photos:

How to make faux die-cut papers using acrylic shapes as templates

I hope you will find it helpful, and that our shapes will inspire you to make your most amazing scrapbook pages ever!

Happy scrapping!

Posted by: Amy Solovay

Comments

[Emily]

This is the third time I've been to your site. Thanks for providing more information.