Budget Scrapbooking with Double Sided Papers

Double sided patterned paper can be awesome or it can be the bane of your stash. If the prints on both sides of the sheet are gorgeous, you are left to decide between using just one side or to contemplate buying a second sheet. What if there was a way to use up the entire sheet while also using prints from both sides?

Some double sided papers are perfect for the technique I am going to share with you today. Let’s find out which patterns work and how you can use the entire 12×12 sheet on your next layout.

Supplies

One double sided sheet of 12×12 paper

Photo(s)

Embellishments

Embroidery thread and needle

Adhesive

Craft knife

Tape (optional)

Step One Every sheet of patterned paper has a dominant side. One side may have a very bold pattern or the dominant side may just be the side you prefer the most. Determine which side you would like to use as the dominant side. This will be your background or canvas for your layout.

I chose a bold pattern with a diamond shaped design throughout. While the method I plan to share with you today can work with many types of patterned papers, it may be a good idea to start off with something that has a basic shape within the pattern. Circles, diamonds or squares would be best.

The reverse side pattern is less structured. I will be using that as an accent.

Step Two Decided which sections you would like to extract from the design. I randomly chose some of the diamonds on the paper Mark the sections with a pencil to help you remember where to cut.

Step Three Use your craft knife to extract the shape. Try to make clean, even cuts.

Flip the extracted shape over and insert it back into the paper as best as you can. Cutting by hand isn’t perfect. There may be small gaps or areas in which the shape overlaps the cut boundary. This is ok.

Use tape or a scrap piece of cardstock to secure the shape to the main piece of patterned paper.

Repeat these steps until you have removed all of the shapes you marked. Your finished sheet will now look something like the one shown here.

Step Four Use your needle and embroidery floss to stitch the shape into place. A zig zag style stitch works best to ensure the piece does not come loose from the background. If necessary, you can use a paper piercer to mark the areas for stitching.

Step Five You are now ready to build your layout on the canvas. Before you do, take a look at the paper strip from the bottom of your patterned paper. Many brands of patterned paper have a strip which tells you the name of the collection. Often, this same strip has a sample of the reverse side.

Look for any words, shapes or samples of the patterned paper which you can cut or alter to use as embellishments. I was able to cut the sample section to use as a shelf under my photo. I covered portions of the logo with tape and created a handmade embellishment that coordinated with my layout. Words cut from paper bands can be sorted into containers and saved for titles or journaling.

You don’t have to decide between one side of the paper. Think smart, use your craft knife and get creative with how you use every inch of that patterned paper. You might just find that buying a second sheet isn’t necessary.

The View from Below by Christy Strickler Supplies Patterned Paper: My Mind’s Eye; Letters: Basic Grey; Flair: A Flair for Buttons; Beads: Artchix Studio; Die: Sizzix; Tape: Glitz Designs; Other: cork, DMC floss