Budget Scrapbooking: Fussy Cutting and the Full 12x12 sheet

Fussy cutting is the art of extracting images from a sheet of fabric or patterned paper. If you are on a budget, fussy cutting can help you make the most of your supplies. It’s also a fabulous way to enhance your project.

Some patterns work better with fussy cutting than other. Let’s take a look at which patterns are a good fit and how we can extract some images while still being able to use the full size sheet of paper for another project.

Supplies

Craft Knife

Patterned Paper

Scrapbooking embellishments and adhesive

Photo(s)

Step One Choose a paper with an image that can be clearly defined. You want to be able to isolate a portion of the pattern so that you can cut an image that is as complete as possible. Papers like the ones shown above work well. Try to choose images that are not too intricate. The more delicate or intricate and image, the more difficult it is to extract from the paper.

While you can fussycut images from these patterned papers, you may find the job to be very challenging.

Step Two Choose the section of the pattern that you would like to work with. In some cases, the image you want to extract will dictate where you cut. This paper has a repetitive pattern. I chose to extract one cluster of flowers and several individual flowers from a center section of the paper. I tried to keep the extracted areas as close together as possible. This will allow me to cover the holes with another piece of paper later and build the layout directly on top.

Step Three As you cut, rotate your paper not your craft knife. Try to keep your cuts small and as straight as possible. This allows for cleaner and more delicate cuts.

Step Four Choose which side of the paper you want to work with, then choose a second paper to cover the holes left by the extracted image.

No one will know there are holes in your layout. Alternatively, you can use the holes as a window which allows another piece of patterned paper to show through.

It’s easy to build your layout over the place where the extracted images were. Paper or photos will cover the spot. This method allows you to use the fussy cut images as embellishments. Whether you use them on this layout or another future project, you will find this method really helps you make the most of your supplies.

Carry Me Daddy by Christy Strickler Supplies Patterned Paper, Stamps: Studio Calico; Letters: American Crafts; Marker: Bic Mark-it; Flair: Panda Eight Designs; Ink: Ranger; Wood Veneer: Studio Calico, Freckled Fawn; Brad: Basic Grey; Other: DMC floss, mist, pencil