12 ways of using your household goods

Looking for some fresh ideas for your scrapbook layouts?  You might have just what you need right in your home!  Cardboard, unwanted clothes, twist-ties, and leftover party decorations are just a few of the top twelve household items you can use as scrapbooking embellishments for your layouts!

# 1 – Cardboard.

Chances are you have quite a bit of cardboard in your home.  Whenever you do a mail order, it’s usually shipped in a cardboard box.
Cereal boxes and the backing of a pad of paper provide thin cardboard.  With a little bit of paint, glitter, or patterned paper, you can use cardboard to create a dimensional title for your layout, funky frames, or showcase your journaling.

# 2 -Cookie Cutters.

Cookie cutters aren’t just for the kitchen!  Use a round cookie cutter to create Christmas ornaments for a layout, Halloween cookie cutters to create fun shapes for a Halloween scene, or a flower cookie cutter to make journaling shapes for a garden layout.  For added fun, trace around the edges of your designs with glitter glue.

# 3 – Duct Tape.

Most people claim that duct tape can fix most anything, and that holds true for scrapbook layouts!  If you haven’t purchased duct tape in awhile, the next time you’re at the store, check it out!  Stores still sell the silver colored tape, but you’ll also find bright solids colors, stripes and even floral duct tape!
Imagine the fun you can have adding colorful duct tape to your layouts.  You’ll be able to create borders, photo frames, make a flower garden, or cut the tape into small pieces and use as confetti.

# 4 – Foil.

Want to brighten up your layout?  Add some foil!  Cut a thin piece of cardboard into a shape or letter and cover it with foil.  Add glitter or sequins for extra sparkle.

# 5 – Index Cards.

Colored index cards can be used for journaling blocks.  Add a couple of tiny stickers or glue twine around the edges to change an ordinary card into a creative journaling block.

# 6 – Leftover Party Decorations.

Leftover party napkins, paper tablecloths and cardboard decorations make great embellishments for scrapbook layouts.  Cut out the designs and add them onto your page.  If the tablecloth has an interesting border, cut a strip of it to be used as your layout border.  Also, don’t forget that your used gift bags and wrapping paper can also be used for your layouts.  Quite often gift bags will have die-cuts attached which can be an instant embellishment.

# 7 – Magazines.

Cutting out letters, words or phrases from a magazine is an awesome way of adding a unique look to your layout.  If you’re going to spell out a name or a title, use letters of various sizes and styles.  Words or phrases can be used as captions for your photos.  If you don’t have magazines, check out the flyers that come in the mail or the newspaper.

# 8 – Magnetic Letters.

If you have kids at home, chances are you have 1″ or 2″ magnetic letters on your refrigerator door.  Use these letters as templates to help create a title, word or monogram for your scrapbook layout.  Letters can be made out of patterned paper scraps, bright envelopes that come in the mail, comic strips, or any other paper that you have.

# 9 – Nail Polish.

Do you have a bottle of nail polish that’s almost empty?  Use the nail polish to paint brass fasteners.  The fasteners will look adorable as “tacks” for your photos.

# 10 – Toothbrush.

Instead of throwing out your old toothbrush, give it a good cleaning and then use it to add flair to your layout.  Scribble on wax paper with a marker and add a few drops of water.  Dip the toothbrush into the mixture and flick the paint onto your layout.

# 11 – Twist-ties.

Don’t toss out the twist-ties that come on a loaf of bread!  Use the ties as a stamp.  Gently press a tie onto an ink pad and then press it against your layout.  This technique will provide an interesting look to your layout.  You can use the ties to emphasize a title or to create whimsical stems for flowers.  Other items, such as a clean dry sponge, cork, a potato or an eraser can be used as a stamp as well.

# 12 – Unwanted clothes.

Do you have some clothing that you couldn’t even give away at a garage sale?  Use it for your layouts.  Adding material to layouts has become super hot this season.  Whether it’s satin, velvet, lace, plaid, floral…the possibilities are endless.  Also, the ribbons, buttons or patches can be used as embellishments as well.
More and more scrapbookers are looking for ways to utilize household items into their layouts.  Not only does this cut down on scrapbooking expenses, it’s also a great way of using items that might eventually be tossed out otherwise.