How to Add Swirls to Scrapbook Pages
Adding decorative elements to your scrapbook pages makes them uniquely yours. Embellishments, fonts, journaling and color choices come together in a style that is appropriate to the subject matter of your photos. Sometimes you may need an extra "something" on your page to add some flair: decorative swirls. A swirl creates a personal flourish, directs the eye toward a beautiful photo or adds a fancy decorative touch, turning an ordinary page into an extraordinary work of art.
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Things You'll Need
- Acid-free markers
- Rubber stamp and ink
- Swirl stickers and rub-ons
- Swirl paper punch
- Card stock
- Acid-free adhesive
- Cricut or Sizzix (optional)
Instructions
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Draw swirls on your scrapbook pages with acid-free markers, using both fine- and broad-tip markers for variety. Try drawing swirls in all four corners or between your photos. Practice the swirl stroke on scratch paper until you achieve the look you want, then--with a sure hand--draw the swirl on your page. If you make a mistake, cover it with a sticker or photo. If you aren't comfortable hand-drawing your swirls, try using a rubber stamp, as in Step 2.
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Dip a swirl-shaped rubber stamp in ink and press the stamp to your scrapbook page. For added glitz, cover the stamped image--while still wet--with embossing powder, shake off the excess, heat the powder with an embossing gun and let dry. For a quicker swirl, use pre-made stickers and rub-ons.
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3
Look for sticker sets that contain swirls in different sizes and shapes; choose the swirls that complement your background colors or the colors in your photographs. Apply rub-ons by cutting out the swirl you want, placing it facedown on the page, rubbing the back gently with a popsicle stick and peeling away the plastic backing. Peel slowly, and if any part of the swirl image sticks to the backing, put the rub-on back down on the page and gently rub it with the popsicle stick until the image is free from the backing. For quick-and-easy swirls, use the paper-punch technique in Step 4.
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Insert acid-free cardstock into a swirl-shaped paper punch and squeeze until the shape is cut. Punches come in small, medium, large and jumbo so you have the option of many sizes of swirls. Choose solid-colored swirls for busy background paper, and choose patterned swirls for solid backgrounds. Use acid-free adhesive to attach the swirls to your scrapbook page. For a 3D look, add layered die-cut swirls following the instructions in Step 5.
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5
Use a die-cut machine such as the Sizzix (manual) or Cricut (electric) to cut a card stock swirl for your page. Use two complementary shades of card stock and cut the swirl pattern twice, with one slightly larger than the other. Place the smaller cut atop the larger one and glue it down. Now your "double-layer swirls" are ready to place on your scrapbook page, adding extra flair.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't own a Sizzix or Cricut, host a cropping night with friends, and invite others to bring their supplies.
