Scrapbooking With Square Coasters

Use decorative coasters to dress up scrapbook pages.

Coasters add texture, heft and visual interest to scrapbook pages. Whether you choose to use blank ones and decorate them yourself or a printed version, coasters can be used to embellished in many different ways. Look for blank coasters online and in your local craft store or browse local bars and restaurants for keepsake coasters. Alter coasters with hole punches to design an original look apart from the usual squares.

Picture Frames

Punch a hole in the center of a coaster and use it as a picture frame for a scrapbook page. One idea is to use a blank square coaster and a flower-shaped punch. Decorate the frame with felt pens and glitter. Place a larger square of colored paper in a bold solid or a printed graphic in the designated photo spot. Affix the photo in the center of the colored paper. Complete the look with the coaster picture frame. Another idea is to paper the coaster and let the glue dry before you punch the hole for the frame.

Mini Scrapbooks

Create a small chunky scrapbook with a handful of square coasters. One idea is to use a standard hole punch to make holes along one side of each coaster. Decorate the coasters and then thread them together into a little book. Mini scrapbooks are an ideal craft to do with small children. Choose a theme for the scrapbook and add photos, hand drawings, stickers and small paintings. Have kids decorate and embellish with glitter, beads, buttons and whatever other embellishments you have on hand.

Restaurant Coasters

For a vacation-themed scrapbook, collect coasters from restaurants, bars and clubs along the way. One idea is to create a separate scrapbook page for the highlights of each day of your trip. Include the restaurant coaster, ticket stubs from museums or other venues visited, photos and a colorful description of what the day was like. Or, create a page in your family scrapbook for a special night out. Events such as birthdays, anniversaries or job promotion celebrations are times you will likely want to remember. Create a page around the event and include the coaster placed on top of a colored sheet of paper.

Monograms

Dress up a plain coaster with strips of colored paper. Monogram the coaster with a letter representative of something on your page. Use letter cutouts or a rubber stamp for the monogram. For instance, a family scrapbook would do well with a monogram of the family name. Or, use a hole punch to punch a letter out of a coaster. Place a bold solid color of paper on the scrapbook page and cover it with the coaster to act as a window. Reserve the letter cutout for the same or another page.

References

• Coaster Factory: Scrapbooking Coasters
• Craft Bits: Mini Scrapbook Albums