Patterned Paper

One of my favorite things about scrapbooking is all the pretty patterned paper.  And I love mixing patterns and colors to create unique looks.  In fact, I often pick a paper combination and then go look for a photo that works with those papers.


And birthday layouts provide a great opportunity to go all out.  A mix of papers can really create a fun, celebratory feel on a page. This layout mixes 8 patterned papers and 1 patterned vellum.  The end result is bright and fun.

Here are some things that help me mix papers:

• Use a patterned paper with lots of colors as your inspiration for the papers you choose.  (I started with that great striped paper.)
• Mix patterns - all stripes are hard.  But stripes and dots - really cool!
• Make sure your patterns are in different scales - it creates balance
• Don't forget to think about a patterned background - the tiny stripes here add a lot of interest without distracting from the photo.
• Lots of different patterns may mean fewer embellishments or more neutral embellishments.

And most importantly, don't be afraid of changing your mind.  If you cut a piece of paper and it doesn't work, just put it in your scrap pile.  It's only paper and sometimes a little experimentation will create a beautiful, unexpected mix of papers.

Hook me up with your patterned paper projects.

Thanks for stopping by.