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Legal
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Paper
Craft Projects
Paper craft projects are a popular
pastime right now. Scrapbooking is a fun way to display pictures and
chronicle family history. Other paper crafts include making greeting
cards and even making hand made papers.
When
getting started at paper craft projects, it is easy to spend
a lot of money! Go easy at first until you know what sort of
paper craft idea you are likely to use. For instance, you may
find that you love using stickers in scrapbooks, but rarely
use your rubber stamps. If this is the case, you would be better
off spending more on stickers and less on rubber stamps for
your paper crafts.
Almost everyone has at least some of their photographs stored
somewhere in a shoe box. Scrapbooks are a great way to get those
photos out where people can enjoy them. You will need a loose
leaf binder, some plastic page protectors, and some colored
cardstock for starters. Many paper crafts experts insist on
only archival quality materials. Check the labels as you buy.
Most paper products, even the cheaper ones, are labeled "acid-free,"
which means that it shouldn't fade or otherwise deteriorate
if stored for a long time. Sunlight will bleach almost anything,
but your paper crafts should not be out in the sunlight very
often.
To start a scrapbook you have several options. You can select
photos that all relate to one event, such as a trip or a child's
participation in sports. This type of scrapbook will be short,
but can be designed around a theme. This is a good choice if
your photos are not in a jumble. If they are, then you may wish
to choose 3 or 4 photos around a general theme, and change the
theme for each page. You may want to include some 2 page spreads
in your scrapbook.
Attach your photos to the cardstock with double-sided tape squares
or a gluestick. Then it's time to decorate the page with stickers,
paper shapes, or rubber stamped designs. In addition, you can
use a colored gel pen to write dates, names, and other highlights
about the activities in the pictures.
Other items are available in paper crafts stores. These includes
die cuts, which are pieces of paper already cut into shapes
and objects. There are also special scissors that cut paper
with an interesting edge. A pair of the type called "deckle"
scissors is very useful for making elegant looking scrapbook
pages, greeting cards, and other paper crafts. If you also have
an old pair of pinking shears that are too dull to cut fabric,
you can use those for cutting out shapes and photos.
Many paper crafts enthusiasts begin with scrapbooking, but then
branch out to making their own greeting cards. Greeting cards
may or may not have an original poem written on the inside.
A simple "Happy Birthday," "Get Well Soon,"
or even just "Hi!" is enough to brighten someone's
day, so don't worry about not being a good enough writer to
make your own greeting cards. Rubber stamps often make beautiful
greeting cards. You can even attach small ribbons, beads, and
other items to hand made cards. A handmade card is sure to please
anyone, whether they are interested in paper crafts or not.
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