I love patterned paper. I would even say that I’m addicted to it. I just can’t seem to get enough of it. And I also can’t bear to get rid of it, even the scraps. When I’m cleaning up a project, any leftover piece bigger than 2’’ gets saved because, well, you just ever know.

Needless to say, I am on the constant lookout for ways to use up my stash—especially the scraps—of patterned paper. And I would venture to guess there are many of you out there also looking for ways to justify the patterned paper hoarding. So, here goes. Check out these great and simple uses for patterned paper:

I recently finished this mini-album with honeymoon photos. At 4x4", the pages were perfect for using scraps of different green patterned papers. Plus, the eclectic nature of the pages allowed for using random, leftover stickers and embellishments, too.

Here's a birthday card full of love—and scraps.



To create shelf-liners, I used decoupage medium to glue whole pages to my wooden closet shelves. A great use for random, mismatched sheets.



Also check out design*sponge’s recent DIY posts to find out how to using patterned paper to create key racks and jewelry shadowboxes.


Want to talk all about patterned paper projects? Visit the forum! And don’t forget to check out the free project for the week.

I was recently introduced to the world of beeswax collage. Since I’m most familiar with paper and scissors, I thought it would be fun to add a new medium to my artist’s toolbox. I was giddy with delight when I found a class at my local art supply store.

Beeswax is not as scary as it looks. It’s actually quite easy to work with and gives your work a dream-like quality, along with a fabulous textural effect. Beeswax can be used to adhere various bits of paper, ephemera and botanicals within a collage surface and its soft nature makes it easy to alter images and colors.

On this small 4" x 6" (10cm x 15cm) canvas, I first painted the exterior with a few swipes of a rich royal blue acrylic paint. Once dry, I applied a thin coat of wax to the surface as a base and then selected a few pieces of ephemera to layer on my background. Since all the materials in the class were provided, I had to select my ephemera from the clippings and cut outs provided. It was a bit of a challenge to find pieces that I found both visually appealing as well as symbolic of my own unique character and persona. But it proved to be a good exercise in thinking outside the “hive” and letting my creativity flow.

I layered my paper ephemera and then applied a few more thin coats of melted wax to the surface. I then used a heat iron to embed a few dried botanicals into the wax. The heat iron also came in handy for adding additional color. I simply used the iron to heat the tip of crayon and then blended the resulting color into the wax for a dreamy mixture of blue and raspberry tones. My beeswax collage is my Valentine to myself this year. I love my own fresh color scheme and floral images, which to me symbolize hope and renewal.

Interested in more fun and playful papercrafting techniques? You can download a free project from Memory Makers' new book Scraptastic! right here. See how author Ashley Calder uses gold leaf to add a little glimmer to paper projects. Check back next Wednesday for more featured projects from your S+PC team!

Amy