Preventing Scrapbook Burnout

There’s almost nothing easier than making a scrapbook; and most of the time there’s also just about nothing else which is more fun. However, there are times when you find yourself a little tired of the same old routine of cutting and pasting. You can purchase premade decorations for scrapbooks, but these are standardized items which can also tend to look much the same as one another - and they don’t give you as much room for expression as decorations you make yourself. This can lead to scrapbook burnout, which leads to scrapbooks being shelved and neglected.

To help you stop yourself from losing interest in your scrapbook, here are some techniques that you can use. Not only can these renew your interest, these can also enhance the look of your scrapbook project as well.

Re-use old material: Any scrapbooker will have plenty of spare parts lying around from their projects. Don’t throw these things out - re-use them and do something creative with them on a scrapbook project.

Make the best of the situation and use these old pieces to make something new. Sew leftover pieces of cloth together and paste them onto a scrapbook page. Small pieces of paper can be cut into smaller ones and arranged into decorative patterns on a page.

Rubber stamps: Admittedly, rubber stamps are a scrapbook staple, but you can use them in different and unexpected ways. Try using differently colored paints instead of ink with these stamps for an unusual effect.

Pop-ups: These elements can make for a very exciting addition to your scrapbook (as long as you don’t overuse them!).Make pop-ups out of photos, decorative elements or really anything else you like. You won’t need a spring to make a pop-up; just something as simple as adhesive tape can be used to make a great pop-up for your scrapbook.

Fold Pages In. Tired of opening and looking at a readily opened scrapbook page each time you turn a page? Try folding some pages in.

Fall Pages. The beauty of fall pages is that you can incorporate a lot of scrapbooking techniques in it. You can do pop ups, you can do die cut, you can even do some painting in them. Another plus point for fall pages is that these are quite artistic but you don’t have to be an artist to be able to pull the technique off.

Photo frames: Rather than pasting in those photos, show them off to best effect by using a photo frame. Just about any material you happen to have on hand can be made into a decorate frame which draws the eye with ease.

Matchbook. If you have reached a point where you simply had enough with your scrapbook or felt the need for a new one, create a matchbook scrapbook. This is a miniature scrapbook that looks like a matchbook. Not only is this fun to make but it is incredibly easy to carry around, too.