How to Use Chipboard in Scrapbooking
Chipboard has become one of the hottest products in the paper crafting world, but many people find themselves wondering how to use chipboard in scrapbooking.
What is Chipboard?
Essentially, chipboard is a type of thick cardboard that paper crafters use to add extra interest to their projects. Since they are slightly raised from the page, chipboard elements attract more attention than rub-ons or other flat scrapbook embellishments.
Some chipboard elements found in scrapbooking supply stores are self-adhesive, while others must be adhered with glue dots or double-sided tape.
Ideas for How to Use Chipboard in Scrapbooking
If you’re looking for ways to incorporate chipboard into your scrapbooking projects, consider the following helpful suggestions:
- Look for chipboard accents to support the theme of your page, such as wedding or vacation embellishments.
- Use stars, flowers, and other simple chipboard embellishments to accent everyday photos.
- Use chipboard letters to create a fun title with a touch of dimension.
- Help camouflage a distracting background in your photo by creating a collage of chipboard embellishments over the offending area.
- Mount a computer-generated title or journaling block on a chipboard tag for added emphasis.
- Add chipboard corners to a special photo.
- Draw attention to tiny stickers by mounting them inside chipboard frames.
Working with “Naked” Chipboard
Although you can purchase chipboard embellishments for your scrapbooking projects in a variety of sizes, styles, and colors, sometimes it can be hard to find exactly what you need. Fortunately, an increasing number of scrapbook supply manufacturers are creating “naked” chipboard embellishments that you can decorate to perfectly match your project. Ways to use this type of chipboard accent in your scrapbooking layouts include:
- Paint it with your favorite color of acrylic paint.
- Stamp a design on it.
- Cover it in pigment ink and embossing powder.
- Add whimsical doodles with your favorite acid-free markers.
- Embellish with tiny rub-on letters or designs.
- Make it sparkle by adding rhinestones.
- Cover it with patterned paper.
- Decorate it with your favorite stickers.
- Coat it in double-sided adhesive tape, then dip it in glitter or tiny microbeads.
Making a Chipboard Album
Although chipboard embellishments work great for everyday scrapbooking projects, you may wish to stretch your creative muscles by completing a chipboard mini album. These fun books are available in a number of unique shapes, including hearts, stars, and scalloped circles as well as albums where each page is shaped like one letter of word such as “FAMILY” or “LOVE.”
Chipboard mini albums work well for scrapbooking baby showers, weddings, vacations, birthdays, and other special events. They are also great gifts for your non-scrapbooking friends and family members. The process of creating a layout for a chipboard mini album is basically the same as making any other scrapbook page. However, since chipboard albums don’t have plastic page protectors, you will want to make sure you use a strong adhesive to keep all of your elements secured to the page.
