I frequently buy scrapbook papers in stacks, books or kits because it saves me a lot of time and takes all the hassle out of matching and coordinating papers. However, if you are like me, the question always arises of what to do with papers you don't like? You know what I mean, those that fall to the bottom of your paper trays and have been in your stash forever.
You could challenge yourself to use them in a layout, but since scrapbook pages are not just a record for your family, but for your own enjoyment too, this may not be easy. I know I am strongly affected by the colors I like, being uplifted by those I love and discouraged by those I do not, which means I find it hard to make a layout with these papers.
So, given that I may only use a handful of the papers in a kit and the rest languish in the bottom of my trays, do I feel guilty? Yes. Should I feel guilty? Well, yes, I should, for it makes my hobby even more expensive, wasting my resources and the natural resources used to create the products.
Can I do anything about it? Yes! Let's look at some options.
1. Use papers you don't like to Scrapbook for Others
Make layouts for family and friends as gifts.
Or seek out your friends whose color tastes differ from your own and offer to make some layouts for them. Think about it! They will wear clothing in colors that do not suit you, therefore presenting an opportunity to use papers you would not naturally use. Their photos could be full of colors you do not like but which match the papers you can't use!!
Alternately, if they are scrapbookers you could give them the papers, and they may have papers in your color preferences they'd be willing to swap.
2. Use papers you don't like to Make Cards
Make cards with the papers and colors you don't like because it could be the favorite color of those who receive them. Plus large patterns you do not like can look quite different when you see only a small part of it on a card.
3. Use papers you don't like to Teach a Class
Another way to use those papers and supplies at the bottom of your trays is to teach a class with them. Volunteer to teach a class to the elderly, to a young mothers' group, or to young adults with learning disabilities. Local homes and groups would love some 'new blood' with new ideas. Yes, it may be frightening to start off, but residents and staff are very helpful and would appreciate it so much.
Ok, you may decide you cannot do this, but there are many who can and would love your extra supplies, so donate your papers to someone who can make good use of them.
A while back when my mother gave up papercrafting, she gave me a box full of blank cards and other items, including some tools. As they duplicated many of my own things I gave them to a friend who taught a class at a local soup kitchen. Many of the young women who came along spent a productive hour or two, loved making the cards and wanted to do more.
I commented recently on how hard it is to throw out scraps of paper; whole sheets are worse - whether I like them or not! However, knowing someone else will benefit makes it easier.
As a self-confessed paper-holic my recent post was specifically about handling paper scraps. This post is for recovering paper-holics, lol, who are at the stage of being able to be parted from their well loved stash. It is more to do with whole or almost-whole sheets of scrapbook paper and scrapbook kits and what to do with papers you don't like.
Genie Balfour is the founder of the scrapbooking resource ScrapbookingGems.com and writes on paper and digital scrapbooking topics. To learn how Genie designs elegant scrapbook page layouts, go to http://www.scrapbookinggems.com and check out her free scrapbook sketches and layouts series.
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