How to Embellish Photo Album and  Scrapbooks

By Denise Smith

Adding photos to your works of art is so rewarding; I’d have to say that embellishing them is the next best thing!  The possibility for embellishing your project is absolutely endless!  Please check back with us on a continuous basis for additional ways on how to embellish your projects!!

In this segment you will learn how to embellish your photo albums, scrapbooks, chipboard books and more with:  BRAD’s a/k/a PAPER FASTENERS.

“Brads” are also known to many as “Paper Fasteners”.  They do just that, “fasten paper together”.  Not only can they fasten “paper” together, but they can also fasten other elements together such as photos, chipboard pieces, stickers, tags, mats, etc. 

“Brads” come in various different sizes, shapes and colors.  There are literally hundreds of different company’s that manufacture them!  Nowadays in the scrapbooking industry, brads have worked their way up from just a plain gold and/or silver circle, to having fabric on them, pearls put into them, rhinestones and even a soft “rubber” type of material on them! 

To use a “Brad” you will need a sharp object such as a “paper piercer”, a “needle” or if nothing else, a sharp pair of pointed scissors will work.  Once you have your “tool”, you will need to gently but firmly poke a hole into the objects you want to be connected together.  Once the hole(s) are created, you simply push the prongs on the brad through the hole(s).  Next, you simply split apart the two prongs, one away from the other.  The prongs will then lay flat on the back side of your project.

More Ideas Using Brads:

*Use Brads to attach Vellum to your project!  If you are not familiar with “Vellum”, it is a type of paper that is “transparent”.  People always wonder what type of “glue” to use to attach vellum to a project.  I always recommend attaching the Vellum paper with brads, as most types of adhesive show right through the transparent paper! 

*Add Brads as a “decorative” embellishing element to your project rather then a “purposeful” one!  Add brads to the corners of your photos, on your journaling block, photo mats, library pockets, memorabilia pockets or directly on your paper!

*Add a Brad to the center of a die-cut circle that has a “window” on it.  The Brad in this instance allows us to have an “interactive” project!  With the Brad being in the center, it allows us to “spin” the circle, with each turn allowing us to see what is behind the opening window!

About the Author

Denise Smith is an avid scrapbooker and ran a scrapbook store for 8 years.  To learn more about how to embellish photo album, and to view unique chipboard albums, visit ChipboardAlbums.com