Round & Round We Go: Scrapbooking with Circles
12 March 2009
Author: Nicole Ratzlaff
Do you ever make a project and feel like something is missing, like it needs one more thing to make it complete and you just don’t know what that is? I feel that way often when I am crafting and what I generally do (if time permits) is put it aside and come back to it later with fresh eyes. Usually when I do this I see clearly what is needed and many times it is something round—namely a circle. So let’s scrapbook using circles.
I usually incorporate something round into most of the projects I create. While it may not often be my initial intention, it has kind of become my go-to fix for balancing out whatever it is that seems to be unbalanced. Easy ways to add circles to your designs include a button, a brad or a punch. But, because the circle became my “go-to shape” I started to look around at ways to use it as my beginning inspiration, my way of tying things together visually so to speak—and there are so many ways to use a circle that I wanted to share a few of the ideas with you.
There are great circle cutting tools on the market; a few are always within reach when I create. Invest in a good collection of nesting circle punches (both plain edge and scalloped) and a good circle cutter such as the Curvy Cutter or Circle Scissor Plus. I have both tools and use them often!
I also find that look for ways to create circles using everyday objects such as make up sponges for painting, medicine or paint bottles for doodling, or even larger items such as a Pringles can as a cutting template. Using a craft knife, cut around part of the can to create a half moon shaped opening in a layout—perfect for hidden journaling, pockets or extra photos!
Circles make great frames for photos or draw attention to focal points in a layout or card. They are great for backing a sentiment on a card or for printing journaling blocks. You can use the punched or cut out portion of circles too—the negative space is great for adding texture to your own paper design. You can even back the negative space with an embellishment.
There are so many ways to use circles to unify a design. The next time you find yourself going round and round looking for a solution – start with a circle and make your layout complete! Scrapbooking with circles will end all your problems!