How to Turn 99 Cent Paper into a Work of Art
We get beautiful papers in nearly every week!
I love paper! I love the colors, the patterns, and the new releases for each season. That’s one of the reasons why I started paper & i: to share my love of paper crafting and creativity with others.
If you’re reading this, you probably already know the basic things you can do with paper, like make a card, fashion a scrapbook page, create a gift tag, or design mixed media pieces.
But what else can you do when you come across a colorful, new sheet of paper? I know so many of us will take a look and say, “That’s so cute,” but not quite know what to do with it. We might even buy it—it’s only 99 cents!—but it’s still sitting on the crafting shelf, waiting to be used.
Well now, the wait is over!
Keeping it simple can be cute.
Make a Banner
Seasonal banners are a great way to decorate year-round. You can hang them at home or use them as a gift. We change ours in the store regularly; they’re easy, festive, and fun.
Take out your scoring board and cut your 99 cent paper into even pieces. My favorite seasonal papers are already divided into rectangles or journal card pages, with different images in each. Plenty of our store’s papers are black and white, ready to be colored. (For a bright, bold look, my daughter loves using the Tombow markers that we carry; for a more subdued look, I recommend Inktense colored pencils.)
But if you want to get a little bit fancier…
Open That Junk Drawer
Yes, that one. It’s got little crafting bits and pieces you’ve picked up over the years. Maybe your husband or your kids have asked you, “What are you going to do with all of that?”
I’m here to tell you it’s not junk. It’s a treasure chest filled with things you’re just waiting to use on the right project. Today is the day!
What’s in your drawer? Here’s some things I found in mine:
Multicolored brads
Adhesive gems
Short ribbons and strings
Page flags
Mini pom pom puffs
Shaker sprinkles
Google eyes
Letter stickers
And more. Always more!
Get Creating
Maybe you gently sift through your drawer. Or maybe you take it all out and dump it on the table. The goal is to find exciting and interesting additions to your 99 cent paper. You know your process best!
Check out the Halloween banner we made. Simple additions of ribbon, shimmer stickers, and googly eyes give it a fun, festive feel.