I love the look of sewing on all
my papercrafts, from scrapbooking layouts to greeting cards. Sewing
and embroidery adds dimension without a lot of bulk and has the
added benefit of attaching elements to the page in the process.
You can sew by hand or with your machine. Both
techniques are easier than you might think. Here's a simple how-to.
Hand-Stitching & Embroidery
Get Ready...
Use a pencil to lightly draw the design on cardstock (regular
paper generally isn't strong enough to withstand all the extra
handling that sewing requires.) Another option is to draw or trace
a simple design onto lightweight paper (such as tracing paper)
and temporarily adhere it to your page so it doesn't wiggle around
during the next step.
What to stitch? It's generally best to keep your design simple
and stick to just the outline of the image. You can embellish
later when you fill in your design with chalks or colored pencils.
Popular choices for scrapbooking embroidery include snowflakes,
fish, hearts, and flowers, but you can use absolutely any simple
design you can find.
Where can I find simple designs? Make a freehand
drawing or trace your favorite designs from diecuts, stickers,
stamps or templates. Here are two ideas I loved from Creating
Keepsakes magazine: Trace a design from your kids' favorite coloring
books - or trace around your child's hand or foot and embroider
the outline.
Get Set
Place your page on a surface that is firm, yet allows a little
"give." I like to use a mouse pad or my Coluzzle mat.
You can also use a pillow, cushion, or a piece of Styrofoam. Now
pierce holes in the cardstock about every 1/8" - depending
on the effect you want to achieve - while following the lines
of your design.
Choose a piercing tool most appropriate for the
thickness of your thread. If you will be using thread or floss,
use a straightpin, a needle, or a safety pin. For larger holes,
use a pushtack or a paper piercing tool. Again, you'll want to
consider the look you're trying to achieve before choosing a tool.
(If you marked your page with pencil, this is the time to erase.)
Stitch!
Stitch the design. The backstitch is the simplest, but you can
experiment with different stitches as you practice the technique.
Now you can fill in the design with chalk, if
you wish. You can also apply chalk directly to the floss to create
just the right color.
Machine Sewing on Paper
Machine-sewing on paper is much the same as sewing
on fabric. It takes a little practice, but don't let the idea
intimidate you.
A couple of tips:
- Before you start to stitch, make sure your bobbin
has enough thread to finish the job. If your bobbin runs out of
thread midway, you'll be left with holes in the paper that you'll
have to work to conceal.
- Don't try to machine stitch more than 3 layers
at a time.
- Don't "knot" the thread as you would
when sewing on fabric by going over the same spot repeatedly.
Secure the thread underneath by adhering it to piece of paper,
and it won't unravel.
Even if you enjoy working on your sewing machine,
try a Sew Crafty Mini, by ProvoCraft. It's cuter than a bug's
ear, and for less than $10, it's a steal. It's lightweight, compact,
and portable enough to take to crops. Plus, it won't take up a
lot of space on your workspace at home. (It does a straight stitch
only, though. You'll still need your big machine for zigzags and
other more elaborate stitches.)
The Possibilities
You can stitch with thread, ribbon, yarn, raffia,
jute, fibers, and embroidery floss, such as DMC. Floss is inexpensive,
widely available, and comes in every shade imaginable. Plus you
control the thickness because each floss is made up of 6 strands.
Use them all, or just one or two. Or use one or two strands of
more than one color.
Once you've had a little practice, you'll start
sewing on everything.
A few ideas:
- Create your own backgrounds and borders by piecing
together cardstock blocks or strips.
- Embellish and attach diecuts for a custom, dimensional
look.
- Create paper or fabric pockets to hold journaling
blocks, extra photos, or simple memorabilia.
- Stitch around lettering and titles.
- Embellish journaling blocks.
- Draw attention to a photo by stitching on the
mat
- Adhere vellum to your background. (Vellum is
translucent, so it will often show the glue that lies beneath
it. Try stitching it on instead.)
- Create decorative handmade accents that you
attach to a page. One popular technique combines sewing with tearing.
Sew along an edge first, then tear just on the other side of your
stitches. Push the torn edge up.
About the author:
Susie Cortright publishes a free weekly scrapbooking newsletter,
featuring best of the net design ideas and advanced techniques:
http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking
Susie is also a scrapbooking instructor for a rapidly growing
direct sales scrapbooking company, which offers high commissions,
second-to-none support, and low monthly minimums. Browse her online
catalog here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/catalog
Or get more information on how you can build your own scrapbooking
business alongside her: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/business.htm
