Cheap Paper Casting In Your Scrapbooks

by Nicole Humphrey | More from this Blogger

08 Jun 2006 07:55 AM

There is a cheap way to include paper castings in your scrapbooks without breaking the bank. Toilet paper.

Using toilet paper in my scrapbooks? No, I'm not crazy. But try out this fun technique and see how much fun it can be.

The first thing that is important to know, is that there is no one particular brand of toilet paper that you have to use. The cheap kinds work just as well as their more expensive counterparts.

You will need around 5 to about 8 squares of toilet paper. Stack them on top of each other. Look through your stamps and choose one with deep bold lines. You can use any stamp, even one with smaller lines, but it can be difficult to imprint the finer details.

Once you've chosen your stamp, it's time to get to work.

Take your squares of toilet paper and run them under the faucet, getting them as wet as can be. Flip your rubber stamp so that the image is facing up. Place the wet toilet paper on top of the stamp and press the paper into the rubber stamp.

Press down firmly. Be sure that you push down on each side of the stamp, keeping even pressure. Many scrapbookers like using a stencil brush to do this with.

Lift your toilet paper off very carefully and set aside to air dry. Placing your casting in direct sunlight or on top of a warm surface will help speed the drying process.

When the paper is still damp you need to decide if you'd like to create a softer edge. Tear around the casting very carefully. You might also use your decorative scissors to add a more finished edge, though I recommend waiting until your project is completely dry.

Once the toilet paper casting is completely dry, you can now add some color.

Using a Q-Tip, slightly dip in water and use chalks. The same technique works with water colors and a paint brush.

When your entire project is completely dry, you can add the casting to your layout with glue dots, or sticky tabs.

This technique can be used in your layouts, on art projects, cards and more! Be creative and have fun!

Learn more about Nicole Humphrey

Nicole Humphrey is a freelance writer, consultant for CTMH and a Sr. Blogger for families.com. She resides in St. Charles, Missouri with Mike and their five children and two furbabies.

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Andrea M (2525) 12 Jun 2006 08:53 AM

Very cool idea! I love it and can not wait to try it!

Nicole Humphrey (15757) 13 Jun 2006 06:18 AM

Let me know what you think after you try it. It's a pretty cool technique!

thepaperartist (6) 10 Aug 2008 01:42 PM

That's a great idea Nicole, I never thought of that! Definitely going to have to give this a try :)

Nicole Humphrey (15757) 20 Aug 2008 09:17 AM

thepaperartist, I am glad you found this idea useful. It's actually a lot of fun and can get addicting to be honest. Just be careful to avoid touching your paper casting project directly to your photographs. Have something (paper) to buffer with.