There is a wide array of decorative papers to choose from for papercrafts, which are easy and quick to do. Many stores these days sell scrapbooking papers, which can also be downloaded and printed.
There is a lot you can do with these decorative papers, and this article is all about what you can do with them beyond scrapbooking. This guide will show you how you can use all these patterned papers for projects other than just scrapbooking.
Let’s leave the scissors in your bag and start cutting.
What can you make out of card stock & specialty paper?
Embellishments.
Decorative or patterned cardstock paper can be cut into shapes with craft paper punches. Using various shapes and arranging them in layers using foam dots or squares between each layer makes nice embellishments for a variety of crafts including decorative garlands, cupcakes, dimensional embellishments for papers, etc.
DIY Gift Boxes.
Boxes made from decorated or patterned cardstock look great. The following are your options:
- Create an attractive template, print it on pretty cardstock, cut it out, and assemble it.
- Create a design using your favorite paint program, print, cut, and assemble it.
- Make small gift boxes by scoring and folding cardstock
- Boxes made from rulers and straight edges are pretty.
- Many small gift box templates are available online for free.
Decorative Tins.
Decorative paper can be used to cover tins to make them pretty. The small ones can be bought at thrift stores for a dime a dozen.
Small tin cans and coffee cans make perfect storage containers for pens, pencils, and even a tooth for the tooth fairy. This cute tin over at Stamp Pad is perfect for putting your tooth in for the tooth fairy, as well as packaging small gifts or gift cards.
Create a matching journal and pen.
You can decorate a notebook, journal, or composition book with some really pretty graphics. Decorative tapes can be used, but you can also use pretty patterned papers to achieve the same effect. Newspaper, wrapping paper, and even wallpaper could be used.
How to effectively use card stock paper?
Folding and Rolling.
A dull point indented carefully along the fold line makes a good V-shaped valley fold or a hump-backed mountain fold. Use a toothpick or pencil to make coils or rounded bends.
Cutting Paper.
You should use scissors with small, sharp blades. Box cutters or craft knives can be used for straight cuts. It is best to swipe it along the metal straight edge several times if necessary.
For delicate, precise projects, desktop programmable vinyl cutters are much more affordable than laser cutters.
Connecting.
In most cases, ordinary white glue will hold up well for a long time. It can also be spread with a paintbrush or roller by splaying with toothpicks, craft sticks, or index cards thinly across.
It is very fast to use glue sticks and spray adhesives, but their permanence is less than permanent. Clamp pieces together while you build using binder clips.
Strengthening.
If possible, glue layers together with alternate grains, making your models stronger. Thick paper and cards can be bent or rolled tightly into rods to build with. You can reinforce models by using clear packing tape, epoxy resin, thinned glue or shellac, or brushing clear sealant on them.