Scrapbook Paper Piecing

The activity of scrapbook paper piecing has been used in the creation of embellishments (shape and designs) for scrapbooks/albums. The activity of paper piecing is often compared with that of putting together a puzzle. Different components of a particular pattern are used to form a picture. The process of scrapbook paper piecing is much more like putting together a puzzle.

The art of paper piecing can be used to create simple as well as intricate designs. Patterns for scrapbooks can be bought online. Few of the websites offer such patterns for free. It is not always necessary to go for complicated/intricate designs. Even simple designs from calendars, children's coloring books and many such sources can be used for paper piecing designs. Even simple things of day-to-day life can provide us with many ideas for paper piecing patterns for scrapbook. Here is a list of places where one can look for scrapbooking paper piecing ideas.

• Quilt magazines
• Kids picture books
• Coloring books
• Clip art books
• Desktop publishing programs
• Paper craft books available in the library
• Country woodworking magazines

General Scrapbooking Paper Piecing Instructions
The following points/instructions should be useful in creating a nice paper piecing artworks and different scrapbooking projects.

• A design/pattern suitable for the theme should be selected.
• Next step in the process is to select a cardstock paper with desired pattern.
• The required pattern should first be traced out on the cardstock paper and then cut with scissors.
• To give a dimension and for shading the paper pieces being cut, one should make use of scrapbook chalk and ink pen.
• All the pieces need to be glued together. Foam adhesive can be used to give a different look to the paper piecing.
• This paper piecing pattern can be decorated with embellishments like buttons, beads, ribbons, etc.

How to Make a Paper Piecing Rose
To make this paper piecing craft, one would require a picture/image of the rose.

• The selected picture need to be as clear as possible. It should be scanned for further modification.
• Picture software programs have different features which allow the images to be modified. Corrections to the picture can be made with the help of such software.
• Pictures can be enlarged as well as enhanced in their appearance to carry out the modifications. Picture can be made sharper and also the scratches removed with the help of these software.
• The internal lines (those other than the outline) should be darkened to make them prominent.
• Printing the modified picture is next step in the process of making paper piecing rose. The print should have a picture with a size suitable for a scrapbook page.
• Tracing paper/white paper should be used to cover the print. Outline of the rose should be marked out. Internal features (in the form of sections) of the rose should be traced separately after drawing the outline.
• Every piece (section) should be cut. Numbering the pieces should be helpful during the final process of putting all the papers together.
• Pieces that are cut from the print should be glued to cardstock papers. The cardstock papers should then be cut out for creating templates. These templates can be laminated to make them reusable.
• Templates made from cardstock papers should be used to cut colored pieces of paper. These paper pieces should then be glued to the scrapbook page.
• Embellishments can be used to make the rose pattern colorful in appearance.

The scrapbooking paper piecing instructions provided in the article above, should be helpful in creating nice and attractive designs. The activity of scrapbook paper piecing, due to its easy-to-implement nature should prove to be of great interest to children.