Five-Minute Layouts

When approaching this topic I initially decided that the best way to complete cute layouts in a very quick period of time would be to develop an organizational system and plan everything out before starting.

While this is a wonderful method for completing layouts quickly, it wasn't really my style. I'm a very free-form scrapbooker. I like to dig and pull things out from my stash of supplies and let my layout evolve.

Planning everything out has its advantages, especially when cropping away from home. Pre-planning your layouts for crops has been a long-standing suggestion from experienced croppers. For those of you who work best with a guide or a plan this is certainly the way to go. However it doesn't fill that need I have to explore and "play" with my supplies.

Collect and Bag It: If you are a planner I suggest getting large ziplock bags and putting your photos, cardstock, layout sketch, journaling, and all accents inside. When it comes time to scrap you can refer to your pre-made sketch and assemble the pieces. You might even consider pre-cutting your photo mats, ribbon strips, or border pieces to maximize the number of layouts you can get done within a limited time frame.

The layout below was created using this method. The layout is entitled "Yummy" and was completed in 4 minutes and 47 seconds. That does not include the 23 minutes of pre-planning, journaling, and packing.

Limit Your Options: This second layout is more true to my style. I used the photo as a starting point and gave myself two and a half minutes to dig through my supplies and pull out what I wanted. Once I was done I sat down and assembled everything in another two and a half to three minutes.

In an effort to save time I didn't allow myself to shuffle and move things around. Where it landed the first time is where it stayed. Things are more random, and not perfectly even. I had accidentally spilled blue paint on my background paper from an earlier project. I decided to go with it, and added a little more paint to the layout and the photo mat.

The only preplanning you might want to do with this type of layout is to have your journaling completed ahead of time. Thoughtful journaling is very important, and you don't want spelling errors or inaccurate information because you rushed. Journaling can always be completed beforehand and kept with your photos, or you could set the layout aside and complete the journaling at a later date.

Stay Organized: One key to getting layouts done quickly, for both the pre-planner and the free-form artist is knowing where your supplies are. When your space is organized you can find that perfect chipboard flower, or those delightful little acrylic letters that you just bought. Having everything you need at your fingertips will shorten the time it takes to put together all of your layouts.

Focus on Photo Selection: Another tip I would like to share with you is the importance of photo selection. When you are attempting to assemble layouts quickly, apply the simple rule of "Less is more." One large photo is easier to work with than several small ones, for example. Avoid extensive photo cropping or detailed, hand-cut titles. Stick to simple color schemes, and only a few stand-out embellishments. You'll be able to craft several layouts in the time it used to take you to craft one.

When you have the time to relax and scrap in a leisurely fashion I encourage you to do so. For those of us who really enjoy the journey there is nothing quite like getting lost in your own creative thoughts and spending an afternoon creating something you are really proud of. Unfortunately I don't often have that kind of time. Sometimes I really want to get a few layouts done, and I just don't have a ton of time to devote to scrapping because of other obligations like work and family. During those periods it's fun to set a time limit on myself and see how what affect that has on my creative process.

Crafting layouts in five minutes or less was an excellent exercise in both editing and creativity. I encourage everyone to try putting together a few page kits to see if you can optimize your scrapbooking time. If you are feeling adventurous then you should get your kitchen timer out and see if you can complete a five-minute layout challenge once a week. Set a time limit on gathering supplies, and then get to work! I think you'll be amazed at how creative you can be when you are under the gun. Now on your mark... get set... SCRAP!

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