Simple Ways to Create Your Own Patterned Paper

Have you ever had the perfect layout all worked out in your head just to discover that you didn't have the right patterned paper to make it work? Sometimes this is easily solved by a quick trip to your local scrapbook store, but other times this just isn't practical. Rather than giving up or waiting until you have the opportunity to shop, try making your own patterned paper. Here are some simple methods that don't require special materials and can be done in one sitting.

Paint your own paper

You don't need to be an artist to paint a background paper; all you need is the ability to doodle and color in the lines. I made this layout on background paper that I created using my pen, ink, and a water brush.

Since I am not very confident in my doodling abilities, I practiced my shapes first on a piece of scrap paper:

You can see that I practiced the sun two different ways to decide which I liked better. Once I was happy with the shapes, I carefully drew them onto a sheet of white cardstock. Then I colored them in. I used ink and a water brush to get this watercolor effect. Regular watercolor paints would have worked as well. I filled in one section at a time and waited until it dried before painting neighboring sections.

I like the watercolor look for this page, and the unevenness of it is very forgiving. Remember, if you make a mistake you can always cover it with a photo or embellishment.

I got the original inspiration for this paper from looking at some patterned paper I saw on layouts in the Scrapjazz gallery. If you are uncomfortable with your ability to doodle, try using stencils or tracing shapes.

Use a photograph

Sometimes you can create great patterned paper by taking a photograph of something related to the page such as memorabilia. My children love to ride on historic train. I always save the tickets for their scrapbooks and rarely end up using them. I decided that by arranging all of the historic train and trolley tickets on the floor, I could take a photo and create my own patterned paper.

Although I do like this photo, I decided that it was too bright for my photos. I printed the ticket photo in black and white and used it to create this layout:

Journey to Paradise

For this layout I printed the photograph on plain white cardstock, but you can also print on textured or even colored cardstock for some interesting effects. Unless you have a large format printer, the size of your patterned paper will be limited to 8 ½" by 11". The layout shown here is 9" by 9", and I used the black border to help with the extra half inch.

A photograph of a collage of memorabilia is great for creating patterned paper. Of course, there are many other easily accessible items that will photograph into a great patterned paper. Try things found in nature such as sand, grass, or leaves.

Piece the paper together

Sometimes it can be fun to use up scraps of cardstock to create your own stripes, spots, and other shapes. Here is a great example from lmpeterson55. She created the look of patterned paper by cutting circles out of Bazzill.

Outdoor Fun

I find that after a particularly stressful day, piecing together paper can be very relaxing. Try gluing slivers of paper down to make stripes, or use the scrap dots from your hole punch to make polka dots. This technique has the advantage that you can pick and choose the color combinations in your paper.

Next time you don't have the right patterned paper, try using one of these ideas to create your own.

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