Get Indexed

in•dex - 1. Something that serves to guide, point out, or otherwise facilitate reference, especially: An alphabetized list of names, places, and subjects treated in a printed work, giving the page or pages on which each item is mentioned; A thumb index; A table, file, or catalog.

A few weeks ago, I needed something out of the supply closet in my office. I couldn’t find the item for which I was looking, but I came out grinning anyway. Way at the back of the dark, dusty cupboard, I had found a treasure trove of supplies that were no longer being used. There were neat fasteners, old rubber stamps and three different kinds of index tabs. The latter gave me the most excitement! Considered old and outdated in the world of office supplies, index tabs are now a hot commodity in the world of paper crafting.

There are many different types of tabs that can be used in your projects and layouts. Pre-made tabs or indexes may be purchased at office supply stores, usually in the filing aisle, or even found in your own office area. As a matter of fact, I just raided my filing cabinet at home for the indexes used in the layout below! Then there are the hundreds of pre-made index tabs being made by companies such as SEI, Heidi Swapp, Scrapworks and 7gypsies. Many of these are made to perfectly coordinate with your favorite lines of patterned paper!

Tabs may also be handmade, either by die cutting systems such as QuicKutz or by simply folding ribbon or paper strips. The tops of tags also make wonderful index tabs and the tag hole may used to attach fiber, or a charm. I especially love the tag program from Red Castle. I simply set the dimensions to that of a tab size, instead of a tag size. It prints a whole sheet of tabs, ready to be cut and used in my projects. When making tabs, use traditional paper, or get creative with other supplies. Try your hand with fabric, ribbon, plastic and metal. A few rubber stamp companies have label stamps that may be used for making index tabs, such as the tag block from Stampers Anonymous. Stamp the image and cut it out, leaving extra cardstock at the bottom to attach to your photo, frame or other project.

Now that you know how to buy or make index tabs, how can you use them? The possibilities are endless, but generally fall into two categories: decorative and functional. Decorative tabs are typically used as an accent or embellishment, such as a base for a punched shape or silk flower. More commonly, tabs are used for a functional purposesuch as labeling, adding captions, or aiding in the flipping of a page or photo. They are the perfect element to add to the edges of mini albums, to label the different pages.

The next time you are looking for a way to add more detail to your layouts, play with tabs. Go ahead - you are sure to be happy with the results, even if you don’t have an office supply closet to pilfer!