What To Look For In Scrapbook Stickers and Embellishments

Collecting stickers and scrapbook embellishments is a huge part of the fun of scrapbooking! From glittery letters, to Disney-themed images, all the way through to pretty flowers... your scrapbook stickers and embellishments instantly turn your scrapbook layout from drab to fab.

 

However, before you start putting your wonderful scrapbook embellishment ideas to paper, there are a few things to consider that will improve the longevity and appearance of your scrapbooking pages.

If you plan to store your scrapbook pages in an album, which most of us do, keep in mind that larger embellishments such as big beads, puffy flowers, fat buttons, and charms will mean that you can't close up the album properly without squashing everything and ruining your hard work.

Set these embellishments aside for card-making or even better, create a scrapbooking page designed to be displayed on the wall!

Look for great themes and beautiful scrapbook stickers but don't use them all at once stickers are fun, right? Especially when you first start collecting them and realize that you can get whole sheets of gorgeous themed stickers that look great together.

But like some other things in life, too much is just well ... too much. If you have lots of stickers on your page, your layout will just look cluttered and they will distract the viewer from the main elements on your page.

We want the stickers and scrapbook embellishments to complement the photographs and overall theme of your scrapbooking page and in most cases, they won't be the star attraction. I recommend embracing the space on your scrapbooking layouts!

You will see in the photograph below that I have used just a couple of different embellishments on the page, leaving space around the objects.

Want to know more about what embellishments to use for your layout? Click here and check out our wide varieties of layout ideas!

I don't know about you, but I have ruined a few scrapbook pages by attempting to handwrite the title or a message.

 

Messy writing is great for a journaling feature but not so great for a title. It was so frustrating and disappointing after spending all that time getting the layout right!

Letter and word stickers are easy to use and can be a messy writer's best friend. Use them to spell out your page title or use words that compliment your theme, such as a ''Grandma's little helper'' word sticker for that lovely photo you have of the kids cooking with grandma.

 

If you don't have any stickers around, you can also die-cut some words from old books or magazines.

Washi tapes with words on them are my personal favorite!

We all know and agree that if our scrapbooking supplies are organized and everything has a place that we enjoy the scrapbooking process a whole lot more!

You don't have to be super strict about it, but sorting things like for like is the most quick and convenient way of finding what you need when you need it for your amazing embellishment ideas for your next scrapbooking projects.

 

This is as simple as keeping your letter stickers in a separate pile or container from your Disney embellishments, buttons, and washi tapes, etc.

Trust me if you throw it all in a shoebox (yes I have been guilty of this in the past), it's going to get messy real quick and a nightmare to deal with when you want to search for a specific design that you want to use!

Stickers and embellishments should always be acid-free. Chemicals in your stickers and embellishments will eventually break down and cause yellowing and deterioration over time.

 

Purchasing acid-free items will ensure that your beautiful scrapbooking pages last long enough for the next generation to enjoy as memory keepers.

Acid-free means a pH level of 7 or higher so the lower the pH level, the higher the level of acid. So how do you know if something is acid-free or not? Search for something that says ''acid-free'' or ''archival-safe'' on the packaging. It may be a little more expensive, but trust me, this is an investment worth making.

Likewise, the glue you use to stick your embellishments to the page will also need to be acid-free.

If you are purchasing from a two-dollar store or general department store and it's not clear from the packaging, I recommend erring on the side of caution.

 

Don't despair if you're on a budget, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised at how many items are labeled as acid-free these days in the craft section of your local two-dollar store so make sure to double-check and ask the shopkeeper about their stock product and brand recommendation.

You can actually test the acid levels of your stickers with a pH-detection pen. These pens are easy to use and can be found at most scrapbooking specialty shops or even back at your local craft shop.

Pick your least favorite stickers on your sticker sheet (you will be sacrificing it), and use the pen to draw a line over the sticker. Follow the directions on the package but usually, after a few minutes for the results, you will need to re-check the color of the mark as this will give you an idea of the pH levels in your stickers and make sure which ones to use.

TIP: If you ever ask yourself, "where are the scrapbooking stores near me", then have you thought about online arts and crafts stores? Click the link to find out our top picks of online site where you can get the greatest bang for your buck! It makes shopping for supplies easier and you can choose from wide categories of items from your trusted brands and save money by getting discount deals and have them at a cheaper price and even get a free delivery offer to your home address at times!

Now that you know what to look for when it comes to scrapbooking stickers and embellishments, it's time to get started with a new scrapbooking project with your new-found knowledge. We would love to see what wonderful embellishments you discover and what you come up with!