What are the Different Types of Scrapbooking Embellishments?

Scrapbooking embellishments are items that are used to decorate a scrapbook. Virtually anything can be used as a scrapbooking embellishment if it is of adequate proportions and can be adhered to the page. Some of the most common types of scrapbooking embellishments include stickers, ribbon, buttons, brads, tags, templates and die cuts.

One of the most common types of scrapbooking embellishments is the sticker. Stickers are ubiquitous, can be found in almost every store and come in a multitude of colors and designs. Finding scrapbook stickers that complement a particular scrapbook's theme is easy. They're favored by scrapbookers because of their ease of application.

Pieces of ribbon are popularly used as scrapbooking embellishments. Ribbon can come in varying colors, sizes, styles and fabrics. When used in a scrapbook, a ribbon can be used to create bows and knots and act as a border for pages or photos. Ribbon also can be strung through beads, eyelets or buttons.

Beads, eyelets and buttons can be used on their own as scrapbooking embellishments. For example, buttons can be glued directly onto pages. Scrapbookers, however, might prefer to use eyelets and beads with ribbon to decorate it and give the scrapbook extra color and texture. Eyelets might have to be applied using a special eyelet tool.

Scrapbookers who are looking for a way other than glue to adhere materials to a scrapbook can choose to use brads. They will have to use a tool, such as a needle, to make a small opening in the scrapbook pages, papers or photos that they want to join. Then, a brad can be inserted and the brad's legs fastened so that the two materials hold.

Tags can help scrapbookers organize their journaling. They also can make journaling more presentable. Journaling on a tag draws viewers' eyes to the writing. Rubber stamps designed to emphasize journaling can have a similar effect.

Templates and stencils take the guesswork out of drawing on scrapbook pages. They're especially useful to scrapbookers who don't feel confident in their own drawing abilities, who need precise dimensions or who require that the same object be drawn several times throughout the scrapbook. Though they seem uncreative, templates and stencils can add variability to a scrapbook, especially if they are used creatively.

Die cuts, or pre-shaped pieces of plain or patterned card stock, can be integrated into a scrapbook as scrapbooking embellishments. Scrapbookers who prefer to create their own shapes can do so by punching them. These two types of scrapbooking embellishments can be adhered to a scrapbook using glue.

Pastels can be used on top of many types of scrapbooking embellishments to change their colors or presentations. They might be used to create lettering, shade in rubber stampings or change the colors of scrapbook pages and die cuts. Depth easily can be achieved using pastels.

All materials used as embellishments should be verified as being safe for scrapbooks before use. Embellishments should be archival-safe and acid-free. Otherwise, materials chosen to decorate a scrapbook could aid in its disintegration.