Lets Scrap NSD - RECYCLING CHALLENGE

“SCRAP”BOOKING has come a long way !  Nowadays everyone uses the fanciest brands and expensive elements on their layouts.   Lets get back to what it is all about, without costing a fortune !

There are so many various ways of using Recycled items to make a scrapbooking layout / card that DO NOT cost you a cent..

HOW TO RECYCLE ITEMS FOR YOUR SCRAPBOOKING PAGES:

• Deck of cards – how often do you loose a card and want to throw the whole deck away?  Use them on your layouts.. (title idea:  Queen of Hearts!)
• Cardboard – Packaging Boxes, Cereal Boxes, Shoeboxes.. any cardboard works wonderfully for rugged frames or as a mat to raise elements, it is thicker than regular chipboard.
• Puzzle Pieces – I know that I have 100’s of these lying around my house.  Cover them, paint them, ink them.. add them to your layout !  (Title Idea: Pieces of Me / Pieces of You.. YOU complete me)
• Bread Bag Tags – I love using these as date tags to add an extra element to my layout.
• Clothing / Brand Name Tags – My son is a Brand Name Junkie and before that used to love Spiderman / Superman, etc.  These Clothing Tags are the best for adding an extra element to your layouts.
• Buttons/Zips/Pockets, etc – Throwing away that broken / tatty piece of clothing, first see if there are buttons, zips, pockets or other elements you can salvage before it gets thrown away !  Denim pockets are AMAZING on layouts !  Even piece of old denim as photo mats !!
• Old Broken Costume Jewellery – These add some fun bling to your layout.
• Lace Pieces:  Either lace from clothing or old curtains.  Cut out the designs and use on your layouts or create pretty flowers.
• Gift Ribbons – Off old Christmas Crackers, Fancy Gift Bags, Fancy chocolate bags, etc.. these are fun to use again !
• Metal Ball Chains – These are found on clothing tags too.. they are fantastic to use on boy layouts. 
• Packaging Bubble Wrap – use as an extra element on your layout or just paint it and add some texture to your page.
• Fancy Gifts – Often these come with nice flowers, ribbons or tags attached to them. Once you have used the gift (perfumes, etc), use the fancy elements on a layout.
• Wool / Yarn – Have an old sweater / jersey  that is falling apart, the yarn is quite useful on a layout.
• Fabric – Again, cutting up your old clothing that is ready for the dump (remember to give good clothes to charity first).. tear into strips and use on a layout.  Make borders, ribbons, bind journals, etc.  Create flowers with old fabric too !  Just run it through your Sizzix or make your own !
• Plastic Mesh – Found with nice yummy fruit in .. LOL.. These are fun to use on layouts or to paint and add some texture to your layout.
• Old Books / Dictionaries / Music Books – My favourite piece of recycling !!  Create flowers from the pages, make Washi Tape from them, use as mats, borders, etc. the possibilities are endless.
• Aluminium Foil – You can cover a piece of cardstock with it and emboss it, alcohol ink it for a great technique
• Old Soda Tins – Again.. you can cut them up (gently, do not cut yourself), wash them off and dry, and use through your embossing machine !  you can make fake tags, charms, frames, etc.  You can diecut them too.
• Soda Can Pull Tabs – These are fun to use ribbon buckles or slides. You can use them as is or heat it with your heat gun and dunk it in embossing powder to smooth it all out. Color the tab with permanent markers and then do the Ultra Thick Embossing Powder on top so you can make it any color you need.
• Old Maps: Maps and brochures from travel have wonderful information on them or may make a good page background.
• Gift Bags – These can be used on your layouts too.. Create a pocket from them to add goodies into.
• Barcodes off packaging – Use these as tags on your layout to create some fun elements.
• X-Rays – Old X-Rays are great to use as templates for your layouts.  Bleach them gently until they are light blue (do not use your bath as the X-Ray ink stains when it lifts).   Print out some brackets, swirls, flowers, etc off the internet and cut out of X-Ray plates.  These will last forever !
• Repurpose Scrapbooking Packaging – These days lots of Scrapbooking products come with nice packaging too.  (e.g Prima).  Use these as is or keep as templates for other layouts.
• Recycle the Kids old Stationery Supplies:  Use the paper clips to create your own funky paper clips for your layout, use old paper fasteners to make booklets for you layouts. Use old wooden rulers to add some fun elements to a school page.. etc etc.
• Business Cards / Menu’s / Pamphlets etc add a lovely touch to your layouts about where you have been. 

MY LAYOUT:

I had brunch at a Vegan / Health Restaurant called LEAFY GREENS.. so these photos seemed so appropriate to scrap in a “healthy” manner !  LOL

Here is my stash of Recylced goodies that I started off with:

• Bread bag tag
• Old Prima Packaging
• Clothing Tags
• Material Clothing Tag
• Business Card from the venue
• Cardboard from back of 12x12 paper pack
• Wedding invite envelope made with corrugated board and raffia.

This is how I incorporated these goodies onto my layout.

I cut the corrugated cardboard into strips and made a “Track” to thread my Torn Clothing tag and raffia through.  

I added the breadtag off the Track with the date on it.

I also used my diecutting machine and cut out flowers from the corrugated board to add to my layout.  

I also cut out the barcode from the Prima Packaging as it was called TEA THYME which was cute for my layout and added it as an element behind my top right photo !

I matted the Business card and made a tag out of it.

I used one of Clothing Price Tags as a “broken corner” in the top left of my layout as the image was pretty and reusable.

I used the Prima Packaging top bracket end and made a Booklet tab out of it for my booklet on the right page.

I used the back of my final brown clothing tag and cut it into strips to use for journaling down the far right of the layout.

I used the 12x12 cardboard and cut with my diecut some swirls and a bird to add to my layout. 

I also photocopied the name of the Restaurant onto the back and hand cut out the title, it was then inked in brown and adhered to a piece of corrugated board.

and that was how I used up all my Recycled Stash.  Hope you are all inspired to get out there and use that old "trash"..