How to Instantly Elevate Any Craft Project With Texture!

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:01]Hello everyone, Miss Carrie here.

[00:00:03]Welcome to another project collaboration with scrapbook.com.

[00:00:08]Today is extra special because we will be celebrating National Scrapbook Day later on this week.

[00:00:16]As a creator who loves teaching, I truly enjoy days like this when we can focus on new techniques to record our family stories.

[00:00:26]Today, I'm going to share some fun ways to use embossing folders on a scrapbook page.

[00:00:34]I'm going to show you how to take these two folders from scrapbook.com and use them to create a quilted background for your photos.

[00:00:46]Before we create the page, we need a plan.

[00:00:49]Let's start with color, because that's where a lot of beginners get stuck.

[00:00:56]I'm using scrapbook.com's premium cardstock.

[00:01:01]I love having this A2 size because not only can I use it for card making, but I can also see these cards in real light.

[00:01:11]So, as you can see, there are a lot of colors here, and this label sheet comes with them, so you know which colors to order once you decide the ones you like.

[00:01:23]When it comes to selecting the colors for today's layout, my easiest method is to just let a paper collection choose the palette for you.

[00:01:34]So, I'm going to match my cardstock to the colors that I see in this pattern pack.

[00:01:40]For this page, I have chosen garnet, gold rush, which is a nice yellow, a sea salt, and this a steel gray.

[00:01:53]Now, here's a beginner tip for you. If you're unsure, limit yourself to three to four colors plus white.

[00:02:02]White is your breathing room, and it helps everything feel less busy.

[00:02:08]Let me show you how we're going to put all of this together.

[00:02:14]I am working with a 12 by 12 layout. For my foundation, I'm starting with a steel blue polka dot pattern.

[00:02:23]I have trimmed a piece of white cardstock, and I'm placing it in the center. This [snorts] is going to give me a clean area to build on.

[00:02:33]I'm going to bring in a 6 by 8 wood grain paper from the front porch collection.

[00:02:40]I'm not going to trim it to size yet. I like to wait until my photos and main embellishments are in place, so that I can make adjustments.

[00:02:51]I am using two photos of this adorable little puppy, and my plan is to keep the photos over on the left side, and then build our embossed quilt panels over on the right.

[00:03:06]That left-to-right flow works nicely because many people naturally scan a page from left to right.

[00:03:15]If you place your most important elements over on the left, the photo or the focal elements are going to be the first thing people see.

[00:03:26]So, now we're going to grab those embossing folders and build our little quilt panels.

[00:03:34]We're going to pause a moment here and talk about embossing folders. Because once you understand a few basics, embossing is going to be so much easier.

[00:03:45]Most of us struggle with the sandwich or the layers of the plates needed for an embossing folder.

[00:03:55]Most die cut machines will include a cheat sheet for plate combinations.

[00:04:02]My machine is a Spellbinders P6, and I have a cheat sheet right here on the platform.

[00:04:08]The standard folders have one sandwich, and 3D folders have a second sandwich.

[00:04:17]Now, what's the difference between a standard folder versus a 3D folder?

[00:04:24]Usually, it's thickness and pattern.

[00:04:27]A standard folders have more of a flat, uniform texture.

[00:04:33]A 3D folders are typically thicker and provide varying heights for a sculpted look.

[00:04:42]On the scrapbook.com site, these are listed as 3D embossing folders.

[00:04:49]So, we're going to be using the sandwich designed for 3D embossing folders.

[00:04:55]That would be our base plate, the D plate, and then your embossing folder.

[00:05:01]I'll be using two today for my design.

[00:05:05]I'm going to be laying the folder onto the top plate.

[00:05:10]Now, you always want to feed the folder hinge first.

[00:05:15]If you lead with the open end, air gets trapped inside, and the pressure could snap your folder.

[00:05:25]There are two sides to an embossing folder, the embossed side and the debossed side.

[00:05:32]Now, either one of these work great for your projects. If you want more of a raised look, you can use the embossed side.

[00:05:42]If you want to give it a completely different feel with these inset designs, you can use the debossed side.

[00:05:49]Most of you may also be struggling with the type of paper or cardstock to use with your embossing folders.

[00:05:57]Now, I'm going to bring in two different cardstocks. They're both the same weight. The only difference is this one is the solid core scrapbook.com cardstock, and this one here has a white core, which means that it is not the solid gray all throughout. There is a white center.

[00:06:19]I'm going to go ahead and place these into my embossing folder and run them through.

[00:06:25]I'm going to place it through the machine hinge first.

[00:06:28]As you roll it through, you should feel a steady pressure, but not a hard stop.

[00:06:34]If it feels too tight, stop and adjust your plates.

[00:06:40]As you can see, the white core cardstock looks a little bit different than the solid core.

[00:06:47]The raised areas have a little bit of white coming through.

[00:06:54]If your cardstock is cracking and the white core is showing through, you can lightly mist it with water before you emboss it.

[00:07:04]This relaxes the paper fibers so that the design forms around the embossed images more smoothly.

[00:07:15]So, when I pulled this out of the embossing folder, you can see there's less white showing through.

[00:07:23]So, now that you've learned a few tips for using these embossing folders, let's go ahead and create our textured panels for the page.

[00:07:33]I have already cut several small rectangles from my chosen cardstock colors.

[00:07:39]Now, I did cut these down to 2 and 3/4 by 1 and 3/4, so that they would fit my page.

[00:07:48]I'm going to use the two embossing folders I have here, a simple polka dot for a classic texture, and the more detailed quilted star design.

[00:08:00]I'm going to place my cardstock inside the folder and spritz it with a little bit of water.

[00:08:07]This is going to help that detailed texture show up a lot better.

[00:08:15]So, I went ahead and trimmed down my wood paper.

[00:08:20]Before I adhered anything down, I did a quick dry fit. I set my photos down, I tucked the wood grain behind them, and then I laid those embossed panels over on the right. I wanted to make sure that everything fit before I secured it in place.

[00:08:38]All right. Now, we are going to bring those little textured panels to the page.

[00:08:45]Often, these end up a little bit misshapen or shrink slightly when you run them through the embossing folder.

[00:08:55]For someone like me, this can be a little bit distracting when I'm trying to line them up.

[00:09:01]So, I cut several small rectangles using the nested scallop frames, and I'm going to be placing these white frames over the top of these embossed panels.

[00:09:17]These white frames are going to act like little mats, and they're going to separate the colors and make the embossed details stand out.

[00:09:28]Now, I do suggest that you use a strong liquid glue to adhere these frames to your embossed panels.

[00:09:35]That's going to grab the raised areas a little bit better.

[00:09:43]Once the frames are glued on, I'm giving them a little pressure as they dry.

[00:09:48]You can use an acrylic block, a small press, or an espresso press like I'm using here.

[00:10:00]>> Now, some of you might wonder why I didn't emboss them first, then just cut these out of the frame after.

[00:10:10]If you emboss, then run this piece through your die cut machine with a die, the plate pressure is going to flatten some of the embossing.

[00:10:19]If framing afterwards lets you keep the crisp texture.

[00:10:26]Now, I did want to give these a little bit of dimension without using tons of foam tape.

[00:10:31]So, I saved the leftover centers from the frames, and I'm going to adhere those to the back of each framed panel.

[00:10:40]It lifts them slightly and keeps the page from getting too bulky.

[00:10:48]All right, now that the frames are dry, we're going to place these embossed panels on the right side of the layout.

[00:10:55]I'm going to use a ruler to help line them up.

[00:11:02]It's okay if they overlap your photo just a bit.

[00:11:06]When elements on a page touch, it helps create flow and makes the layout feel like one connected story.

[00:11:18]Now, this layout is great for those cardstock scraps.

[00:11:21]I chose to use rectangle shapes, but you could bring in any shape from your collection.

[00:11:29]You could line up little circles, triangles, squares, or even bring in some octagons.

[00:11:37]Scrapbook.com has some great nested die collections that would be perfect for a layout like this.

[00:11:46]I would love to know what shape you are planning on creating your quilted scrapbook layout with. Are you going to stick to rectangles or squares, or do you plan on bringing in a different kind of shape altogether?

[00:12:04]All right, so now that the background's all complete, I'm going to be adding florals from two die sets, the floral trio and the mini flowers.

[00:12:17]I'm just going to cut out all of the pieces using the leftover A2 cardstock colors that I cut my embossed panels from.

[00:12:27]This is a simple way to use up those paper scraps. And matching the die cuts to my background is going to create a cohesive look.

[00:12:38]If you don't have these exact dies, any flower dies, punched flowers, fussy cut florals, or stickers will work.

[00:12:50]For quick assembly, I like to use a grip mat.

[00:12:54]This prevents those small pieces from sliding around.

[00:13:00]I have laid out all of the flower bases first.

[00:13:06]And sat all of my little centers into a stack and sort tray.

[00:13:11]This is going to make them really easy to grab.

[00:13:16]This is a great way to assemble a lot of flowers really quickly.

[00:13:22]Especially if you're one who likes to add layers on your scrapbook pages or make cards in bulk.

[00:13:34]All right, so now we're going to put these flowers in place.

[00:13:40]I am going to speed up the video here because this is where you are going to let your individuality shine and place those flowers on the page wherever your creative heart desires.

[00:13:55]As I'm laying them out, I am going to give you a few tips for creating visual balance with color and floral clusters.

[00:14:05]Let's first talk about balance.

[00:14:08]When I'm adding florals to a page, I like to build a visual triangle that's going to lead the eye across the layout.

[00:14:21]I typically use odd numbers like the three large red flowers.

[00:14:27]This keeps the design naturally pleasing to the eye.

[00:14:33]Now, I mentioned earlier that I also cut some flowers out of white.

[00:14:38]I like to bring in white flowers because these neutrals act as a breathing space to break up the bold colors.

[00:14:47]They also keep the layout from feeling overwhelmed.

[00:14:52]You can definitely see a difference as I'm adding these white florals to the page.

[00:14:59]Now, don't forget to tuck your leaves under the petals to create depth.

[00:15:06]Again, I typically stick to odd numbers, but you can do whatever works for you.

[00:15:14]All right, so our finishing touches are going to be added with items from my craft stash.

[00:15:22]I'm just going to grab a title, phrases, and a sticker element from this sticker sheet here.

[00:15:31]Now, these are some older titles and phrases from Simple Stories.

[00:15:37]When you're creating a page that's primarily die cuts like this one, this is the perfect time to use up those leftover bits and pieces you have tucked away.

[00:15:48]Typically, we have sticker sheets with a few phrases or letter stickers or maybe one or two little butterflies or icons that we didn't use.

[00:16:00]I encourage you to go grab those stickers and use them on your next layout.

[00:16:08]And there we have it.

[00:16:10]Today, I shared some fun ways that you can use embossing folders on your scrapbook pages.

[00:16:16]I also shared some tips for solving the sandwich struggle, how to prevent paper cracking, and how to use embossing folders to create that quilted look.

[00:16:28]I hope these tips help you feel more confident about using embossing folders on your next layout.

[00:16:34]I hope you have a wonderful week, and I can't wait to see what you create.

[00:16:39]Thanks for watching.

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