Select Artwork for Larger View and Item List
"Ctrl P" to Print
Borders, Edges, & Toppers
Ramie Ahlstrom - Scrapping Deck Cruise DirectorWhatever you call them, borders, embellished edges, or toppers, they all serve the same function. They bring a layout "together" by holding all the pieces in! Borders help draw the viewer's eye to the photos on a page. Borders keep the "contents" of a layout within a defined space, and give it a finished "edge" look, similar to matting a photo to put in a frame.
When I first started scrapbooking, I rarely had any borders on my pages. When I look back at them now, I always wonder what I could do to make them look like they weren't just some pictures and stickers sneezed onto the page! Adding a border would solve most of those dilemmas…although there isn't much hope for other issues those pages have (like the fact that EVERY photo is silhouetted!)
These days, I tend to add some sort of border on at least one side of my layouts. Some have two borders, and some have borders all the way around. Sticker and premade borders are by far the easiest to use, as all you have to do is adhere them where you want! Using border stickers that are the same length as your layout is a super fast way to make it look "complete," while not taking up much of the precious space available for photos. Border stickers can also be trimmed to be used as borders on photo mats or embellishments.
Several companies make premade borders. Other companies sell embellishments that can be easily used as borders, with or without any further embellishing. Adding a border isn't always necessary, but it's fun, and can be an interesting and easy way to spruce up a layout. I suggest trying different types of borders on your layouts, along with layouts with no borders, to see the differences.
Using cardstock to make a border is another easy way to pull things together. I love to tear the edges of cardstock, and making a torn edge border is very easy. I just trim cardstock to ½" wider than I want the finished border to be, then tear the edges and adhere the border to the layout. I then embellish the border as needed, using stickers, photos, fibers, and more!
Layering cardstock and patterned papers is also a great way to make a border. You can use papers that are used in other places in your layout, or are just coordinated well to the photos, theme and/or colors.
Embellishing borders is very simple, and can be done with anything that you can embellish any other portion of a layout with. The limits are only on what your imagination can come up with! I've been known to use everything from stickers to metal frames to embellish a border. I tend to stick to easy stuff, like fibers, rub on letters, and premade embellishments that only require adhering.
Not all borders need to be perfectly straight, and not all borders have to be on the edge of a layout. Adding borders that are angled draws the viewer's attention to the center of the page…perfect for those layouts that have only a few photos, or very little embellishing. Putting a border through the center of a page allows the scrapper to have two similar, but not perfectly matched "themes" on a page.
Be sure to check out the other articles on SSReflections, to see layouts with and without borders. See how our designers use them to make their layouts come together!
Happy Sailing!
Ramie Ahlstrom
ramieahlstrom@ssreflections.com
Scrapping Deck Cruise Director
S.S. Reflections, Inc.
This entire web site © Copyright S.S. Reflections, Inc. Legal Statement
***Disclaimers - While individual techniques may vary, always follow product manufacturers' directions and cautions for safety and best results.
LINK TO NEXT PAGE