Card Layouts with Paper Scraps

As paper crafters, we all have one thing in common—a growing collection of paper scraps! Instead of letting those beautiful leftover pieces pile up, why not turn them into stunning handmade cards? In this post, we’ll explore creative ways to use paper scraps and share tips for designing eye-catching card layouts.

The Creative Process

First let’s talk about the creative process. Gather the paper scraps you want to use. Sort your scraps by color, pattern, and/or size. This will help you quickly find pieces that coordinate well together and may help make the design process smoother. If you are using a bunch of scraps from a coordinating pack of paper, you may not need to sort them much. For these cards, I didn’t really sort the papers since the colors and patterns coordinate well together.

Once you have the papers sorted or gathered together, you are ready to begin the designing process. I simply play around with the paper scraps on a card base by placing them in different places. Sometimes I layer the pieces and other times I separate them a bit. Think of the card base as your canvas for creating.

I create all the card layouts first and then I decorate them. So, in this case, I created the 6 different card layouts with my scrap papers. Once the card layouts were complete, I decorated them with a variety of different stamped images and die cut pieces.

Small Paper Scraps

Now let’s look at some of the layouts a little closer. These first two layouts are a great way to use up small paper scraps. Typically, I like to find one “larger” scrap piece and then add in some smaller scrap papers around it. This helps to create a pattern or starting point for the layout.

The first card layout starts with a 1-1/2 x 5″ scrap piece on the left side of the card front. This gave me a starting point so that I could add the smaller pieces. The top two smaller pieces measure 1-1/2 x 3″ and 1/2 x 3.” The bottom pieces measure 2-1/4 x 3/4″ and 2-1/4 x 1.” Don’t be afraid to trim down some of the scrap papers you have to create the layout.

The second card layout begins the same way. This time the paper scrap on the left side measures 1-3/8 x 4-7/8.” The smaller pieces are all 2-1/4″ long. From top to bottom, the width of each piece are as follows: 1-1/2, 1/2 and 2-3/4.”

You can decorate the card layouts with any supplies you have on hand. For these cards, I am featuring images from the Terrific Toadstools Bundle.

Layering Paper Scraps

Another fun way to use up your paper scraps is to create a variety of different layers. Layering works well with larger size paper scraps. For the first card, start with the largest scrap piece of paper in your pile. In this case, the piece measures 2-3/4 x 5-1/4.” Now find a few smaller pieces of patterned paper or cardstock to create additional layers. For this card, the purple piece measures 2-1/2 x 4.” The third layer is simply a 3 x 2-3/4″ scrap piece of embossed white cardstock.

The second card layout features two different size scrap pieces layered together. The green paper measures 2 x 4.” The purple striped paper measures 4 x 3.” I recommend using smaller, more subtle patterns, in the center of the card as it creates a nice place for the focal point!

Now the card layouts are ready to be decorated! For these cards, I am featuring some of the die cut pieces from the Celebrate Love ephemera pack.

Additional Layouts

The last couple of card ideas feature the paper scrap layout on a 4 x 5-1/4″ piece of white cardstock. This enables you to coordinate the color of the card base with one of the colors in the scrap papers.

The first card idea is a great way to use paper scraps which are the same length. In this case, both pieces are 4″ long. The scrap pieces differ in width. The green piece is 1″ wide while the purple piece is 1-1/2.” The scrap papers are adhered to the center of a 4 x 5-1/4″ piece of embossed white cardstock.

The last card layout features small scrap papers adhered to a 4 x 5-1/4″ piece of white cardstock. Start with a 1 x 5″ scrap piece on the left side of the cardstock. Look for smaller scraps which you can add to the right side of the white cardstock. In this case, I added two pieces of green colored paper measuring 2-1/2 x 1-1/2.” The purple piece in the center measures 2-1/2 x 2.”

The cards are decorated with some of the greetings and flowers from different ephemera packs as well as a few paper butterflies.

Video Tutorial

Card making with paper scraps is a rewarding and resourceful way to craft. With a little creativity and thoughtful design, you can transform leftover paper into beautiful, one-of-a-kind cards. So, dive into your scrap stash and start experimenting—you might be surprised at the stunning results!

Be sure to watch the video to see the creative process in action! Have a fun and creative day! ~ Lynn