Looking for Creative Paper Craft Ideas? Try Styling Your Paper Edges

Looking for a fresh way to finish your handmade greeting cards and scrapbook pages? Why not try styled paper edges? It’s a simple way to add the perfect finishing touch to your paper crafts projects!

Photo via Damask Love

Ideas for styling paper edges

1. Decorative edge scissors

This is the easiest route to take if you are needing your invite or scrapbook page in a hurry. Use some pretty decorative edge scissors and simply cut around your desired piece of paper to incorporate awesome designs, from circles and triangles to waves.

2. Paper punches

This method works especially great for scrapbooking and card making, since the paper you’re working with is usually a great size for the punches. Edge punches come in all kinds of shapes. (l personally like this cute lace heart punch). Using the punches is pretty easy — you just take a piece of paper and punch it through, kind of like a stamp. It’s important to remember to complete the punch on the right amount of the edge so that it doesn’t cut the design off. The location of the punch may take a little practice, so start with a trial piece of paper first.

Photo via Key Lime

3. Liners

Washi tape or golden tin foil are perfect for lining your gorgeous paper crafts. The instructions for each project my vary slightly, but any liners will need an adhesive (I often use double-sided tape or hot glue) to stick.

You can let your creative mind wander with the endless possibilities of the things you can style as liners for your paper edges (maybe even crochet!)

Now, here are a few DIY edging tips to remember:

1. Keep it simple

I am more of a simple styler myself — I am always bothered if there is too much going on in one craft. It’s important that your paper edge doesn’t take away from your your paper craft. Whether you’re making a birthday card or designing fun scrapbook layouts, you want your paper edges to accent the project, not steal the show.

2. Make sure it compliments the page

This plays a little into tip #1, but I also think it’s important to remember that however you decide to style your page edge, you need to make sure the shapes and design compliment your paper craft. You don’t want the edge to be super wacky and crazy when you are scrapbooking about something sweet and sentimental; think of complimentary shapes, themes and colors and stick with them.