Use Your Fabric Stash for Scrapbook Pages
A Simple Way to Turn Fabric Into Scrapbooking "Paper"
Sep 17, 2009
By stiffening your fabric scraps, they can be turned into "paper". Stiffened fabric can be folded and cut just like paper. It can also be cut to size to run through a printer, just like paper. The edges will not fray. The stiffening is permanent, it will not wash out. This is so easy and fun, you will want to get started immediately. What a great way to use your fabric stash.
How to Prepare the Fabric
Iron the fabric and lay it on a piece of plastic wrap. Apply Stiffy Fabric Stiffener evenly with a paint brush. The fabric should be just saturated. Go over it again to assure no spot has been missed. Let it dry until the top is dry. Flip to the other side and remove the plastic wrap and let the other side dry. Drying time will vary depending on temperature and humidity. The stiffener adds no color to the fabric, and will not change its appearance. Unlike paper, wrinkles can be ironed out.
How to Work With Stiffened Fabric
Give your fabric extra pizazz. You can add glitter, thread, yarn, ribbon, sequins, or paper to your fabric while the Stiffy is still wet. Some extra Stiffy may be needed to hold yarn. If the fabric is already dry, add a little more Stiffy to glue the items down.
Fabric stiffened with Stiffy can be taped, glued, sewn, stamped, painted, or any combination. Moisture from glue or paint can make it limp, but it restiffens when dry again, then iron flat. In the picture of stiffened fabric below, you will see a chunk taken out. That was done with a scrapbook punch. Simple punches work well, more complicated (such as snowflake) punches not so well.
Other Suggestions for How to Use Stiffened Fabric
- Make fabric origami
- Make no sew applique "Quilts"
- Customize your own stationary, yes you can write on it
- Use it for business cards
- Use it for book binding
- Use it as pages of a book
- Make picture frames with it, or simply decorate frames
- Decorate Hats
- Make Check book covers
- Make three-dimensional items by wetting the stiffened fabric, shaping it, and letting it dry
Stiffened fabric can be used anywhere paper can be used. It can be washed, line dried, and ironed. Add it to your scrapbook pages, cover your scrapbook with it, or try one of the other suggestions. Your creativity has just expanded from paper to fabric in one simple step. If you do not have a fabric stash, now might be the time to start one.
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