Layout of the Week #22- Using Ephemera As the Background of Your Layout

        How many times do you have pamphlets, maps, or menus from an outing that you would like to use on a layout but you just don't know how? Take a look at this.This week we're stepping out of the box by using a piece of ephemera for our layout background.

For this layout, I had a 12"x 23" piece of card stock with the Houston Texans logo on it. It was supposed to be fan-folded to make a noisemaker. My son and my dad brought me one thinking I could scrapbook on it.

I thought it would make a cool background for a layout.

To make a layout like this, you'll need:

a large piece of ephemera- a map, playbill, pamphlet, menu or anything else large enough to use for a layout (it will work even if it isn't quite 12"x12")

1 piece of 8 1/2"x11" card stock for the photo mats

letter stickers for the title (I used part of the parking ticket for my title)

trimmer

adhesive

4 photos

First, trim your background to 12"x12" (or slightly smaller depending on the size of your ephemera). Then mat each photo on card stock. I used white card stock and left a larger border at the bottom so my photos would look like Polaroids. 

Place your photos from top to bottom in a diamond shape.

Place the title in the upper right hand corner and the journaling in the lower left corner. And you're done!

Feel free to shift your page elements to allow your ephemera to show through on the background.

Now, wasn't that easier than you thought it would be?

(Notice that I even included a game ticket behind the bottom photo.)

Here is another example- on this layout I used part of the packaging from the fireworks we bought. From the moment I saw this piece of the packaging, I knew I had to somehow include it on a layout! Because it was busy, I trimmed it to cover 2/3 of my card stock. Then I placed my journaling on a tag behind the bottom right photo and placed my title across my photos.

Here is a mini album I made using a zoo map as the pages.

The map was folded in half, then I adhered 2 pieces of chipboard covered with pattern paper on the ends for a cover. 

The book then pulls open and has accordian pages.The map is able to be seen as the background for each page. I added photos from the zoo trip.

Then the book closes up along the folds of the map.

     Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct,

love, faith, and purity show yourself an example of those who believe.

1 Tim. 4:12

This post is linked to 52 Mantles and Embracing Change.