Scrapbook My Life

Since I received my Cricut last year, I confess I don’t use my punches as much as I used to. However, punches really are a great tool for the beginning scrapbooker to use. Circle and square punches work well for cropping small photos or creating simple accents from patterned paper scraps. Flower punches, of which there are several styles, are another wonderful investment.

Here are a few tips for getting started using punches in your scrapbook:

• Punch through aluminum foil or fine-grade sandpaper a few times to sharpen punches. To lubricate a punch that keeps getting stuck, try punching through waxed paper or sticking the punch in the freezer for about half an hour to slightly constrict the metal.
• Clean punches with rubbing alcohol to remove any adhesive residue.
• If your hands get tired when punching multiple shapes, try punching standing up to alleviate stress on your hands and wrists.
• When punching out and adhering small pieces of paper, put a strip of double-sided tape on the paper before you punch the shape. Punch where the tape is and the punch will have adhesive on the back!
• If you have a hard time visualizing the size and exactly where to punch a square in a photo, punch different sizes out of vellum scraps, and lay those on top of where you’re considering punching the photo. You’ll be able to visualize what a photo will look like cropped without risking damaging the print.
• Send scrap strips of cardstock through a Xyron so that they are already covered in adhesive when you need to punch something for a page. This is much more convenient than trying to hold on to a small punchie and use a glue pen on it.

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