Go into the craft store, head for the aisle where they keep their scrapbook supplies, have a look at some of their metal embellishments, turn around, walk out. First of all, the metallic accents they have are the same ones everyone has. You don’t want your scrapbook to look like someone else’s. Secondly, a few metallic embellishments can cost five bucks or more. With prices like that you’ll end up putting hundreds of dollars into one scrapbook. You can make many adorable, metallic embellishments yourself when you visit a hardware store. They don’t have a scrapbook aisle but they certainly have lots of scrapbook accents. And each one can cost as little as a few cents each.
Look around at a large hardware store and you’ll find many different metal pieces which can be used as scrapbook embellishments. One is a metal washer. Shaped like a donut, the flat metal piece can be found in many sizes. The silver color seems a little utilitarian but you can easily paint the washer. Or, cut a donut-shaped piece of fabric or paper and glue it to the washer. Use the washer as a cute picture frame by gluing it around a photo. Purchase small, really thin washers and use them as page borders. Or, align them on the outside of the book with a small picture inside each one.
Garden tags also make nice scrapbook elements. The tags are normally attached to plants or trees so that they can be identified when they’re small. Paint the tag any color you want. Then, print out a word or phrase, lay the writing on the tag, and trace over the letters. You’ll create a nice imprint on the aluminum tags which are pliable enough for writing or drawing. Use one of these tags to name a page in the scrapbook or even as a border around the front cover.
When you braid tiny wires together you can make gorgeous borders for the book itself or for pages inside the book. You can purchase wire in many sizes from a hardware store and braid them together. Double-sided, clear tape makes it easy to attach the wires to the pages.
Browse your nearest and largest hardware or home improvement store and you’ll find so many more ideas for scrapbook embellishments. Some of these include metallic tape, flashing, or screw nuts. You’ll find tons of different metal embellishments as well as non-metal accents. Just have a look and you’ll see – you might not ever go to the craft store again!