5 Ideas To Help You Create A Layout Faster
Whether the kids' activities have gone into high gear, you're tackling that big reorganizing project, or life is just crazy in general, there are times when we can get stretched too thin and our crafting time takes a back seat.
So how can you make the most of the creative time you do have? Give yourself a head start! Here's my five favorite quick and easy ways to create layouts faster:
Don't recreate the wheel. Take a quick peek through your own gallery or pull one of your albums off the shelf. Find 3-5 favorite page designs and make a quick sketch of each one. The next time you sit down to scrapbook, use one of these pages for inspiration. You've already created the design once, so the time consuming design decisions have already been made.
Start at the end. The next time you have a stack of scraps on your table from a project, grab a piece of cardstock or subtle background paper and create a Starting Point layout (a concept created by Shimelle Laine). Trim your scraps into different sized boxes or strips and arrange them to create a versatile background. Leave your Starting Point layout on your desk and the next time you want to scrapbook, you will already have a page just waiting to be finished with photos, embellishments and journaling.
Limit your choices. Start with a page kit you've created by shopping your own stash, or use a collection pack from a favorite manufacturer. Then add in a few sheets of neutral card stock. It's amazing how much faster the creating process goes when you limit your choices and use only products you've pre-assembled.
Use a grid design. Grids are a fantastic and simple go-to design. Whether you split your canvas into four, six, nine (or more!) blocks, using a grid will take the guess work out of the equation. You'll know exactly what size to cut all of your papers and photos, allowing you to spend more time adding the perfect embellishments.
Print photos ahead of time. Photos are an essential ingredient for your layout. If you need to search through your hard drive for photos, edit and then print them, you could be wasting half of your creative time. Print off a batch one night while you are watching television or think ahead and upload them to an online developer. You'll be much more productive when you have a stack of photos printed and waiting for you.
Do you have a favorite time saving tip? Feel free to share it in the comments. We'd love to hear your ideas too!
