While there are hundreds of different stencil templates which can be purchased from the craft store, many people prefer to make their own, allowing them to customize and craft exactly what they want right from their own kitchen tables. You just need to start by finding a design that inspires you. You can take cues from fabric, wallpaper, or from design books and online photos.

Copy the picture or design onto a piece of paper. If it’s a repeating pattern use a straight edge to add a dotted line to the top as a reference point for later. Once you’re happy with the quality of the base picture, you can take a sheet of clear acetate and tape it down to the original for copying. As you trace the drawing, start with the dotted reference line at the top. Then only trace those shapes which all are going to be the same color on the wall. The idea is to create a different sheet for each color so you don’t have to worry about spills and drips.

Those designs which are not of the same color can be traced using more dotted lines, so that it will be easier to line up the entire pattern on the wall later on. Repeat this with each color in the design until you have the entire picture complete.

The last step to creating a stencil is cutting out the actual pieces. Place each acetate sheet on a cutting board separately. Then use a craft knife to carefully carve the shapes from the material. Each line should be sliced with one fluid motion, the knife drawing through the sheet towards your body, with your hands carefully positioned away from the blade. As you work, turn the sheet itself to get a better angle on your cuts.

Whether you make your own stencil, or use a store bought one, the process of applying paint is basically the same. First you need to prep the wall, removing any wall clocks, nails, portraits, or decorative objects, and patching any holes in the sheet rock. If the design repeats, use a straight edge to draw a faint dotted line on the wall itself in pencil or chalk. Then match the stencil line up to this to keep the pattern straight.

It may be helpful to actually tape the stencil to the wall to stop it from sliding down. The paint itself should be applied using special stencil brushes, which will spread the color evenly over the surface. Dip the brush in the paint very lightly, making sure to wipe off any excess. You want the bristles to be just barely damp.

Applying the paint can be done in one of two ways. You can use a technique called stippling, which involves dabbing color over the open area to create a soft even coat. Alternatively the paint can be applied in swirls which will allow you to press harder at some points, and softer at others, creating a sense of depth in the final creation.

Paint each color on separately, using the various template stencils that you created, and waiting for every coat of paint to dry completely before moving on to the next. Check that the designs on the stencil match up evenly with each move. If there are small problems with the finished product, you can use a tiny paintbrush to touch up errors. If any major mistakes occur, a roller can be used to simply paint a fresh coat over the stencils, allowing you to start over once again.

Go into any Hallmark store and you'll see rack after rack of pre-made greeting cards -- all nearly the same, and all priced at upwards of three and four dollars each. But why pay several dollars for a generic card when you can make your own, quickly and easily!

If you can scrapbook, you can create fabulous cards. In fact, the same principles you use to design your layouts can be used to make unique and original handmade cards. Here are some tips to help you create your own cards:

• Have plenty of pre-made blank cards on hand. Standard card size is 4.25"x5.5" -- exactly half of an 8.5x11" sheet, folded in half! Take an 8.5x11" piece of cardstock and cut it in half, and you'll have two cards ready to decorate.
• Save your scraps. After each scrapbook page you create, use the scraps on a card. The patterned paper, cardstock, and embellishments are already pre-selected to coordinate, so it will take only minutes to make a card from the leftovers.
• Use your page layouts for cards. Scale down the different page elements, and any design you use for a page could easily be used for a card.
• Make a variety of cards for different occasions. You'll need all the common occasions -- birthdays, thank yous, etc. -- but don't forget to make some anniversary, thinking of you, and get well soon cards as well.
• Use cards to experiment. Want to paint on a scrapbook layout but nervous that you'll "wreck" your photos? Eager to give stamping a try? Use the smaller format of a greeting card to try some of the techniques you'd like to incorporate into your scrapbooking.

Card-making is the perfect complementary craft to scrapbooking. You've already got all the supplies and tools, now you can give them a workout and save yourself some money at the Hallmark store.

For more suggestions to make your scrapbooking fun, fast, and fabulous, visit Lain Ehmann's blog, Layout a Day. You'll get tons of scrapbooking ideas suitable for scrapbookers of any level.

For many of us a treasured family cookbook is a great way to recreate the beloved foods from our youth. Many of us have fond memories of particular foods or occasions. Incorporating these recipes within a scrapbook can create an heirloom that will be treasured for years to come.

Cookbook scrapbooking is taking recipes and incorporating them into a scrapbook. This can be done by transcribing the recipes onto paper or index cards and placing them into the album. But unlike a traditional cookbook, it’s not just recipes that are included. Adding comments and stories to correspond with each recipe is what makes these books so special. For instance, taking Grandma’s recipe for pumpkin pie and write it out on an index card. Attach that card into an 8X8 scrapbook page. Underneath the card, write a journal entry that includes when she made the pie, why you loved it, and special memory.  You can even write about the first time you tried to make it, maybe it was burned or flopped. This makes the recipes special for your children, their children, and continues throughout each generation.

To enhance cookbook scrapbooking, ask family members to write out their favorite recipes and include their own comments. Attach each handwritten note to a page and write who the recipe is from. You can also include your own thoughts on the recipe. If you have any photographs of the preparation or finished project be sure to include them. Maybe someone won a prize for a bake-off, include the newspaper article or other item. Let your children write out their favorite recipes, or if they are very young, ask them why they like a particular item. You can also add notes about where the recipe came from, why it was a hit. Maybe your favorite party appetizers came from the internet, write a short story depicted why you chose that and why.

When you are done creating your cookbook scrapbook, include blank pages at the end, so that other family members can include more recipes as the book gets passed down through the generations. Add page protectors to each page to avoid damaged pages. This will not only protect the pages from water or other spills, but make them easy to wipe clean.

Cookbook scrapbooking is a great way to pass on a tradition to our children. These are a great way to spend quality time together as a family by cooking and baking together. Not only will our children learn how to follow directions and patience, but they will also learn a little bit about their family history. It is a great item to pass down and it will still be useful for many years to come. Include your prized holiday meal recipes and it will sure to be a much sought after item. Other family members will be begging to borrow it. It’s an easy, innovative way to keep our recipes organized and our traditions intact for now and the years from now.

Learn how to Organize and Protect Your Entire Photo Collection in as Little as 10 Days...Without Losing Your Mind

Have you got years and years worth of photos that have never even made it out of the film developers' envelopes? Worse yet, have you got rolls and rolls of film that haven't even been developed? Are you up to your eyeballs in boxes and stashes of photos that are a jumbled mess?

You're not alone . . . and there is help.

You’ll love this simple, step-by-step plan to help you organize your entire photo collection in as little as 10 days . . . without losing your mind!

Here is what some of the people who used this system said:

“I did get all of my photos sorted and marked and in envelopes a short time after I received your e-book, which, believe me was no small task!!! That was the most important and biggest job, and I am sooooooo happy about that. I would NEVER have been able to get accomplished as well without your e-book!!! . . . I am so grateful that I found your website. I have bought scrapbooking supplies since then and started a scrapbook . . .”

“I had read tons of stuff, asked for tips in chat rooms and purchased boxes & stuff to get it done. Your web site was my final stop.... You guy's got me to do it ! . . . It was the female touch in your book that clicked with me. . . . I have been riding high on the sense of accomplishment with that enormous weight lifted from my shoulders”

“ . . . I am sure you have read my story a thousand times. But I tell you what...this is the first time I have ever written down all this...and now that I have...I feel a huge RELIEF!!! I am so thankful to have stumbled upon your website, and know that this is IT. You and Tracey have given me the inspiration, motivation, and tools to get moving with this project that has been hanging over my head for years!!”

If you want to learn how to organize your own photos click here.

Cricut projects can be as varied and original as each user. Traditionally, the Cricut can be used to create custom scrapbook pages. There are several design patterns available, or you can create your own. Since the cartridges come in themes, coordinating fonts and shapes is a breeze. Using cardstock and the Cricut machine you can create a template for your scrapbook page, and then just add them to your album, insert the photographs, and use the Cricut to create messages. Since it does all the cutting the time to create beautiful pages is cut down drastically. The coordinating themes and fonts also allow users to stop driving from store to store looking for supplies that match.

Other projects that you can use the Cricut for include cake decorating. Surprised? Well, it’s easy once you get the hang of it. There are patterns and projects for beginners through advanced on the Cricut website or you can try your own pattern. All you will need is a cake, fondant, gum paste, and shortening. It’s really easy and you can have a professional looking cake in minutes. First, layer the cake tiers and cover with fondant. Using gum paste and the Cricut Cake cut out the borders and attach to the cake using shortening. Then use gum paste and the Cricut Cake to cut out the desired design like a flower or other shape. Attach the shapes to the cake using shortening. You can try your own Cricut project ideas to create many types of cakes for birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, holidays, and even weddings. Just use one of the Cricut Cake cartridges and your Cricut Cake machine to make a one of a kind original.

Another Cricut project can be done to create fantastic throw pillows. Just take the desired fabric and tape it to the cutting board. Select the cartridge and design you want and let the Cricut cut out the fabric. From there the cut outs can be sewn onto a square of cloth to create the cover. When everything is placed as desired, sew the back of the pillow on three sides. Stuff the fabric with polyester fill and then finish sewing the last side. For a quicker project, Use Heat n Bond so that the fabric cut outs can be ironed to the fabric.

Cricut projects are numerous and many ideas, patterns, and directions can be found across the internet. With its versatility and ease of use, the Cricut can be used for many projects for years to come.

This is a guest blog post written by Jaime-Ann Laidlaw of Crafts for Kidlets.

Edward, Bella, Jacob.  Justin, Hannah, Taylor.  These names are commonly heard being talked about, swooned over, and debated on a daily basis throughout the halls of many junior high’s.  Many tweens can’t wait for the next edition of their favorite teen idol magazine.

I remember, many moons ago, having my bedroom wall lined with magazine pages of everything NKOTB and 90210. I loved sitting in my shrine to all things Donny Wahlberg and Christian Slater, until my father demanded I removed them – he felt the need to paint.  How dare he!

It was with that I discovered scrapbooking.  It started with my mom showing me a copy of a rather yellow looking book containing newspaper clippings of people I have never heard of.  But I ended up spring boarding off of her idea and created a massive scrapbook with all of the posters from my bedroom wall.

Scrapbooking does not have to be expensive; there is no need to have the fanciest book or sparkliest stickers or most colorful paper in it.  Scissors, glue, and a blank pages book work fine.  Heck – recycling an old notebook and covering the pages with teen idols is a fun thing too!

There are a lot of classes that you can introduce your son or daughter to that can help evolve their creativity to something more than video games and Perez Hilton.  Local arts and craft stores have a multitude of low cost classes they can sign up for.  Maybe there is even a chance for mother-daughter or mother-son bonding here: maybe!

Here are a few ideas to think about when trying to come up with ideas for those particular tweens!

1. “A day in the life of…” pass them the camera and have them try out their skills by way of a photojournalism project.  The sky is the limit.  They can follow the dog around all day taking pictures of them and then putting together a creative photo journal complete with original photographs and comments all from their point of view.  This is a perfect way to get them to open up and express themselves while perfecting their writing skills.
2. Mini Scrapbook Albums – Create albums with a specific theme. Themes are great for mini-albums because they only have a few pages for your photo story. Making a mini scrapbook to highlight the different happenings of the season or school year is always something fun your tween can look back on years from now and smile at.
3. Easy Tie Dye Projects – something your tween can do with a couple of friends.  We all know about the basic shirt tie dying, but what about bedsheets?  Or towels? Or sun dresses?  Here’s some quick instructions from a favorite of mine: KinderArt.com (just don’t tell your tween the name of the site and everything will be OK.

What You Need:

• various colors of fabric dye (available in the housewares department)
• rubber bands
• rubber gloves
• marbles
• tap water
• garments such as t-shirts, cotton shorts, old jeans, etc.

What You Do:

Begin by rubberbanding your garment according to the design you wish to achieve. See the pictures below followed by the method in which to reach that result.

Prepare dye according to package directions. Be sure to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands! Dye can be just as damaging as bleach to your unprotected skin. Please take the proper safety precautions recommended.

Once your garment is ready, place in the dye for at least 15-20 minutes. The longer the garment remains in the dye, the darker and deeper the color will become. Remove from the dye and rinse according to package directions, usually in cold running water. Ring out garment until water runs clear.

Carefully remove rubber bands and marbles to reveal your new design! No design will be the same as another and different effects can be reached by combining the different methods mentioned above.

What sort of things does your tween like to do when it comes to expressing their creative side?

Look for more fun kid crafts ideas at Crafts for Kidlets!

Here are some of the supplies Christina used to make her card:

- Paper Doll Dress Up Cartridge

- Beyond Birthdays Cartridge

- Chocolate chip cad stock

- Cuttlebug Embossing Machine

- Grosgrain ribbon

- Embossing folder

Scrapbooking may seem not an expensive hobby when compared to for instance golf, where in you have to buy a thousands worth of equipment or perhaps dancing, the lessons of which, can be really hard in the pockets, but that is where you are wrong. If you don't watch it, scrapbooking can be even more expensive in the long run. This is because as you become more and more attached to the hobby, you need updated tools and equipment.

What is scary though about scrapbooking is the fact that you can't really watch out for your expenses because it is relatively small. You just end up paying more because of the quantity that you buy and the frequency that you buy the materials.

Still, if you really want to. You don’t have to shell out so much. Scrapbooking doesn't need to be expensive. Below are some tips and idea to help you scrapbook for free (or if not way below what you are spending now!).

Watch the tools

One of the things that make scrapbooking so expensive for most people is their constant need to have the updated version of every tool imaginable. Whatever is new in the market, die-hard scrapbookers buy them even if they already have something that performs almost the same functions.

It is important to remember that you don't really have to buy great tools to create great scrapbooks. With even the oldest and out of date materials, you can still create memorable pages with just your creativity in tow.

Recycle and reuse

There are a lot of things in your home that you can use to add flavor and texture to your pages. You don't have to, for instance, buy stickers for your scrapbook in craft stores. You can achieve the same look, maybe even a better look, if you cut out graphics in magazines and in old greeting cards. Stationery is another great source of graphics that you can use.

Your old clothes can also be very useful. In fact, every inch of your old clothes can be used as decoration from the fabric to the zipper and the buttons. If you have an attic with a boxful of old clothes that you no longer wear, raid it and put those fabrics to good use. not only have you managed to rid the house of clutter, you have also put a lot of creative design into your scrapbook pages.

Make your own scrapbook

Most people who do their own scrapbooks buy prepared ones in craft stores and then decorate them with stuff. Prepared scrapbooks that are blank can really cost you a lot and this is unfortunate as most of these scrapbooks that are being sold can be easily done and completed in the home.

If you have the time, just make your own scrapbook. The cheapest way to go is of course to make your own paper through recycling. This however may take forever and may be really tedious to do.

Another way is to buy recycled papers or any kinds of paper in bookstores and compile them yourself by sewing the sides or gluing them together. This will be cheaper than buying an already-made set. What is more, you get to choose the design that you want and put some spin on the kind of scrapbook that you are doing.

Tip #1: Create a block look

Crop your photos into different rectangular shapes and sizes. Fit these photos onto one page in such manner that they form a block look. The block look is a great way to post several photos in one page, making it easier for you to get more pictures into one scrapbook.

Cropping your photos is a convenient way to get rid of the excess background spaces on your pictures and preserving the important parts of it. It is perfect when you want to give emphasis to a single object in a photo.  By cropping, you are able to chop down photos into the sizes required to lay them out in the scrapbook page easily.

Tip #2: Small equal size photos

Another suggestion for laying out multiple photos in a single page is to first crop each photo into small, equal sizes. This is possible if you have heaps of pictures of smaller subjects.  By cutting them at the right places, you save more space in the pages of your scrapbook for other photos you might want to post. Make sure, though, that the subject of each photo is not harmed when you snip off the unwanted sides.

This grid layout is perfect for tiny photos.  This scrapbook layout idea presents a simple but classic look that anyone will love.

Tip #3: Overlap photos

There are often huge, unnecessary spaces in scenic photos. These spaces are the perfect spots to overlap additional photos. By overlapping photos you are able to post multiple pictures on a single page without diminishing their value.  Overlapping photos creates a continuity of vision. Without actually being able to see a member of a photo that has been overlapped, you leave your viewers with the idea that it does exist.

Tip #4: Filmstrip photo boarder

This layout is a unique layout in scrapbooking which allows the scrapbooker to showcase photos in such a manner that the main picture becomes the focal point while the other smaller photos make up the border design.

The use of this filmstrip photo border design is a great way to lay out photos that are less significant on their own, yet when connected to the main picture make a great story.

Tip # 5: Crop Photos Into Narrow Strips

Using several vertical photos is perfect when you need to lay out many photos on a single page.  By cropping each photo to about the same width and height, and using little bookmarks as little notepads for journal your thoughts, you can create a flow of thought that will make up a perfect storyboard. No doubt this is probably one of the best scrapbook layout ideas.  Not only is it aesthetically appealing, but it also makes perfect artistic sense.

There a lot of scrapbook layout ideas you can find out there that might be helpful to you.  A little research will surely land you the layout that best suits your taste.  Don’t hesitate to create add-ons of your own. If you do it right, you just might be the next scrapbook guru to get published.