Brads

Brads hold it together and are decorative too! Learn how to use a common item to embellish your scrapbooking page. According to the Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking, these embellishments are metal fasteners with prongs inserted through multiple materials. They are available in a variety of colors, sizes, and finishes. These accents also work as decorative elements.

Do you remember doing reports in school that required using binders with brass fasteners to secure the pages in place? These are now available in many colors, shapes, and sizes. They are quick and easy to attach page elements with a decorative style.

Here are steps to attach these metal fasteners:

1.) Punch a hole, large enough to hold the prongs without tearing the paper too much, into the cardstock. For mini fasteners, a small hole with a paper piercer will work.

2.) Push this metal fastener through the hole.

3.) Flip the cardstock over and spread the prongs of the metal fastener, butterfly style, and press flat. If you like, secure it with tape.

4.) Place cardstock face up on a flat surface and press down on the top of your fastener to flatten completely.

Do you feel like experimenting with your decorative fasteners? Do you want to go beyond plain? Here are some ideas just for what to do with your embellishment.

1.) Sanding: Use a fine, grain, sand paper to distress the finish on your fastener for a well-worn look.

2.) Use Ink: A quick drying ink adds dimension and interest to your fasteners immediately.

3.) Add Rub-Ones: To give your embellishment character, add a rub-on to a flat-surfaced fastener to create a unique page embellishment.

4.) Stamping: Use quick-drying ink to add a stamped image, a letter, or word to your fastener.

5.) Cover them. Incredibly easy, a small circle of patterned paper is one of the quickest ways to alter the appearance of a metal fastener on your scrapbooking page.

6.) Embellish them. Altering these embellishments themselves is not the sole way of dressing them up. Add a lightweight metal Brad Buddy ™ for a fun twist.

Brads

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