Keep it Simple – Stunning Collage Wreath Layout

Have you ever looked at a fellow scrapbooker’s layout and said, “How did she do that, it must have taken her forever!”

Well, this is one of those layouts! Only it was easy and it didn’t take forever! I am NOT a decorative scrapbooker, my pages are rather simple with clean straight lines and flowers and foam squares seem to be my go-to embellishments. Enter Creative Memories and their Recipe Templates … These templates are easy to use, very decorative and will create that  WOW page you are looking for!

So, how do you use these Recipe Templates and how long does it take? Well here’s my process…

Tools Needed:

• Recipe Template
• Pencil
• 12″ Trimmer
• Personal Trimmer
• Recipe Template Clips
• Scissors

Step one – Keep it simple! Choose a background piece of paper or cardstock and two other pieces of complimentary papers, try limiting it to just two patterns and one solid with one darker shade and one lighter or one soft and one bold.

Step 2 – once you have your background, choose your main patterned paper and use a pencil to trace the template onto that paper. For my example, I chose the lighter patterned paper.

Step 3 – Set the Recipe Template on the background paper you chose, then cut the pieces you traced on the pattern paper using 12″ trimmer for the edges, a Personal Trimmer for smaller straight lines and then free-hand cut the curved pieces using sharp scissors. Set each cut piece in the corresponding piece of the template. (see below image)

Step 4 – Use the second piece of paper to trace and cut remaining pieces of the template and place into Recipe Template.  For my example, I chose the darker patterned paper.

Step 5 – Adhere paper pieces to the background paper inside the Recipe Template lines using a Repositionable Tape Runner.

Remove the Recipe Template, add your photo, cutting a mat from coordinating or contrasting paper if desired. Add any embellishments using Foam Squares to give your layout a POP!

All in all, this layout took about an hour to complete. But depending on the number of papers you choose it could take longer. I usually recommend setting aside two hours to complete from start to finish if it’s your first time using the template.

The options for placement of the Recipe Template and patterns of paper or photos to use are endless… have fun and enjoy the process!

Happy scrapbooking!

Tammy