Use Anchoring to Improve Your Heritage Scrapbook Layout

When I started scrapbooking, I just stuck pictures on a page without caring about the design. As I learned more about page layouts, I discovered a quick trick that changed everything about my pages, and it will improve your pages too. It’s called ANCHORING!!!

Many pages all over the internet in scrapbook galleries and Facebook Scrapbook communities have the same flaw. Don’t worry. I did this myself. The flaw is floating images and graphics. They’re just out there in visual space with nothing connecting the visual elements to the page they appear on.

What’s the biggest mistake with this layout?

Check out this layout for the template phase of power scrapbooking.

I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t like it. As such, I couldn’t finish the layout by adding color paper and such.

The quick fix is to anchor your items to the page and each other.

Watch this video on YouTube.

The template I chose was okay, and I could make it work with the principle I’ll share, but first, I want you to see it before I describe it.

Why does this layout look better?

It’s not just the rearrangement of the images.

The images are connected to the page rather than placed on the page and connected to each other.

What are the principles of anchoring in scrapbooking?

• Each element needs to touch an element (or chain of elements) that touches the page's edge.

• The elements on the page need to touch an anchoring element that touches two sides of the page.

• A corner

• Opposite sides

Notice how this layout, now with color, follows the principles. This layout uses the opposite corner anchored approach. The anchor is the burgundy colored paper. The photos all either touch those two blocks or each other. There is also a light-colored velum that connects to two clusters of images together.

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What Can You Use to Anchor Your Scrapbook Layouts?

Here are a few tricks that can help the elements touch each other and then the layout's edges.

1. Tilt Photos -- A simple photo tilt can allow photos to touch one another and give movement to a page.

2. Photo Mats -- use photo mats to touch each other or the edge of the page.

3. Decorations- Ribbons, sticker strips, fibers, and wire can be used above or below your images and text blocks to connect elements to each other or the page edge.

4. Paper Blocks -- Patterned paper strips can add color and texture to your layout while providing the anchor to the page edges.

5. Vellum Blocks- This is generally to enable you to separate your journaling from the background paper for readability. However, vellum can work as a photo mat to touch other elements on your page.

I used embellishments (repeating dots) to further connect the elements while still allowing the burgundy paper block to function as corner anchors. The flowers going on the page also adds a bit of anchoring.