Leftover paper strips ?

[breeze7]

Does anyone have any ideas for all the strips of paper I get when I trim my cardstock. I have strips of paper that range from 1/4 inch wide and 4 inches long to just about every width and length up from there. :?
Does everyone but me just throw them away? Maybe I'm just a pack rat :oops:
Please help me.
Thanks,
Mary

[mandasmom17]

I am in your boat. I save them....I even organize them by color. I have used them occasionally when layering on cards. I have seen a woven card technique that looks cool and it uses little strips like 1" or less, but I've not tried it. I'll have to watch and see what people tell you!

[meldan]

I have read on this site that people use them as packing in little treat bags, crimp them first, sounds cute!

[marymoilanen]

I do a couple of things.... 1) Recycle them into new paper and 2) use them to create borders. This is easy. Just take all the strips and adhere them to another sheet (I use Xyron for this). Once the strips are attached, just start trimming it into strips (obviously, the opposite direction to get all the little pieces). Attach the strips to your project.

[demodarla]

If you have a shredder you can put them through that to use in gift/goodie bags. You can also use them for paper weaving. In the October 2004 Paperworks magazine they have some samples on page 42. You just weave together different colors and patterns and can use that as a background. It is a great way to use the 1/2" strips that I cut off of almost every piece of card stock.

Hope this helps.

[Kymbers_Stampin]

I read in a craft magazine you can use the scraps to make paper. Not sure exactly how, but it looked really cool. It involved a blender and this sifter box.

I've done weaving with the strips. Like the picture below (if it will attach).

[JodiAnn]

I have used my left-overs for iris folding and weaving. I have also cut a bunch of half-inch squares and made a checkerboard pattern. They also work good when you need to make a bunch of small punches.

[busybunny]

I use my 1/2-inch wide strips to make paper beads.

[Cootiebug_Mia]

You could also use the really thin strips for quilling , Much cheaper than buying the packets of maybe 100 strips for $6.99 at Michaels or Archiver's

[lzappa]

I've started using them for simple birthday cards, you can never have enough birthday cards on hand:

[mamie114]

What great ideas! I also like the weaving.

[labullard]

If you like the mosaic look, this card in the gallery by baliddle is a great example of this technique:

Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

Hope that helps. Linda

[I-Am-Serendipity]

If it's 1/2 inch thick or less, I crimp it and throw it into a large Ziplock bag. Then, whenever I need stuffing for packages, or bags or whatever, I grab from the Ziplock. I've also taken the scraps and chopped them up really small and used them as confetti at football games and such. If it's bigger then 1/2 inch thick, it goes back into the little Ziplock bag I keep the scraps for the co-ordinating color. I've got all my 8.5 x 11 paper in hanging file folders, and at the beginning of the file, I've got a small Ziplock bag that holds all the larger scraps. I always pull the scrap bag before I go to the full sheets. ~Pam

[breeze7]

Wow!! You ladies have my head spinning with ideas. I thought of using some of the strips for iris folding, but wouldn't the CS make a pretty thick project?
Thanks for all the info.
Mary

[I-Am-Serendipity]

The CS would be incredibly thick for iris folding. I've always used origami paper. It's thin so you will get a crisp sharp line. ~Pam

[cookiestamper]

Try this- run a piece of cheap white cardstock through the xyron (or completely cover with double sided tape) and then lay your strips down close to each other but not touching. Dump on some embossing powder, tap off the excess and heat. Very pretty. I imagine you could use glitter or flocking instead of the EP- gotta try that sometime!