Are you struggling to put together your Project Life layouts? They just don’t seem to have that pop and gorgeous look that you see on Pinterest. I’ve looked at thousands of layouts online and in person and have discovered the 10 best tips to improve your Project Life pages.
I’ve looked a lot of Project Life layouts from design teams, blogs, and Pinterest to determine what those beautiful layouts have in common. From my research, I’ve found that there are 10 tips that can help you improve your Project Life layouts. These tips will help you create beautiful layouts whether it’s your first time scrapbooking with photo pocket pages or you’ve been doing it for a while.
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1. Use black and white photos
Have you ever seen a layout that has black and white photos? Those photos pop when paired with Project Life cards in the pocket pages. Pair your photos even further with black and white designer cards or other simple designs to give your layout a clean, crisp look.
2. Stick with only 2-3 colors throughout the layout
Limiting your colors in your photo pocket pages really helps to keep the page simple and coordinated. Sometimes, if you get too many colors they compete with your photos that are printed in color and your eye won’t know where to focus on the page.
3. Coordinate facing pages
Two page spreads aren’t quite as popular anymore, but still coordinating two facing pages will help your pocket scrapbook album be more cohesive. Consider the layouts that you are making and the order of your pages to try to coordinate the colors, fonts, and design.
4. Print your photos with white borders
Try adding white borders to your photos before printing. It’s a easy way to “matte” your photos without have to actually do it with paper. I’ve also seen a lot of people use the Collect app (iOS) to print their photos and it makes their photos look like 3×4 polaroids. The app even allows you to add journaling to the white portion of the card before saving it.
5. Use the same card for multiple pockets
I just discovered this method of photo pocket page scrapbooking from a great inspiration and resource, Meagan Johnson. She is on the Becky Higgins Digital Design Team 2018 and her Project Life App layouts are beautiful! You could use this method with the physical kits too – now you have a reason to use all those duplicate cards that come in each Project Life Scrapbook Kit! (Love Meagan’s layout as much as I do? She participated in my Lead Your Best Creative Life series for March 2018 – read it here!)
I also used the same card when I put together my Day in the Life scrapbook project by Ali Edwards. I used the same photo pocket page and the same pocket card for journaling. You can check out more about my Day in the Life project in this blog post.
6. Use the same photo pocket page
For a consistent look, ease of figuring out your layouts, and a clean style try to use the same photo pocket pages in your album. It will be much easier to plan your layouts and also know the directions of your photos. Sometimes if you include too many different pocket style pages, planning how your photos will be printed and look the best becomes frustrating. If you are really itching to get in some different layouts, consider adding the smaller Project Life inserts like the 6×12 design, 8.5×11, or other sizes.
7. Trim down your photos to cut out the clutter
As with any scrapbooking layout, look at your photos before you print them. There are so many apps and programs out there that allow you to edit your photo, crop your photo, change colors, add effects, and more. Test a few different photos to see what works best for you. If you forget to do this before you print, then consider trimming your photo to fit the 3×4 pocket or another size and attach your photo to a designer card.
8. Add journaling to your photos
Combining your journaling with your photos can be a little tricky. You want to be sure that your font is legible and the color can be easily seen. You can do a combination of a photo and journaling card in the same space, or you can journal directly on your photo. Ali Edwards does this style quite often and it really gives her photos something extra! She has journaled around the edge of a coffee cup or around the border of her photo. Be sure to use a slick writer pen if you are journaling directly on a photo.
You can also type your journaling on your photo before printing it to fill up the empty space of a photo. There are plenty of apps and computer programs that allow you to achieve this look.
9. Add small embellishments
Even with pocket scrapbooking, the layouts can feel a little flat. Consider adding small embellishments like buttons, labels, banners, stickers, die-cuts or even trim out some of the graphics on your project life cards to make your own embellishments that coordinate with your pages. Don’t forget to always use acid-free adhesives, especially if you are attaching embellishments to your photos.
10. Use the same journaling fonts
Using a consistent font across your page will help improve the design of your pages when it comes to journaling. You should try to stick to only 1 font or your handwriting for journaling. Then use 1 or 2 more complimentary fonts for your titles, overlays, quotes, embellishments, or other designer cards. This will make your layouts look more cohesive and pleasing to the eye. The key is to be consistent.
Improve Your Project Life Layouts
These 10 simple tricks can help improve your Project Life layouts whether you are using the app, digital, or physical form of pocket scrapbooking. The next time you make time for scrapbooking, use these tips to create beautiful layouts for your scrapbook album!
Do you have any other design tips that you use in your Project Life albums? Let me know in the comments below!
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Want to see more Project Life pages to give you inspiration? I continually add new content to my Pinterest Board for Project Life Layouts for inspiration. Check out my boards below and don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest!
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