Weekly Warm-Up: Unique Stitched Title Technique for Scrapbooking

I love to add texture to my scrapbook layouts, and one of the easiest ways to do this is with fiber. My “go-to” fibers are embroidery floss, baker’s twine, and thread, but there are many different wonderful fibers perfect for scrapbooking.

Common Thread by Cindy Tobey, as seen in the May/June 2012 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, page 44.

Fiber can also add a sweet homespun feel to your layout, which is exactly what I wanted for this page featuring photos of my family. Here, I used both baker’s twine and thread. I wrapped the baker’s twine around my background paper and I used thread to stitch part of the letters in my title.

Here’s how you can create your own title using thread and cardstock scraps:

1. Select your thread and cardstock.

2. Sketch your title in block letters onto cardstock.

3. Cut the title letters from the cardstock, excluding the portions that you will fill in with thread.

4. Adhere the cardstock letter portions to your background paper, leaving room for the thread portion of the letters.

5. Add a thin piece of fabric to the back of your cardstock with dry adhesive, covering the area you will be stitching over. This will hold your stitches in place even if you make two stitches too close together and tear the paper between them.

6. Finish your title letters with long stitches of thread. Be sure to use a needle with a very small eye to create holes as small as possible in your background paper.

I used thread for my title, but you could create a similar effect with all different types and thicknesses of fiber. I hope you have fun with this title technique! Thanks for reading!

—Cindy Tobey, Contributing Writer