If you’re searching for accents that will fit seamlessly onto your scrapbooking layouts, look no further than rub-ons. Available in nearly as many colors and styles as stickers, rub-ons are great because they don’t have the same noticeable edges as stickers. They adhere so smoothly wherever you place them that they often appear to be printed directly on the paper, photograph, or whichever surface you add them to.

How to apply rub-ons

For ideas for using rub-ons on your scrapbooking layouts, check out the following tips, and let our love of rub-ons rub off on you! If you’re new to rub-ons, take a peek at this article on how to apply rub-ons—it’s filled with lots of tips for success and a great FAQ.

Rub-on Tip #1:

Rock your ribbon. Adding border rub-ons to ribbon, as Jennifer McGuire has in her “Travel Buddies” layout, is a fun, simple way to personalize ribbon to perfectly match your scrapbooking page.

Travel Buddies by Jennifer McGuire, as seen in the April 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, p. 47.

Rub-on Tip #2:

Think layers. Because rub-ons adhere to paper so smoothly, it is easy to add other elements on top of them to create cute and unique embellishments.

Detail from My Sweet Cakes by Lisa Dorsey as seen in the February 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, p. 28.

Rub-on Tip #3:

Make a journaling spot. Whether you use them to create lines, to outline a shape, or to write your words, rub-ons are a creative way to add journaling to any scrapbook page.

Friends by Jennifer McGuire as seen in the April 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, p. 48.

Rub-on Tip #4:

Get dimensional. Rub-ons are beautiful flat, but they also look great with a little dimension. Make your rub-ons pop by outlining their edges in puffy paint or glitter. You can also place rub-ons on cardstock, cut them out, and apply them to your scrapbook layouts using foam tape to make them stand out even more.

Cherish the Little Things in Life by Laura Vegas as seen in the May/June 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, p. 25.

Embellishment from Mom’s Birthday Lunch by Mandy Douglass as seen in the October 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, p. 74.

Rub-on Tip #5:

Personalize your paper. Adding rub-ons to cardstock is an innovative way to make your own patterned paper.

A by Jennifer McGuire as seen in the April 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine, p. 48.

Other great ideas for rub-ons include using them on transparencies and photographs, creating frames for your photos, and adding titles and sentiments to your layouts. For even more ideas, check out the gallery on Club CK, where you can find inspiring layouts or share your own creative ways to use rub-ons.
—Meghan Nestel, assistant editor