Quick Tip: Scrapbooking Tape

The first time I brought this tape home it was by mistake. I thought I was buying double sided sticky tape and for the longest time it just sat in my supply bin. You can imagine my surprise to find out it looked like regular ol' tape. Little did I know I had a handy go to tool.

If you're like me, you like using brads on your pages. Or perhaps you're thrifty like me and cut patterned paper up so you can use the least amount possible on your pages. Maybe you like using ribbon or fibers, and often wrap the ends around your page.

All of these are fun additions to a page, but if you use top loading page protectors it means that it can be hard to slide pages in and out. The metal prongs on the brads inevitably catch on the plastic. Scrapbook pages, made up out of several smaller sheets of paper to make one 12X12 are often flimsy and need reinforcement. Or the ribbon becomes loose on the back of the page and slips or falls; you're constantly repositioning.

These are not the end of the world by any means, but annoying nonetheless. My secret for dealing with these little nuisances is to simple add a little bit of scrapbooking tape on top. Because it's mean for photos it means that it very thin, thinner than regular tape, and won't add any more bulk to your layout. Plus it's acid free and photo safe so you don't have to worry about your pages disintegrating over time. It's mean to disappear into a photo, if you tear it. It's got great hold.

Now when I want to use ribbon, I fold the ends over the side of my paper and tape the ends down. The stay put and I only need a little bit. Stick a little bit on top of the metal prongs of a brad and no more catches. Oh and those flimsy floppy pages? Support the seams where the pieces of paper meet on the backside of your layout. You won't have to adhere everything to another sheet of paper to give it support.

For all my crafty friends, my question is...what tool or supply do you find handy to have around? What do you reach for over and over? Do tell; share with me!