Use Your Stash Challenge: Reuse the Packaging

When I worked at EK Success and designed classes for both industry and consumer trade shows, this was one of my favorite techniques to teach! So many scrapbooking brands, including K&Company and Jenni Bowlin, to name a few, include printed backers behind the stickers and die cut packs. They make the product look cute in the store, but did you ever think of reusing those cute prints in your crafts?

This is a Valentine’s Day themed sticker pack I had in my collection. The left is the clear sheet with stickers attached and the right is the packaging with printed backer it came in. The stickers already look so cute on it within in the packaging, so why not use that perfect color combo for you card?

Now before all those dedicated archival loving crafters point it out first, yes, I’m aware that most of these packaging pieces are not archivally safe to include in scrapbooks. But I’m not too strict on that, as I’ve been known to include my fair share of memorabilia within my pages. But a card isn’t always saved for archiving purposes and that’s what I’m making here.

I went ahead and trimmed the product information from top, attached the backer to a plain card. With just a few stickers and inches of baker’s twine later, my simple and cute Valentine’s Day card is ready to give my hubby!

So before you go to throw out the printed packaging from your stickers when you’re creating a craft, see if you can reuse this often discarded piece and stretch your stash!

Happy Valentine’s Day, Derek! XOXO

(supplies: Stickers: K&Company, EK Success Brands; Baker’s Twine and acrylic jewels: Martha Stewart Crafts)